League: How the New Zealand Warriors plan to restrict the Sydney Roosters

The Warriors will need to shut down Cooper Cronk. Photo / Getty

Warriors second-rower Tohu Harris says they need to stop the Sydney Roosters from getting a roll-on if they are to limit the impact of star halfback Cooper Cronk in Saturday's NRL clash at Allianz Stadium.

The former Melbourne teammates will square off against each other for the first time since they both left the Storm to join new clubs at the end of last season following their final club appearance in last year's grand final win over North Queensland.

Having played five seasons alongside Cronk, Harris insists there's no way to entirely close the former Australian and Queensland playmaker out of a game and believes the Warriors can only hope to defend well enough to limit his influence.

"It's going to be a tough test for us against the Roosters," Harris said.

"I don't think there is a way to shut him down.

"Teams have tried different things to stop him, but he's a player that only comes along once in a generation.

"He's a great player and he's proven that time and time again on the biggest stages.

"Everyone just has to make sure they're doing their jobs defensively to limit his options, but he's a quality player."

The Warriors are instead focusing on stopping the home side's forward pack from providing Cronk with time and space to orchestrate the Roosters attack.

The Warriors forwards have performed well in three straight wins over the Rabbitohs, Titans and Raiders, but have their work cut out for them in containing the likes of Roosters front-rowers Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Sio Siua Taukeiaho, Dylan Napa, and second-rower and captain Boyd Cordner.

"They've got some big hard-running forwards that we really need to aim up on and be our best defensively to try and limit," Harris said.

"They have some forwards that can get them on a big roll so we need to turn up defensively for sure.

"And I need to be a part of that. I need to turn up and do my job to try and stop their roll on because once you let them go forward they can just pull teams apart so that's a focus this week."

Warriors coach Stephen Kearney agrees, saying his side must get up in the faces of the Roosters ball carriers and prevent the likes of NSW State of Origin hopeful Blake Ferguson from getting their sets off to a strong start.

"Our focus is not so much on Cooper but rather a collective focus across the whole group," Kearney said.

"Blake Ferguson is playing as good as I've seen in his career.

"They've obviously got a pretty powerful and formidable pack and some pretty handy ball-carriers.

"And if you try and combat that first it gives Cooper less of a platform to work off."

The Warriors are set to play in their heritage jerseys this weekend after their away kit used in last week's win over Canberra was stolen along with thousands of dollars of equipment from a team van on Sunday night.

"It doesn't matter what we're wearing, we just need to turn up and do our jobs," Harris said.

"We don't care if we're wearing our training kit. We've still got a job to do and we need to play well against the Roosters to give ourselves a chance."