WHEN Ivan Cleary was appointed as Warriors coach three years ago, one of things the privately owned club's management wanted was consistent performances on the field.

As evidenced by the response in New Zealand to last Sunday's stunning upset defeat of the Melbourne Storm, a successful Warriors outfit will attract strong support - but Kiwi fans need to be convinced their team has a good chance of winning before they get behind them.

Since being admitted to the premiership in 1995, the Auckland club has developed a reputation for being inconsistent.

It's a misconception that many people still hold but statistics from Cleary's reign show the Warriors are now one of the NRL's most successful teams.

Boasting the fourth-best win-loss record in the past three regular seasons, the Warriors have qualified for the finals the past two seasons and only missed out in 2006 because the club was docked four competition points for previous salary cap breaches.

Had the Warriors finished in the top eight that year, they would be able to lay claim to having featured in the play-offs as regularly as Melbourne and St George Illawarra (six times each) during the eight seasons Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin have had control of the club.

While Brisbane have been more regular finalists during that period, the Warriors have almost matched them - winning 38 of their 72 matches, drawing one and losing 33 compared with the Broncos' record of 39 wins, one draw and 32 losses.

As minor premiers for each of those three seasons, the Storm obviously have the best record, followed by Manly, Brisbane and the Warriors.

No other team has better than a 50-50 record during that time.

"I think what we had achieved before we beat Melbourne last week had been largely undervalued," Warriors director of football John Hart said.

"With our under-20s also winning, it's only us and the Broncos that have got two teams in the last six, and that's a great result. For our club, without a benefactor or a leagues club to prop us up, it's important that we perform well, and we've focused on some long-term goals."

This season the Warriors won 13 matches and lost 11 - an almost identical record to last year when they won 13, drew one and lost 10. In 2006, they had 12 wins and 12 losses.

"I think those results have got a lot to do with the stability in the place now," said Warriors great Stacey Jones, who has returned to the club this season as a kicking coach after finishing his playing career with French club Catalans in the English Super League.

"Ivan's been the coach for three seasons now, and there's been no great changes in that time. If he stays as coach for another season he'll be the longest-serving coach the Warriors have had.

"I also think it's got a lot to do with the influence that Steve Price, Brent Tate and Ruben Wiki have had on some of the younger players in the team … they've helped some of the other guys to realise how important it is to hang on to the ball and complete your sets."

Another long-serving Warrior, Wairangi Koopu, who is leaving at the end of the season after 10 years with the club, said the younger players coming through were learning a more professional approach to the game. "I think over the past five or six years, in particular, there's been a very strong Australian influence at the club," Koopu said. "There's probably nearly as many Australians as Kiwis in the team now, and even Ruben had 13 years playing the game in Australia … all the young guys coming through are learning that.

"Back in 2002, when we made the grand final, we played with a bit more razzle dazzle but I was watching some footage of those games the other day, and guys like Clinton Toopi and Francis Meli just used to fling the ball out the back. It was great when there were people there to catch it, but if not the ball would just go to ground."

HOW THEY FARED

Manly 49-0-23

Brisbane 39-1-32

Warriors 38-1-33

Parramatta 36-0-36

St G Illawarra 36-0-36

Cronulla 36-0-36

Canberra 35-0-37

Newcastle 35-0-37

Roosters 33-1-38

Bulldogs 33-0-39

Wests Tigers 32-0-40

North Queensland 31-0-41

Penrith 28-1-43

South Sydney 23-0-49

Gold Coast* 20-0-28

Melbourne 58-0-14

* Entered NRL in 2007