Sir Peter Leitch isn’t an NRL tipster; he only cares about one team’s results.

“I’m focused on one team – that’s the One New Zealand Warriors,” he tells The Big League Podcast’s Nathan Limm, adding he does have a soft spot for the Dolphins, owing to his friendship with coach Wayne Bennett.

The Mad Butcher says he doesn’t make picks each week like the many thousands of rugby league fans going head-to-head against their mates or colleagues.

“I’m going to share a personal thing with you, mate. If I pick my nose, it bloody bleeds!”

So for him to make a prediction earlier in the year that Warriors coach Andrew Webster was the one to take the Penrose club back to the top eight, he was only slightly breaking his ‘no picks’ rule.

Sir Peter recalls an interview at the beginning of the season where he was asked for his opinion on the then-new Warriors coach, Andrew Webster.

“I said, he’s The Messiah.”

Understandably, he was asked to clarify why he thought Webster was worthy of such a moniker.

“I said, in my humble opinion, he’ll take us to at least the top eight.”

As things stand, the Warriors are on track to prove your old mate The Mad Butcher right.

They currently sit sixth on the ladder- just four points of first and with a decidedly more favorable run home than most of those in similar positions.

Before that run home – however – they must deal with the Sharks and Raiders who have the same top eight aspirations and as good a chance with the players at their disposal.

He says Webster has given him access to team meetings and a post-match insight into the changing sheds - something Sir Peter says has allowed him to see how Webster carries himself has rubbed off on the team.

“I think the coach [Webster] is the glue keeping everything together. He’s very humble.”

“He never loses his cool. He’s calm, cool, collected after the game. I was very impressed.”

He recalls one post-match address to the squad which impressed not only him.

“There was a guy in there who hadn’t been in there before and he said to his friend ‘Man he knows how to deliver a speech after a game, doesn’t he?’ There’s something special about him.”

This Sunday the Sharks make the trip across the Tasman - the last time the two sides met the Warriors put in one of the greatest performances in their history.

The Butcher tells Nathan Limm he’s hoping there will be more of the same on the menu this week.

“Let’s hope we’re having Sharks for tea that night!”

Catch all episodes of The Big League Podcast here - or wherever you get your podcasts.