KEY POINTS:
New Zealand Warriors skipper Steve Price has handed North Queensland the favourites tag for their National Rugby League knockout semifinal in Townsville on Sunday.
Price said the Cowboys had shown they had the depth to cater for the injuries and suspension that have shorn their pack of several
frontliners.
"They would have to go in as favourites considering where they finished and the type of football they've been playing," the front rower said.
"It goes to show that their squad as a whole is very strong. They've had a number of injuries for a long time now, but it hasn't really changed their momentum and they've won six in a row."
The Cowboys finished third in the regular season, despite being without Luke O'Donnell, Shane Tronc and Steve Southern during the tail end of the season due to long-term injuries.
Fellow forward Sione Faumuina has also been on the sidelines, sitting out a ban that has ruled him out of the finals.
"They've had some pretty classy players out and they don't seem to have missed a beat," Price said.
"It shows good coaching and great belief within the squad."
The Cowboys will have Jacob Lillyman available, after the back rower escaped being charged over a high tackle in the 20-18 qualifying final win over the Bulldogs last Saturday.
Coach Graham Murray yesterday named Queensland State of Origin prop Carl Webb in his side in the hope he recovers from a calf strain.
But reports rate him virtually no chance of being passed fit after he was assisted off the field in pain last Saturday.
The Warriors' trip to Dairy Farmers Stadium follows their 10-12 loss at home to Parramatta last Friday .
The match against the Cowboys will be during the day, but with a late afternoon kickoff of 4pm (local time).
Price was confident the Warriors would have few problems handling the transition from Auckland's cooler weather to the warmer climes of Townsville.
"It doesn't really make a whole lot of difference," he said.
"It could be really hot. It might be overcast. You just have to play to the conditions."
Price said one aspect the Warriors would need to improve was holding on to possession and working through their sets.
Their poor ball security against Parramatta meant they found themselves in what has been a familiar situation this season, having to pull off more tackles than the opposition - in this case 378 to the Eels' 327.
"We completed about 26 out of 43 sets, which is one of our worst completion rates for a number of weeks," Price said.
"That's one area we're going to have to be very focused on, particularly if it's hot. We don't want to be tackling like we were the other night."
Nevertheless, Price was full of praise for the effort his teammates - nine of whom were experiencing finals football for the first time - put up against Parramatta, especially on defence.
He said there had been no lack of desperation to do well against the Eels, but he expected the Warriors' intensity to go up another notch against the Cowboys.
"This is do or die," he said.
"We lose, we're out."
- NZPA
