NRL: Hohaia eager to atone for fumble fest against Eels

Warriors player Lance Hohaia. Photo / Dean Purcell.

He was bombed into the Eden Park turf by Jarryd Hayne last week and under-fire Warriors fullback Lance Hohaia isn't expecting life to get any easier against the Tigers tonight when Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah get him in their sights.

Hohaia knows his failure to deal with Hayne's towering spiral bombs will have sent up red flags all over the NRL. Until they prove last week's meltdown was an aberration, it's open season on Hohaia and his wingers.

Marshall and Farah might not possess Hayne's remarkable length, but both have a nifty bag of tricks that includes pinpoint cross kicks, banana kicks and pinpoint grubbers.

Hohaia may have been there and done just about everything on a footy field but even his vast experience doesn't protect him from wilting under the tremendous pressure the game's best kickers can exert.

"Just because I've been there before and played in big games doesn't make it any easier to catch those balls," he said.

"There are so many great kickers in the NRL and there are all sorts of kicks that can go up. You've just got to do your best I guess.

"Obviously I was disappointed with my performance last week. But being a fullback that is just part of my job being able to defuse kicks."

Coach Ivan Cleary was typically unruffled by the faltering display, marking it down as a baptism of fire from which his back three would emerge stronger.

"They'll probably never face anything more difficult than last week," Cleary said.

Hohaia's experience might not have helped much at Eden Park but it will prove vital this week as he looks to bounce back - an ability he has demonstrated throughout his career.

With two new wingers coming into the side in place of the injured Manu Vatuvei and Glen Fisiiahi, Hohaia needs to produce his A-game as he goes head-to-head with Wade McKinnon, the player he dethroned last season.

After a smooth pre-season the opening round defeat by the Eels and the loss of Vatuvei for a good chunk of the season had popped the Warriors' bubble, Hohaia admitted.

"It does rock you a bit but that is the nature of this competition. We've been through a lot worse than this. It is only round one, it is early days."

Having been tipped over by the Bulldogs in their opening match and suffering injuries to Liam Fulton and Gareth Ellis, the Tigers are in a similar position.

Both sides are highly fancied to do well this season. Both will be desperate to avoid an 0-2 start.

Last year's corresponding fixture was a disaster for the Warriors. They went into the match without Vatuvei, Micheal Luck, Sam Rapira and James Maloney. Brett Seymour broke his leg and they were slain 50-6.

With Maloney suspended for his early hit on Hayne, the Warriors are again understrength. This time, however, they are unlikely to be as fragile. New wingers Krisnan Inu and Kevin Locke are hardly novices, while replacement five-eighth Isaac John was impressive last year before a knee injury curtailed his season.

The changes weren't ideal, but neither should they be fatal, Hohaia said.

"It upsets the cohesion a wee bit but we all train together in the summer and we all know each other pretty well. I guess it takes until halfway through the season until you ... are firing on all cylinders anyway. We've only had one game. And the good thing is we have the depth there to bring in quality players."

They might have learned a harsh lesson under the glare of the Eden Park lights but the Warriors also came away from the rugby stronghold with their confidence intact. Their defensive line was rarely threatened despite being forced to make the second most tackles in a match in the club's history. Part of that was a function of their lack of ball control, but part of it was also down to their enthusiasm, Cleary said.

"That's a real positive for me. A lot of guys are looking to work hard. Considering the amount of work we had to do, to come home with a wet sail shows that our conditioning is pretty good. That's nice to know after round one because if it is the other way around it is a bit hard to get it back."