KEY POINTS:
The Warriors have been their own harshest critics this week after their debacle against the Sharks, and coach Ivan Cleary has not had to ride them to ensure a better effort against the Knights tonight.
There has been an intensity at training that suggests they will come out
firing.
Plenty of work has been done to improve the kicking game, which was repetitive and predictable against the Sharks.
Jerome Ropati's return to five-eighths, replacing the suspended Michael Witt, will add another dimension to that and the mid-field attacking game.
The Warriors were unbeaten at home until the slip-up against Cronulla.
"I think we just thought our good form at home was a bit like a tailwind that was just going to blow us along," Cleary said. "It's a bit of a wakeup that you've still got to make it happen.
"If we play well against any team we give ourselves a chance, and after last week it's just important that we certainly improve quite a bit."
The intimidating atmosphere at Newcastle may be as much of a motivator as it is a distraction.
"We won't have many friends up there but it's a good place to play. If you can't get motivated to play at Newcastle, you're in trouble."
Knights' big concern is halfback Jarrod Mullen, who has been out with a leg injury.
The 20-year-old was to be given until today to prove his fitness. If he is not cleared to play, Kurt Gidley will come forward from fullback.
Lance Hohaia comes back to the Warriors' mid-field after head and leg injuries, and said he could feel the desire among his teammates to prove they could play better than they had against the Sharks.
The Knights have won 12 of 18 contests between the teams, with one draw.
But the Warriors have won the two most recent games in Newcastle.
* A meeting of NRL players and management in Sydney, prompted by Willie Mason's threats of strike action over pay, was told players are paid A$83 million a year, which is 26.2 per cent of the game's revenue.
WARRIORS vs KNIGHTS
Energy Australia Stadium, 7.30 tonight
KNIGHTS
1.Kurt Gidley
2.Todd Polglase
3.Adam MacDougall
4.Brad Tighe
5.James McManus
6.Riley Brown
7.Jarrod Mullen
8.Josh Perry
9.Danny Buderus (c)
10.Clint Newton
11.Steve Simpson
12.Mark Taufua
13.K. Reynoldson
Interchange: Cory Paterson, Kade Snowdon, Daniel Tolar, Adam Woolnough.
WARRIORS
1.Patrick Ah Van
2.Todd Byrne
3.Lance Hohaia
4.Simon Mannering
5.Manu Vatuvei
6.Jerome Ropati
7.Grant Rovelli
8.Ruben Wiki
9.Nathan Fien
10.Steve Price (c)
11.Louis Anderson
12.Logan Swann
13.Micheal Luck
Interchange: George Gatis, Evarn Tuimavave, Sam Rapira, Louis Anderson, Corey Lawrie.