League: Storm brewing for Warriors' rejigged halves

Constant disruption is a killer for any team and tomorrow at Ericsson Stadium it may be the side who deal with change who win.

The Melbourne Storm must overcome the loss of fullback Billy Slater, wing Matt King and hooker Cameron Smith to the State of Origin squads, and lock Ian Donnelly is suspended.

The Warriors use their third captain this year, with Stacey Jones given the job in the hope extra responsibility will spark him to lead an attacking revival.

Lance Hohaia returns at hooker and Monty Betham goes to lock.

The key area will be in the halves, given that the packs balance out ability-wise. The two teams always play a physical style, the Warriors emerging winners last time they met at Ericsson last season.

Off-contract halfback Matt Orford has left the Storm's extension offer on the table and appears to be waiting for a big offer from South Sydney after the expiry of the anti-tampering deadline.

He'll be looking for a big game, as will Jones, who faces the prospect of playing out a meaningless season unless he can lead the Warriors back into playoff contention.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy is wary of Jones' ability. "He's back to playing some good football, some of the form he had two years ago."

But in Scott Hill the Storm has a specialist five-eighth. The Warriors have transplanted halfback/hooker Nathan Fien. They seem sure to struggle again in the field-kicking game, though Hohaia's return should help out.

His service from dummy-half should also improve the Warriors' roll-on. It's an area where they have an opportunity to get an advantage. Smith's replacement at the Storm, Nathan Friend, is not yet near the same class.

Melbourne usually fly to Auckland two days ahead of a game but this time travel today after enduring a week where it was uncertain who would be able to turn out.

Apart from Donnelly's judiciary case following their 30-14 win over Wests Tigers, four players have had their training restricted by injury: Ryan Hoffman, Antonio Kaufusi, Tevita Metuisela (all leg injuries) and Josh Graham (sternum).

"At one stage we thought we'd lose the lot of them," Bellamy said.

"So we decided to stay in Melbourne and train and as it turns out we've had a good preparation."

Those players must still pass an early-morning fitness test to fly and play.

Bellamy said he was confident the replacements for the absentees were conversant with the system and up to the job.

They would all be wanting to grasp the opportunity, "which may have come a bit earlier than we'd like", but the club would not put undue pressure on them, he said.

"We don't want them to try and be someone they're not. Just play to their strengths, do their best."

Bellamy doesn't see the Warriors as strugglers despite their ordinary, up-and-down record this season. "The Warriors are always tough and competitive and we expect no less on Sunday."

The home team has no injury worries.

The game starts at the unusual time of 4.30pm, also due to the interruption of Origin, with just two matches scheduled for tomorrow, the other being the Dragons-Cowboys match.

Warriors

Ericsson Stadium, 4.30pm tomorrow Brent Webb

Francis Meli
Clinton Toopi
Jerome Ropati
Todd Byrne
Nathan Fien
Stacey Jones (c)
Ruben Wiki
Lance Hohaia
Richard Villasanti
Louis Anderson
Wairangi Koopu
Monty Betham

Storm

Greg Inglis
Matt Geyer
Steven Bell
Josh Graham
Jake Webster
Cooper Cronk
Matt Orford
Robbie Kearns (c)
Nathan Friend
Alex Chan
David Kidwell
Glen Turner
Dennis Scott

Warriors: Iafeta Paleaaesina, Karl Temata, Manu Vatuvai, Awen Guttenbeil
Storm: Ryan Hoffman, Jamie Feeney, Antonio Kaufusi, Brett White, Tevita Metuisela (one to be omitted).