League: Do-or-die time for Warriors

Will Tony Kemp go the same way as former coach Daniel Anderson? Picture / Kenny Rodger

The preparation for tonight's Roosters-Warriors clash will have concentrated far more on mental toughness than physical conditioning.

Both teams come off losses, both are travelling erratically and both are absolutely desperate to win as the playoffs cut-off nears.

The Roosters ground out a 10-6 result at Ericsson Stadium earlier in the season. The Sydney side are in front just 9-8 across all encounters.

But that win in May, and the fact the Roosters tend to prevail in close and big games, suggests they will triumph again at Aussie Stadium.

Though the Roosters are not travelling well, they still maintain an edge over the Warriors.

They have been there, done that in making successive playoffs and having won the series in 2002 when they out-psyched as much as out-muscled the Warriors to nail the grand final in the second half after they were close at the break.

It's that closing-out of games that the Warriors have struggled with - eight of their 10 losses this year have been by 10 points or less.

The presence of Steve Price would have improved that stat, but he's not back until next week at the earliest, and if they lose tonight their season could be over.

It was a hiding by the Roosters in Sydney that ended Daniel Anderson's tenure as Warriors coach. Will history repeat?

Tony Kemp has chosen the same players who lost close games to the Bulldogs and Cowboys, after beating competition leaders Brisbane.

It is motivation, maintaining focus for 80 minutes, building and sustaining pressure on attack, composure and accurate execution that he has to instil in the Warriors.

They cannot afford to drop the ball, give away penalties, miss touch with kicks or deliver forward passes. It has been the same players regularly making these mistakes.

Kemp has to raise them from the mental doldrums, from the lack of self-belief that suggests they are triers but losers, from that hands-on-hips posture that is an admission the other side are finishing stronger.

Roosters coach Ricky Stuart has to lift his five Origin players. Craig Wing, Anthony Minichiello and Craig Fitzgibbon were victorious with New South Wales, and Michael Crocker and Chris Flannery were beaten with Queensland.

Origin burn-out was on his mind when Stuart admitted this week that he had spoken to all five players individually. To a man they said they were not flagging physically or mentally.

But he gave them time off from training anyway, although forward utility Crocker, as well as prop Adrian Morley and centre Ryan Cross, are all suspended for the Warriors encounter.

The Roosters were coached by Phil Gould, Jim Dymock and Shane Flanagan while Stuart and John Cartwright were committed with the NSW side and there was no loss of intensity.

They lost two games during the Origin period, and Stuart put that down to attitude, "so its something that's got to be fixed".

The other issue for Stuart has been the Roosters' big-money signing of the Dogs' Braith Anasta.

They have been grooming Jamie Soward, 20, in the five-eighths spot, and Stuart had to look out for the Canberra kid this week in case he was worried that he would soon be in Anasta's shadow.

Stuart said he believed the Roosters could beat the Warriors, that his players were hungry to make the top-eight again.

He was taking nothing for granted, recognising that the Warriors were under-achievers who could get up to win.

The Roosters won five close games last season and this season lost five tight ones.

"That's the nature of this competition, its very tight and everyone's got the ability to beat you. It's a vital game for us. Losing last week has really put us in a do-or-die position," Stuart said.

The situation is even more dire for the Warriors, who face the prospect of playing out their last six games with no real purpose other than yet another "rebuilding".

* Warriors v Roosters, Aussie Stadium, 7.30 tonight

ROOSTERS
Anthony Minichiello
Amos Roberts
Chris Walker
Iosia Soliola
Joel Monaghan
Jamie Soward
Brett Finch
Jason Cayless
Craig Wing
Richard Fa'aoso
Anthony Tupou
Craig Fitzgibbon
Luke Ricketson

WARRIORS
Brent Webb
Todd Byrne
Clinton Toopi
Jerome Ropati
Francis Meli
Nathan Fien
Stacey Jones (c)
Ruben Wiki
Lance Hohaia
Richard Villasanti
Sione Faumuina
Wairangi Koopu
Monty Betham

RESERVES

Roosters: Heath L'Estrange, Ned Catic, Adam Schubert, George Rose.

Warriors: Karl Temata, Iafeta Paleaaesina, Awen Guttenbeil, Simon Mannering