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Manu Vatuvei says plenty of work on the training paddock has lifted his confidence ahead of another duel with opposition kickers in the National Rugby League.
The giant winger accepts he'll be targeted again when the New Zealand Warriors travel to Cronulla on Saturday night.
Late last month,
he had a nightmare experience with his hands in the Warriors' 30-6 defeat at Parramatta.
The following week he was dropped from first grade, but missed playing for the Auckland Lions because of injury.
Last week, he won a recall to the NRL when Michael Crockett fell victim to a two-match suspension, and he acquitted himself well under the high ball in the 4-2 loss to Melbourne.
Storm halfback Cooper Cronk tested out Vatuvei, and the 11-test Kiwi defused every bomb he had a clear shot at.
Vatuvei admitted he was "pretty down" as he walked off Parramatta Stadium three weeks ago.
He didn't watch the match afterwards, preferring to "black it out".
"Everyone has a bad game and that game was a really bad one for me," he said.
"But everyone's helped me. The fans sent me emails and that, telling me to keep my head up and that got me back up."
There had also been a lot work done in training in fielding kicks from teammate Grant Rovelli.
Vatuvei wasn't expecting any favours from Cronulla halfback Brett Kimmorley at Toyota Park.
"Every game, they're going to test me out," he said of opposition playmakers.
"My confidence is all sweet now. I'm just going to continue practising and be ready for anything."
Kimmorley's own confidence will be high as well, after producing a solid display in his return to State of Origin for New South Wales.
Two other players are also backing up from the Maroons' series-wrapping victory in Origin 2, NSW debutant Greg Bird for the Sharks and Queensland prop Steve Price for the Warriors.
The last time Cronulla and the Warriors met -- early last month -- the Sharks were given little chance.
They were a patched-up side without an injured Kimmorley and with little preparation because of a short turnaround and players tied up with the NSW City-Country fixture.
But they made light of the disruptions to score a 22-20 upset in Auckland.
For the Warriors, the result was the start of an unbroken six-match losing streak that has dropped them from fourth to 13th on the table, and they are separated from bottom spot by points difference alone.
With 12 matches still to go, Vatuvei said there was continuing belief that the playoffs remained in reach.
"All the boys have faith that we can still come back," he said.
"We're only half-way through the season and the table is tight. We've still have faith in ourselves that we can make it."
Cronulla will go in as firm favourites this time around, having climbed to fifth on the back of a bruising 20-16 win over St George-Illawarra on Monday night.
History favours the Sharks, who have won four of their last five encounters with the Warriors and haven't lost to them at home since 2003.
- NZPA
