League: Last chance for the Warriors

Contests between the Warriors and the Storm have traditionally been close but entertaining.

The score is: Storm six, Warriors four and one drawn.

At stake at Olympic Park in Melbourne tonight are the Storm's place in the playoff eight and the Warriors' last chance of getting one.

The Storm have made the playoffs every year apart from 2001, when they were pushed to ninth by the Warriors, and 2002, when the Warriors went to the grand final and the Storm went for a new coach, sacking Mark Murray and bringing in Craig Bellamy.

Both teams are travelling erratically now but the Storm have the better background through the season, although they faltered in the last two weekends after some consistently good play had produced sparkling tries.

The Warriors have managed 80 minutes of football on about half-a-dozen occasions.

In their 100th game in front of a home crowd, the Storm have to be favourites to reverse the fortunes of 2001 and put an end to the Warriors' hopes.

"Attitude" has been the catch-cry of the home side. Captain Robbie Kearns said they let themselves down in the 40-16 loss at Cronulla.

"There is no reason we should play so well one week and so poorly the next. Everyone hates losing and we'd hate losing our top-eight spot even more."

Tonight he expects a typical tough, entertaining encounter. "We expect the Warriors to lay everything on the line. It's always a dogfight. I think it will go down to the wire because both teams are desperate."

Purely putting the Warriors out was no motivation, he said. He was looking forward to the added atmosphere the Warriors crowds bring to the Storm's home games.

"We've always had lots of support from expat Kiwis down here and I think they get a bit torn when the Warriors come to town. But we've got a loyal and parochial fan base."

Storm fullback Billy Slater reckons early points might decide the game. Slater has 18 tries for the season, two short of wing Matt Geyer's record from 1999.

"You're confident when you're winning and you're winning when you're confident," he said.

"I'm sure both teams are down a bit on confidence. Getting on the board early might turn out to be crucial."

The Storm's halves pairing of Matt Orford (knee) and Scott Hill (hip) and centre Steve Bell (ankle) were all expected to play despite injury concerns.

Warriors' hooker Monty Betham plays his 100th game in the premiership since debut in 1999.

* Olympic Park, 7.30 tonight

NZ Warriors

Brent Webb
Francis Meli
Sione Faumuina
Simon Mannering
Todd Byrne
Nathan Fien
Stacey Jones
Ruben Wiki
Monty Betham
Steve Price (c)
Wairangi Koopu
Awen Guttenbeil
Louis Anderson

Storm

Billy Slater
Matt Geyer
Matt King
Steve Bell
Jake Webster
Scott Hill
Matt Orford
Robbie Kearns (c)
Cameron Smith
Ian Donnelly
David Kidwell
Ryan Hoffman
Dallas Johnson

Interchange:

Warriors (from): Richard Villasanti, Karl Temata, Manu Vatuivai, Clinton Toopi, Iafeta Paleaaesina.

Storm (from): Dennis Scott, Jamie Feeney, Mal Kaufusi, Brett White, Peter Robinson and Alex Chan.