League: Beat Dogs or do the maths

Todd Byrne returns to the wing for the Warriors after a neck injury. Picture / Brett Phibbs

The Warriors need to win five from their eight remaining games and desperately need to take their chance against a weakened Bulldogs outfit at Ericsson Stadium on Sunday.

Still on the Dogs' injured list are centre Willie Tonga (knee, one week away), prop/second-rower Willie Mason (knee, two weeks), utility Reni Maitua (ankle, four weeks), and second-rower Sonny Bill Williams (knee, five weeks).

The Dogs are on 17 points, one ahead of the Warriors, thanks to a 21-all draw against Souths at Gosford after overtime.

So 90 minutes of football is worth one point, a bye is worth two and muddles the table and confuses the punters.

Both of Sunday's teams have one bye left and two points guaranteed from that but whoever loses this game will be looking at the drainpipe for season 2005.

The Warriors yesterday returned Todd Byrne to the left wing after his two weeks out with a neck injury, shifted Richard Villasanti and Monty Betham up from the bench to start and dropped Iafeta Paleaaesina and Awen Guttenbeil back to the bench.

Villasanti will have to hold the ball, Betham desist from giving away penalties.

The loser on Sunday falls into maths territory, relying on other teams to lose to keep any playoff hopes alive. Both come off losses that should spark them to greater effort.

The Warriors have home advantage and with good weather and a good crowd, that should count. Then there is the disruption the Bulldogs must work with: captain Andrew Ryan and playmaker Braith Anasta away with the New South Wales State of Origin squad and the Dogs' squad for 2006 being remodelled during the player-signing season.

The Bulldogs are battling to hold their star players in the face of big offers from others. Anasta will leave for huge money from either the Roosters or Souths, who have proffered A$500,000 ($550,000) a season for three years. He is expected to make an announcement this week, after State of Origin is decided.

Once he confirms he's going, the Dogs will know exactly what's left to spend on others. Also off-contract are lock Tony Grimaldi and hooker Adam Brideson as well as centre Jamaal Lolesi who is expected to go to England before joining the new Gold Coast franchise in 2007.

Their spending pattern was set by the deal via which they kept former Aucklanders Willie Mason (A$400,000 a season) and Williams who previously was on A$80,000.

Speculation mounts that out-of-form halfback Brent Sherwin is about to be released to ease that problem, though the club denies it. Sherwin says he wants to stay. His agent confirms he has been subject of interest from other clubs and some in England as a result of the rumours.

The market rumour mill has Storm pair Matt Orford and Steve Bell signing for Souths, who are also set to announce the signing of Cowboys prop Jaiman Lowe. Kiwi prop Paul Rauhihi has signed with Warrington for next year.

* Warriors v Bulldogs Ericsson Stadium, Sunday 2pm

Warriors: Brent Webb, Francis Meli, Clinton Toopi, Jerome Ropati, Todd Byrne, Nathan Fien, Stacey Jones (captain), Ruben Wiki, Lance Hohaia, Richard Villasanti, Sione Faumuina, Wairangi Koopu, Monty Betham. Interchange: Iafeta Paleaaesina, Karl Temata, Awen Guttenbeil, Simon Mannering.