NRL: Halves told to feed The Beast more

Manu Vatuvei has been a shadow of his former self. Photo / Getty Images

Warriors playmakers James Maloney and Shaun Johnson may be instructed to turn zookeepers today by bringing out The Beast.

Some magic from club icon Manu Vatuvei is overdue to launch the side out of an attacking lull in the past two matches. The 2010 Warriors Player of the Year has had a quiet season so far but the halves may today direct play his way to give him the chance to break free and regain some of his bullocking confidence.

He has played just five of the team's 12 games after straining medial knee ligaments in the season opener against the Eels. Vatuvei has since suffered blisters around his Achilles tendons after some ankle socks worn at a fitness training session rubbed the skin raw. Pre-match injections have dulled the pain but he, like his team, has looked below par of late.

Vatuvei's form trough is evident on the average metre charts. He languishes in 44th against his NRL rival wings, running an average 87m per match. That compares to 12th at the end of last year with 121m per game. Heading into round 14 last year Vatuvei had played six games, averaging 127m per game. He is not his usual self - but neither are the team since their enterprising back-to-back road victories against Gold Coast and Newcastle.

Vatuvei scored the third most tries (20) in the competition last year. He acknowledges he is an opposition target these days, meaning the Warriors haven't used him in the same attacking vein.

"The opposition often gang up on me and shut me down when I go for a run. That's pretty tough but I'm used to dealing with it. We've tried to sort out some tactics to take away the pressure like having someone run with me as a decoy.

"They also try to kick away from my side these days. I've just got to get more involved."

Vatuvei says the blisters have made it difficult to return to full fitness. "Part of my problem has been having to wear jandals everywhere. I was training in my socks or bare feet. I've decided to go back to long socks in future."

While the Warriors are progressing steadily - sixth on the ladder with five wins in their last six matches - the failure to secure a single line break in the loss to the Roosters has coach Ivan Cleary on alert, especially against a seventh-placed Tigers side against whom they have lost two in a row, including 20-12 in round two.

"Before the bye [against South Sydney] we just bombed a few tries early in the game. I had the feeling we could have put a few points on early. But last weekend the Roosters defended well in a wet game and we were a bit off in an attacking sense with a new half [Johnson].

"I'm probably just as concerned with a Tigers attack led by Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah. They're one of the best attacking teams in the competition; they move the ball across the field well and always test you.

"But if we handle their forward pack we'll have a much better chance of handling Benji."

Lance Hohaia returns to the Warriors today on the interchange bench after two weeks off with a sternum complaint. As someone capable of slotting into the halves at some point he says it is about team-mates sharing the attacking responsibility.

"We've done a bit of video work on where we can improve on our shape in attack," Hohaia says. "Each individual needs to realise they've got a job to do no matter how tired they are. Sometimes everyone is waiting for someone else to do something so we then take too many plays to have a crack at the defensive line. That responsibility to direct comes down to our halves."