NRL: Cleary hopes Price will lift Warriors

Ivan Cleary is expecting his players to give everything they have this Sunday against the Canberra Raiders. Photo / Greg Bowker

Captain Steve Price is set to return from a rib injury to face the Raiders at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday as the Warriors attempt to halt
their ignominious slide.

Coach Ivan Cleary is hoping the return of his premier go-forward prop after a three-week absence, coupled with the recall of experienced centre Jerome Ropati, will provide a much needed lift against a Raiders side that is producing a strong finish, despite also being out of the playoffs' race.

One ladder spot and two points above the 14th-placed Warriors, the Raiders are one of just two teams the Warriors have a chance of overtaking - the other is the Rabbitohs - over the final three weeks of their season.

But with the Raiders putting in precisely the type of morale-boosting spurt the Warriors are not, they will head to Mt Smart as firm favourites. In their past three matches, the Raiders have beaten the first-placed Dragons and Broncos at home and pushed the second-
placed Bulldogs hard in Sydney before goingdown 23-20.

The Warriors, by contrast, have just one win in their past eight to their credit and appear to being bowing out with barely a whimper. But with matches against the Bulldogs (away) and Storm (home) to come,
Sunday's match looms as their best chance of putting another win on the board.

"We haven't had an easy time as a team lately and having Steve and Jerome on the sideline hasn't helped," Cleary said.

"It's good to be able to call on them this week and we'll need everything they can give us, along with everyone else in the side."

Price last played in the 4-29 defeat by St George, while Ropati has also been in and out of the side. Omitted for the last home game against the Titans, he was recalled for the heavy defeat at Parramatta only to be ruled out with a long-standing shoulder complaint.

But the two experienced campaigners were both named yesterday in a side otherwise unchanged from the one that lost 4-40 to the streaking Eels.

Price replaces Evarn Tuimavave, who is included on a five-man interchange bench.

Ropati takes over from 19-year-old Siuatonga Likiliki, who has been discarded after an anonymous debut against the Eels.

Warriors
Wade McKinnon, Kevin Locke, Jerome Ropati, Joel Moon, Manu Vatuvei, Aaron Heremaia, Stacey Jones, Sam Rapira, Ian Henderson, Steve Price (capt), Simon Mannering, Ukuma Ta'ai, Micheal Luck.

Interchange: Lance Hohaia, Evarn Tuimavave, Russell Packer, Jacob Lillyman, Lewis Brown (one to be omitted).

Raiders
Josh Dugan, Daniel Vidot, Jarrod Croker, Joel Monaghan, Phil Graham, Terry Campese, Josh McCrone, Dane Tilse, Alan Tongue (capt), Tom Learoyd-Lars, Joel Thompson, Bronson Harrison, Josh Miller.

Interchange: Trevor Thurling, Travis Waddell, Troy Thompson, Joe Picker.