KEY POINTS:
Warriors coach Ivan Cleary fears the Cronulla Sharks players will relish backing up from yesterday's City-Country rugby league match, rather than be jaded by it.
The Warriors are firm favourites to win tomorrow's NRL match at Mt Smart Stadium, particularly as five Sharks players took the field in
last night's bruising City-Country match.
Added to the Sharks' woes was the concussion suffered by playmaker Brett Kimmorley, now a doubtful starter tomorrow.
As the Sharks also played on Monday, their City-Country representatives will be playing their third match in six days, but Cleary doesn't buy the idea that they will be easy prey.
"Sometimes in those rep games when a bloke's got to play again quickly it's probably better than having to wait four or five days," Cleary said.
"They've probably got nothing to lose. It's a dangerous game, they're a very good team."
The Warriors are fourth in the competition with 10 points, four points and four places ahead of the Sharks, who have won three of their seven matches.
The Warriors got their first away points with a last-minute win against South Sydney last Sunday, and with an unbeaten record (three wins) at home this season they are heavily favoured.
Cleary said the fighting victory over Souths was good for the team, especially having to come from behind and after being denied two tries by controversial video referee rulings on obstruction.
"It's good for the confidence for next time we get in a situation like that, that we know we can win from there," he said.
"Also with a few of those disappointments earlier in the game, still being able to put them aside and win was pretty pleasing."
An agreement between coaches and referees to place a greater emphasis on whether defenders are impeded by dummy runners has been reached since the Souths game, one Cleary was pleased with.
"Going back in time a little bit and having less things set in stone I think will actually make it easier," he said.
"The video referee, for example now, rather than awarding or not awarding according to a rule book, can actually look at it and make a judgment, and I think that's probably better than looking at a page of a rule book."
When asked if it meant video referees would play a lesser role, Cleary said: "Oh, God, I hope so."
Fullback Patrick Ah Van, who recently recovered from shoulder surgery, is the only change to the Warriors starting line-up that played Souths.
He replaces Wade McKinnon, who received a two-match suspension after admitting a charge of pushing referee Jason Robinson in the Souths match.
Two notable late changes to the Warriors bench were made yesterday, with Kiwis Louis Anderson and Jerome Ropati brought into the squad ahead of George Gatis and Corey Lawrie.
It means Anderson will get to play for the first time in first grade against his brother Fraser, who has been making a big impact at centre this season for the Sharks.
The match kicks off at 7.30pm.
- NZPA
