League: Cayless expecting Warriors to be desperate

Parramatta captain Nathan Cayless sees nothing easy about his team's National Rugby League match against the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland tomorrow.

While the Eels are second on the NRL ladder, the Warriors are struggling to make the finals, in 11th equal position, with five rounds of the minor premiership remaining.

They looked 100-1 to end up in the finals when they were beaten 42-34 by Penrith on Saturday, but Cayless said that performance could be disregarded.

"We can't look at their last game and say that is how they will play on Saturday. They are going to be totally the opposite," he told NZPA.

"Their defence is going to be tough, they are going to back at Ericsson (Stadium), they are going to be desperate and play as if it's the last throw of dice.

"We are preparing for a very tough game and a very desperate Warriors team."

The Eels slipped after a strong mid-season performance to two losses before having the bye last weekend.

They sit six points behind Brisbane on the ladder, but have three teams -- St George-Illawarra, North Queensland and Wests Tigers -- just two points behind them, while three sides are two points further adrift.

Cayless admits the bye was welcome.

"It came at a good time for us. It's given us a chance to freshen up and we have a couple of players coming from injury, so everyone is in a good frame of mind."

Those players, Glenn Morrison and Eric Grothe, are handy additions as the Eels seek to maintain at least second placing in the run to the finals.

Cayless said the team are not thinking too much about the finals, even though it is a big aim to regain the form that took them to the 2001 grand final.

"We can't get too far ahead of ourselves. We have got to start playing well again. Our support game has been disappointing the last couple of weeks, so that is one area we really need to work on. Hopefully we will do that on Saturday."

The 27-year-old Cayless has extra incentive to do well over the next month.

He felt the pain of being dumped by the Kiwis selectors for the Anzac test against Australia earlier this year, though the 24-test veteran harbours no bitterness.

"The players that (then coach) Daniel (Anderson) picked in front of me had been playing better than me at the time, so that's fair enough."

But he makes it clear that he wants his test jersey back for the Tri-Nations series later this year and a chat with new coach Brian McClennan when Parramatta played in New Zealand two months ago has helped maintain that desire.

"He said keep working hard and hopefully there'll be a spot there for you.

"But I have to play well for Parramatta first."

Cayless' opposite as both captain and prop, Steve Price, said the Warriors weren't looking beyond this weekend when assessing their playoff hopes.

"What happens around us we can't control, we can only control who we play and what we do against them," Price said.

Meanwhile, Warriors' coach Tony Kemp said he had written to NRL referees' coach Robert Finch this week about Panthers prop Ben Ross' late shoulder charge on Warriors halfback Stacey Jones on Saturday.

A penalty awarded against the Warriors after Monty Betham and Brent Webb rushed in to defend Jones saw the Panthers add two points at a crucial stage of the game.

"I've emailed Finchy this week -- we've got a directive from them also, they're saying they don't want that type of play to happen any more," Kemp said.

"(It's) a little bit late for us."

- NZPA