League: Fien and Meli raise centuries against Tigers

The Warriors will hope to cap a century of National Rugby League games for Francis Meli and Nathan Fien with victory over the Wests Tigers at Auckland on Sunday.

Winger Meli and off-season buy Fien will clock up their 100th first-grade appearances in the same match as the Warriors have the rare luxury of fielding a settled lineup.

The only change from the starting line-up used last weekend against the South Sydney Rabbitohs sees captain and prop Steve Price return from State of Origin duty with Queensland, forcing Richard Villasanti back to the bench.

"With Nathan coming back at standoff and Sione (Faumuina) going to the back row, we liked the shape of the side we started with against Souths," said coach Tony Kemp.

"Now we want to make further improvements and develop the combinations, especially in the key positions of hooker, halfback and standoff."

Standoff Fien, 25, made 91 appearances for North Queensland before joining the Warriors this year.

Meli, 26, who started his first-grade career in 1999, will reach his milestone after appearing in all 10 of the Warriors' matches so far this season. He is one of only four players to do so along with centre Todd Byrne, utility Jerome Ropati and back row forward Wairangi Koopu.

"Over the last two weeks, Francis has been in great form for us and now we're looking for him to maintain that consistently," Kemp said.

"We asked him for improvement two weeks ago and he has responded outstandingly.

"We knew we had a great buy when we signed Nathan and, in his first game back from injury last weekend, he again showed us what he brings to the side."

Eight previous Warriors had register 100 appearances for the club.

A six-man interchange bench has been named for this weekend, with two players to be omitted later in the week.

Awen Guttenbeil, who missed the trip to Sydney with a calf injury, will undergo a fitness test on Friday.

Wests Tigers come to Auckland after giving the Vodafone Warriors their only loss of more than 10 points this season (24-6) last month in Christchurch.

- NZPA