League: Keeping up with Jones

Nathan Fien would be happy to take over from Stacey Jones next year. Picture / Fotopress

He's a couple of centimetres taller than the original, but Nathan Fien would love to be the next Stacey Jones.

The chirpy 25-year-old former Cowboy will pull on the Warriors No 6 jersey today against the Panthers, after playing at hooker for the first six games, but already has his eyes on Jones' No 7 jumper when the Little General moves to France to play for new Super League side UTC next year.

"Stacey's here for the rest of the year and I can't wait to play beside him, but if the coaches offered me the No 7 next year, I'd be more than happy to take it," Fien said.

The 2001 Queensland State of Origin player was brought to the club in the off-season as a possible successor to Jones but now gets his chance at five-eighth, an area of weakness for the Warriors so far this season.

Jerome Ropati - now at fullback covering for the injured Brent Webb - and Lance Hohaia have failed to exert themselves on the game and provide another option to Jones late in the tackle count.

Fien, who has been one of the standout Warriors this season with his sniping runs and organisation from dummy half, is comfortable about playing in an unfamiliarposition.

"I think little aspects of my game can be utilised better at five-eighth than at hooker, like my kicking game," he said.

"I can help Stacey out there and I can also help organise things - it's a bit difficult when you have your head down in the rucks.

"These days there's not much difference [between five-eighth and halfback], the five-eighth just stands out a little wider and deeper and organises the outside backs rather than the big forwards."

Fien could be seen as a long-term option at five-eighth this season, although Warriors coach Tony Kemp said they were still a long way from making that decision.

"We're still experimenting in that position after injuries and suspensions," Kemp said.

"I thought when we moved him in the Newcastle game to the standoff position he showed a hell of a lot of composure and direction and on the back of that he gets the nod ahead of Lance."

Fien has been replaced at hooker by Kiwis' No 9 Louis Anderson, who brings a different sort of game to the equation.

Anderson is a rugged and hard-working player who will be strong around the rucks on defence, but his service isn't as snappy as Fien's and he's also less likely to make darting runs out of dummy half.

The highly-fancied Panthers come into the game on the back of a 36-22 loss to the Eels last week and have three wins from their seven games this season.

Teams

Warriors: Jerome Ropati, Francis Meli, Todd Byrne, Clinton Toopi, Manu Vatuvei, Nathan Fien, Stacey Jones, Ruben Wiki, Louis Anderson, Steve Price, Awen Guttenbeil, Karl Temata, Wairangi Koopu. Interchange: Epalahame Lauaki, Iafeta Palea'aesina, Richard Villasanti, Lance Hohaia.

Panthers: Rhys Wesser, Luke Lewis, Ben Pomeroy, Paul Franze, Luke Rooney, Preston Campbell, Craig Gower, Joel Clinton, Luke Priddis, Ben Ross, Joe Galuvao, Frank Pritchard, Trent Waterhouse. Interchange: Garrett Crossman, Frank Puletua, Shane Rodney, Luke Swain, David McLean.


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