KEY POINTS:
Warriors coach Ivan Cleary doesn't think his team have a mental block when it comes to playing teams they are expected to beat.
The home side face competition leaders the Storm tomorrow on a five-loss run but will never have a better chance to win against a Melbourne side severely depleted by injury and State of Origin commitments.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy has called 2006 Kiwis prop Adam Blair, who is back after ankle injury, plus former Kiwi Matt Rua and others from their Brisbane Norths feeder club.
Five players have fewer than 10 games in the NRL - former Junior Kiwis Sam Tagatese at prop and secondrower Sika Manu, who is to play at centre, wing Will Chambers, hooker James Aubusson and interchange player Anthony Perkins.
It was falling to a similarly depleted Sharks side in round eight that derailed the Warriors' smart early run. Asked after that game if he had spoken to the team about maintaining intensity no matter what the opposition, Cleary said: "We're in trouble if we're thinking like that."
But they had perhaps focused too much on who was playing.
The focus this week was on what they were doing, not the opposition.
There is expectation wing Manu Vatuvei will be targeted by the Storm's kickers after his bad game against the Eels two weeks ago. Cleary said he and the team had confidence in the winger to do his job.
Despite the Storm's selection problems, they would present a good team.
"A lot of guys are getting opportunities they wouldn't normally get and that's always dangerous," Cleary said.
One Warrior looking to make more impact is Simon Mannering, shifted from centre to the second row where he admits he enjoys it more.
"I like carrying the footy, making tackles." Cleary hadn't asked him for anything in particular after making the shift, Mannering said.
Mannering is one of a few players who have maintained consistency throughout the season. He admits they were all disappointed at the loss to the Sharks - "We wanted to make this place a graveyard [burying visiting teams]" - and after that their confidence suffered, they'd been trying too hard at times, the plays that had come off for them early in the season, weren't. He didn't think they were far from a return to form. "It's nothing major, basic things we've been getting wrong."
Mannering is signed for two more years, as are other key players.
The Warriors do not have to contend with the mid-season player trade.
The Storm, meanwhile, are shedding players in order to remain under the salary cap. Regular starting prop Ben Cross, who was named their player of the week after the victory over Souths, has signed with Newcastle for three years from 2008. Bench prop Ian Donnelly was named on Tuesday to play tomorrow, but was released on Thursday to the Gold Coast Titans. Secondrower Matt Bartlett has been released to go to North Queensland.
Storm recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan said they wanted to keep Cross but success and the salary cap forced the issue. "We've got a number of players playing rep footy that are going up in dollar value and the salary cap doesn't allow for you to keep the team together."
Grant Rovelli's return to the Warriors this weekend opens a hole at halfback in the Auckland Lions and Marty Mitchell moves up from Mt Albert's Bartercard side for the curtain-raiser against Manly.
STORM ABSENTEES
Origin duty: Hooker Cameron Smith, five-eighth Greg Inglis, lock Dallas Johnson (Queensland), centre Matt King, prop Brett White and Ryan Hoffman (New South Wales).
Injuries: Fullback Billy Slater (cheekbone), prop Antonio Kaufusi (knee), secondrower Michael Crocker (shoulder), centre Ryan Shortland (knee), half Russell Aitken (hamstring) and prop Danny Vaughan.
