KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Warriors want to have their A-game with them tomorrow night to sidestep the potential banana skin that the National Rugby League's (NRL) bottom club present.
South Sydney, beset by on and off-field woes, head into the match in Auckland with a solitary win from 11 starts this season, a record that leaves them languishing four points adrift of the rest of the field.
However, the Warriors, back in 11th spot but just two points out of the top eight and buoyed by their first away win of the campaign, have vowed there won't be any complacency.
Halfback Grant Rovelli said personnel changes made by opposition coach Jason Taylor would bring added enthusiasm to a Souths side he rated as not going as badly as their position might indicate.
"I guess you could say it's a danger game for us," he said.
"We just have to concentrate on ourselves. If we play our A-game, we should be sweet."
One of the changes to the Rabbitohs' line-up will see Rovelli marking first-grade debutant Chris Sandow.
At centre, Jamie Simpson will also get a first NRL appearance, at the expense of former Kiwi Nigel Vagana, who has been dropped.
Another of Souths' large New Zealand contingent, co-captain David Kidwell, has been moved to the bench as part of a reshuffled pack.
The Warriors go into the fixture having removed a monkey off their backs last weekend by finally winning in Australia for the first time this year.
Their 18-16 victory over Newcastle, which featured some impressive scrambling defence from both sides, might not have been the prettiest, but it had lifted belief.
"We hadn't won away this season so it was good to get that one away," Rovelli said.
"Because it was a solid defensive performance as well, it gives us a bit of confidence going into the rest of the year."
Rovelli produced probably his best performance of the season, setting up two tries, one with a well-judged kick and another with an intercept.
He ended up snaring two intercepts from deep in defence, the second making victory safe just before the final hooter.
But both times, Rovelli found himself hauled in at the other end of the field, something that rankled him.
"I felt when I caught the ball that I was going to make the line and I was surprised I didn't," he said.
"I can't remember the last time I was run down. I think I was a little overconfident. I was pretty filthy about that. Hopefully, this weekend I can get over the stripe for a couple."
Rovelli has found himself the target of critics this season whenever the Warrior attack has struggled for rhythm.
He said the flak he attracted wasn't something that worried him, because his focus was on what the coaching staff told him.
The Warriors are without skipper and prop Steve Price and centre Brent Tate, who are in camp with Queensland ahead of State of Origin 2.
History is overwhelmingly in favour of the Auckland-based side, who haven't lost in 12 meetings with the Rabbitohs since 1999.
Coach Ivan Cleary agreed with the significance of extending that streak to 13, otherwise the effort in Newcastle would be cancelled out.
"It's important to back up a win well and we always try to put on a good performance in front of our home fans," he said.
"We're playing a team with nothing to lose and they're probably not far away from a win. We have to make sure it's not against us."
- NZPA
