NRL: Ropati doing homework on Toopi

Warriors centre Jerome Ropati. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand Warrior Jerome Ropati will be doing some homework on a good mate ahead of the National Rugby League semifinal away to Gold Coast on Friday night.

Ropati will be up against Clinton Toopi, a former clubmate who made 129 appearances for the Warriors over eight season before leaving for the English Super League at the end of 2006.

The Warriors and Titans have meet twice this year, with the Queenslanders winning both times, but the two centres, both Kiwis test representatives, didn't get to face off.

Toopi, 30, who was signed by the Titans on a one-year deal after pre-season trials, missed the first round fixture at Robina, while Ropati was injured in the return match last month.

Ropati said he expected to have his work cut out when they do clash.

"Clinton is a really good friend of mine and I've always looked up to him over my career," he said.

"He's one of the best centres going around when he's on form and he's doing well right now. I'm going to have a look at some video on him. I'm going to have to do my homework on him."

Ropati said there had been congratulatory texts back and forth between the pair over the past month as both the Titans and Warriors racked up the results they needed to secure passage to the playoffs.

"Last week I flicked him a text and said, `See you in the finals'," he said.

"I actually didn't think we were going to play them in the finals and it now happens that we're doing it this week, so it's quite ironic."

However, Ropati ruled out any banter between them in the lead-up to the semifinal.

Instead, he would leave Toopi to concentrate on the game and await the confrontation to come on the field.

Ropati, 25, is the second longest serving Warrior in the present squad with 127 appearances, behind only fullback Lance Hohaia with 162.

He and Hohaia are among six survivors from Toopi's last year at the club, along with skipper Simon Mannering, winger Manu Vatuvei, prop Sam Rapira and lock Micheal Luck.

Gold Coast are the bookmakers' favourites to get past the Warriors, who would then have to hope other results go their way over the remainder of the weekend.

But Ropati indicated the Warriors were happy with the underdogs tag and there was a quiet confidence within the camp that they could come away from Skilled Park at Robina with the goods.

"We give ourselves a chance in this game," he said.

"A lot is riding on them to win and I think we have a bit of an advantage flying in under the radar."

The key to victory would be doing the basics of controlling the ball, getting good field position, getting a good kick away and chasing hard.

"There's really no one gameplan that we are going in with against them," Ropati said.

"We just have to get as much ball as we can and do the most with it."

- NZPA