NRL: Defence key to finals spot for Warriors

Warriors hooker Nathan Friend says the team are trying to focus on goal-line defence. Photo / Brett Phibbs

NZ team can score points, but it has to stop opponents scoring, says front-row star.

The Warriors' attacking game is working well, but hooker Nathan Friend says the quality of their defence will determine whether they can secure a finals berth for the first time since 2011.

Improving the defence has been the main focus for Andrew McFadden's side since returning to training after last week's bye round as they prepare for a tough run home that includes five games against top-eight sides.

Friend says the Warriors must be ready to get into the grind, starting with tomorrow's clash against the fifth-placed Melbourne Storm at Mt Smart Stadium, as point-scoring opportunities can be few and far between against the NRL's best teams.

"We are just trying to focus on our goal line defence and defence in general," said Friend.

"Defence wins matches, and when the finals come around your attack probably tightens up a little bit and there's not as many tries scored.

"If we can keep the opposition to minimal points, you're probably a fair chance of winning. Most of our game is coming along nicely and that's probably the area we need to work on."

The defensive focus is warranted, as the Warriors are yet to show the steel required to hold out the best sides in the competition, after losing each of their five games against teams ranked above them on the ladder.

The Broncos (4), Storm (5), Cowboys (5), Rabbitohs (6) and Roosters (4) crossed the chalk for a combined total of 24 tries in victories over the Warriors, who managed only 15 in reply.

With a re-match against the third-placed Roosters in Sydney next week, they have the chance to prove their premiership credentials and climb further up the ladder if they can sharpen their tackling techniques.

"It [defence] has to be better," said McFadden. "They are pretty pivotal games. We can score points, but at times this year we haven't been able to defend points, particularly against the better sides.

"I'm concerned about the results but I'm more interested in the performance and playing well because we've played teams above us and we really haven't given ourselves a good chance to try and compete with them.

"A bit of that's been inflated by the fact that we haven't held on to the ball and we've been making errors in our own end. If we can eliminate those we'll give ourselves a better opportunity to defend.

"We've got a big opportunity over the next two weeks against two good sides that are above us on the table to really focus on that defensive effort."

Friend expects each of the remaining nine games to have a finals intensity, and says the Warriors have identified areas they can exploit in the Storm's defensive line tomorrow.

"Their defence has changed a fraction this year on previous years and our halves have looked at that and hopefully we can attack their weaknesses," he said.

"Almost every game we play now every side is playing for a finals spot. Every week is going to be a telling factor for us and how we're travelling, but hopefully we can stick to our standards where we've been at over the last couple of weeks."

Warriors v Storm
Mt Smart Stadium, 4pm tomorrow

Warriors
Sam Tomkins
Tuimoala Lolohea
Konrad Hurrell
Solomone Kata
Manu Vatuvei
Chad Townsend
Shaun Johnson
Jacob Lillyman
Nathan Friend
Ben Matulino
Bodene Thompson
Ryan Hoffman
S Mannering (c)
Interchange: Siliva Havili, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Charlie Gubb, Albert Vete, David Fusitu'a

Storm
Cameron Munster
Marika Koroibete
William Chambers
Hymel Hunt
Richie Kennar
Blake Green
Cooper Cronk
Jesse Bromwich
C Smith (c)
Tim Glasby
Kevin Proctor
Tohu Harris
Dale Finucane
Interchange: Ryan Hinchcliffe, Kenny Bromwich, Ben Hampton, Felise Kaufusi