I'd be willing to bet that, to this day, he has a hard time convincing people he was a Village Person. But first he'd have to convince them there was even a soldier in the band.

There's a point to this diversion into the late 1970s era of disco. And that is this; to me the New Zealand Warriors are the NRL's version of the Village People's soldier.

They tend to exist on the periphery for me; were I to list all 16 teams, they'd probably be the last one that came to mind. Probably after a pause when I got to 15 and had to work out who was missing.

They've been in the comp in one form or another since 1995 but I just never remember them (and I even had to do some research to find out what year they began).

It's nothing to do with the contradiction of having a New Zealand-based team in a competition called the ifNationalnf Rugby League - though that does annoy the pedant in me.

Nor is it a manifestation of any dislike of the Shaky Isles. I went there on holidays a few years ago and absolutely loved the place. It's also responsible for one of my favourite beers in the world - Monteith's (which I mention in the faint hope they might send me a case for the free plug).

Maybe it's because they've never really been a threat - except in 2002 when they actually made the grand final. That year aside, they've never looked the goods. When you look at the Warriors, you don't think, "jeez, they're a good team". Instead you're likely to think, "jeez, they're inconsistent".

I'd hate to be a Warriors supporter - they win one week and look like stars, then, six days later, they play like they've just met each other for the first time in the car park before the game. You truly never know which Warriors team will turn up on the day.

Not that it'll matter this Sunday. With the Dragons fielding what looks likely to be a full-strength side for the first time in months, the Warriors don't have a hope. No matter which of their teams turn up on the day.