NRL: Sharks hope trip won't help Warriors

Sharks captain Paul Gallen. Photo / Getty Images

Cronulla admit they've taken a risk by moving their National Rugby League match with the Warriors on Sunday from Sydney to Taupo.

Bad weather has contributed to some low crowds at Toyota Stadium when the Sharks have hosted the Warriors in recent seasons.

As a result a financial decision was made by the club to take the round four match to Taupo, a town which is about three hours south of the Warriors' base in Auckland.

Sharks coach Shane Flanagan concedes that, in hindsight, the club's back-to-back wins would have ensured a big home crowd for the fixture against the winless Warriors.

But he said the decision has already been made for good reason and Cronulla need to embrace the challenge and not let the initiative give the Warriors a much needed leg-up.

"Well I hope not, it's still three or four hours travel for the Warriors as well. We've got a bit of support there at the moment and we're a pretty happy camp. It's going to be a challenge but we've known about it for a while so no excuses," said Flanagan on Tuesday.

"When we went into this arrangement we didn't know we would have been on the back of two good wins so I think we would have packed it if we had played it here on the weekend, but it's not to be.

"We made the decision early, it's a financial situation for the club so as a playing group we're looking forward to it and we've just got to get on with it."

Coming off impressive wins over St George Illawarra and Penrith in recent weeks, Flanagan sees the Warriors as a danger match.

Despite boasting an imposing roster, the Warriors are still desperately searching for their first victory of the season.

"Everyone probably would have thought the table's been turned around, the Warriors would have been two from three, and we'd be zero from three," he said.

"Things can change quickly in rugby league and the Warriors will be desperate and we'll be taking them in that sort of sense and they'll be out there playing for their lives because no team wants to go zero and four."

- AAP