League: Cleary looks for his kicks

Coach Ivan Cleary has again called for an improvement in the Warriors' kicking game when they visit Cronulla tomorrow night.

Cleary has rated the Warriors' performance in downing premiers Wests Tigers in Auckland last weekend as their best of the season.

But, after expressing dissatisfaction with the Warriors' kicking game earlier in the season, he repeated yesterday that it was an area that needed sharpening up.

"It's a bit hard when you're changing key positions and we've made a few changes along the way," he said.

"But I think that's one area of our game that we can definitely improve."

In the earlier rounds, Cleary made a number of switches in the pivotal halfback, five-eighth and hooker berths.

But this week, for the third round in a row, he is sticking with Grant Rovelli, Jerome Ropati and Nathan Fien in the No 7, 6 and 9 jerseys.

The rest of the line-up has also been largely unaltered over the same period.

There is one change to the side that beat the Tigers, with Queensland State of Origin representative Steve Price slotted back in as starting prop and captain.

But despite the consistency of selection, Cleary said he wasn't yet certain that he found his best combination.

"I can't say for sure just yet," he said.

"We just have to wait and see, but it looked pretty good at the weekend."

Also uncertain was the effect on Cronulla of the sacking of former Kiwis hooker Tevita Latu for an assault on a woman early on Monday.

There was always fallout from such incidents, but it could work to a team's advantage or their disadvantage, Cleary said.

"It has to affect their preparation. Whether it's positive or negative, it's hard to know. It could go either way."

While the Warriors won't be facing one former teammate in Latu, they are set to meet another in prop Richard Villasanti, who was released this month and is on Cronulla's bench.

"It's obviously a good opportunity for Villa," Cleary said.

"At least I don't have to tell the players what he does, because they all know."

Meanwhile, Cleary rejected continued criticism by the Tigers over a gang tackle that left winger Daniel Fitzhenry with a broken collar bone at Ericsson Stadium last Saturday night.

Fitzhenry, who was making a kick return, was lifted back and dumped in in-goal, leading to the Warriors regaining possession through a line dropout.

Cleary said he was surprised when he saw the incident that Fitzhenry had got hurt.

"Nobody likes people getting injured and it was just one of those things," he said.

"I was rapt with our players with that they did. It happens all the time, so I don't know what the fuss is really."

After the match, opposition coach Tim Sheens said he was upset by what had happened to Fitzhenry.

He later raised the matter with referees boss Robert Finch, arguing that there was a risk of more serious injury unless the practice was stopped.

Finch agreed with Sheens that referee Jarred Maxwell should have called "held" once Fitzhenry was lifted off the ground.

But on the question of how far a player could be dragged into the in-goal or over the sideline, he said the key was momentum in the tackle.

- NZPA