NRL: Rogers needled before Warriors clash

Titans utility Mat Rogers. Photo / Getty Images

Match-winning Titans utility Mat Rogers is believed to have headed to New Zealand to play the Warriors only after having a cortisone injection to help reduce pain in his heel.

The injection would explain Rogers' lack of involvement in the side's final training session on the Gold Coast before they headed across the Tasman for a game that could shape their NRL season.

Rogers snapped the crucial field goal in golden point extra time to beat the Dragons last week.

He moved into the five-eighth role for the clash after first choice Greg Bird injured his hamstring against the Brisbane Broncos the previous week.

The Warriors, whose impressive five-game streak came to an end last weekend against a desperate South Sydney, have made a number of changes in a bid to get back on track against the Titans at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday.

Will Tupou comes onto the wing for injured speedster Kevin Locke while in a trend that is now commonplace in the NRL, Lewis Brown moves from the second-row into the centres with Ukuma Ta'ai coming into the back-row.

Ben Matulino has also won a start spot in the front row.

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary has a gut feeling Tupou could be ready to bust his try drought against the Titans after a lean period this year.

"He scores lots of tries but is yet to score one at first grade in eight attempts this year," noted Cleary, a try-scoring freak as a player.

"That excites me because a try scorer is never too far away, so it might be this week."

Cleary also backed Brown's move out wide as a potential winner.

"He the best man for the job," declared Cleary, adding players with athleticism like Lewis could handle both positions well.

"In Lewis's case, a little bit like Simon Mannering, those guys can probably alternate between the two pretty easily."

The stakes don't get much higher for these two teams, both on 24 points and both battling desperately to stay in the top a eight.

A win could see the winner climb as high as third, depending on other results, and the loser dumped as low at 10th just over a month out from the finals, making their task extremely hard.

As competition leaders St George Illawarra found out last week the Titans are tough to beat in a grind, especially when forwards like Luke Bailey can bash out more than 180 metres and make 50-plus tackles.

The Titans pack holds the key with Bailey, Anthony Laffranchi and Anthony Minichiello's high work rate vital against the Warriors who like to stretch defences with their second-, third- and fourth-phase play.

- AAP