NRL: Return to Plan A for Warriors with Seymour's recall

Brett Seymour. Photo / Getty Images

It's back to the future for the Warriors tonight - with a twist.

Designed to help straighten out an errant kicking game, halfback Brett Seymour's recall after three weeks with the Vulcans signals a return to Plan A. Seymour will rekindle his on-again, off-again halves pairing with James Maloney, who shifts out to five-eighth. That sees Feleti Mateo shunted out of the halves after a mixed-bag three-week trial that produced two fairly ugly wins and a dead-set hideous loss to Manly.

Mateo, though, is where the twist may come in. Although named in the 11 jumper, Mateo seems unlikely to return to the left-edge second row position where he began the season. In a radio interview last week, injured utility Shaun Berrigan indicated Mateo would play through the middle, suggesting he will pack down at lock.

Although he professes to prefer five-eighth, Mateo's size (1.94m and 108kg) and ball-playing ability make him a natural lock. Many observers consider it his best position, and certainly a roving commission in the middle of the park would add a significant boost to the Warriors' attack. The move, however, would come at a price, with tireless defender Micheal Luck shifting out of his favoured position. Luck's value to the side is his clean-up work on defence, although there is, of course, nothing to stop him and Mateo rotating depending on which team is in possession.

With Lewis Brown having stepped in to fill Berrigan's spot, the Warriors take on the Storm with two converted back rowers (the other is captain Simon Mannering) in the centres.

That scenario doesn't bother coach Ivan Cleary, who believes rectifying a kicking game that has left the team frequently on the back foot and unable to convert their few attacking opportunities to be his most pressing objective.

"We've got to get some results from our kicks," Cleary said. "We haven't had it all year really. Brett coming back into the team gives us another option, which I think will help."

Returning to face the in-form Storm in Melbourne is a tough assignment but Seymour is glad of the chance. He had no qualms about being dropped after the team opened the season with three straight losses.

"It was a decision Ivan had to make," Seymour said. "It is not nice when you get told you have got to drop back to reserve grade but it is part and parcel of being a professional league player. You have got to perform on weekends.

"The guys needed that leadership and I was not giving them what they needed."

The two successive victories that followed his axing left Seymour wondering if he had been the main culprit in the poor start to the season. Last week's comprehensive defeat by Manly would have eased those concerns.

"The team have been up and down for a couple of weeks and they are looking for a bit of spark. It is up to me to provide that."

Seymour agreed a kicking game that functioned well enough last season was a major area of concern.

"We have just got to finish our sets better," he said. "Last weekend they were coming at us from really good field position. [Tonight] we've got [Storm fullback Billy] Slater coming back at us so we want to keep him in the corners if possible, minimise his chances."

Last season's corresponding fixture turned into an Anzac Day slaughter, with a Storm raging against their punishment for breaching the salary cap taking out their frustration on the Warriors with a 40-6 hiding.

"I think I used the quote that we were the pinata at the party," Cleary said. "Hopefully it is not so much of a party this time."

The switching of the round-nine fixture against the Titans to the Gold Coast to coincide with the Anzac Test - which was moved from Christchurch to the Gold Coast after the earthquake - means tonight's match is one of three road trips in four matches for the Warriors. Next weekend they play Penrith at home before taking on the Titans and Knights on the road.

That's hardly an ideal scenario for a 2-4 team already struggling to keep pace with the race for the top eight, however it isn't something Cleary is shrinking from.

"It is a challenge but on the other hand it is a good challenge," he said. "If we can get ourselves an even share of possession and get ourselves more on the front foot then I believe there is a good opportunity for us to win some more [games]."