NRL: Attacking specialists brace for collision

Feleti Mateo's offloading skills have been injecting some dynamism into the Warriors' attack. Photo / Greg Bowker

Two of the NRL's most high-powered attacking teams will go head-to-head when the Warriors take on the Knights at Mt Smart Stadium tonight.

With young guns Shaun Johnson and Kevin Locke leading the charge, the Warriors have been an offensive powerhouse in recent times. Over their last five matches they have averaged over 31 points a game. The last time they were held to less than 20 was the round 16 defeat by Melbourne.

With the competition's leading offloader Feleti Mateo adding an extra dimension and Manu Vatuvei returning to prolific try-scoring form, the Warriors are blessed with weapons all over the park.

"We've definitely got some strike and some different styles of it as well," coach Ivan Cleary admitted.

"We feel like if we are fit and healthy we can give any team a run. I guess coming into this time of year that is a pretty good feeling."

Having put 50 points on the Titans and 40 on the Raiders in their last two outings, the Knights will be in an equally buoyant mood.

The successful halves pairing of Jarrod Mullen and Ryan Stig has allowed captain Kurt Gidley to revert to fullback, while the main threat in open play will come from Fijian-turned-New South Welshman Akuila Uate. The Blues' State of Origin winger comfortably tops the competition in tackle breaks, and ranks third in line breaks and tries.

The addition of hulking Tongan backrower Ukuma Ta'ai adds some serious muscle to the Warriors' arsenal, however it comes at the cost of boom utility Elijah Taylor's workrate.

Taylor has been rested after playing 17 straight games since making his debut in round four against the Sharks.

"He is going to be really important for us over the next few weeks," Cleary said.

Cleary was also wary of the need to get some game time into Ta'ai's legs. Ta'ai has been something of a lucky charm this season, with the Warriors winning all six games in which he has appeared prior to the knee injury that sidelined him for several months.

Last Saturday night's defeat, a match in which the Warriors bungled three late field goal attempts and eventually lost to a Peter Wallace one-pointer, had provided valuable lessons.

"It is probably the first game in two years where we've had to come up with a field goal at the end of the game. You can practise all you like but in the heat of the battle it is a little bit different."

Warriors v Knights
Mt Smart Stadium, 7.30 tonight

Kevin Locke
Bill Tupou
Joel Moon
Shaun Berrigan
Manu Vatuvei
James Maloney
Shaun Johnson
Russell Packer
Aaron Heremaia
Jacob Lillyman
Feleti Mateo
S Mannering (c)
Micheal Luck

Interchange
Pita Godinet, Sam Rapira, Ben Matulino, Ukuma Ta'ai, Lewis Brown (one to be omitted).

Kurt Gidley (c)
James McManus
Junior Sa'u
Adam MacDougall
Akuila Uate
Ryan Stig
Jarrod Mullen
Evarn Tuimavave
Isaac De Gois
Antonio Kaufusi
Chris Houston
Neville Costigan
Joel Edwards

Interchange
Peter Mata'utia, Richard Fa'aoso, Cameron Ciraldo, Zane Tetavano.