NRL: Seymour aims to sink his teeth into Sharks

Brett Seymour is pumped up for a season-defining match against the sharks. Photo / Getty Images

Brett Seymour feels no bitterness about the way he departed Cronulla last season.

The question now is whether the Warriors playmaker will be left with any regrets following tonight's return to the club that sacked him for a run of off-field indiscretions.

With the Warriors having handed Seymour an NRL lifeline after he felt Cronulla's boot, the 25-year-old Queenslander can return the favour by putting the slipper into his former employers in what could be a season-defining contest.

That they prise two competition points from the struggling Sharks is vital for a Warriors side that sits right on the finals bubble in eighth place. Having turned in his first sub-par effort for the club during last week's defeat by the Titans, Seymour is determined to ensure that happens.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to the game," he said.

"It's a place I was at for a few years and had a little bit of success there.

"It will be a good night. I'll have to keep the emotions in check and just worry about the footy in front of me."

Seymour described his sacking by the Sharks as "just the way the cookie crumbled". But cookies weren't the only thing crumbling as he departed a club that was unravelling at pace following a third-place finish in 2008.

The highly publicised exits of Seymour and Greg Bird were dagger blows from which the Sharks never recovered. They were dreadful in 2009, finishing second-last, and in round two in Auckland this year they turned in what must rank one of the most inept displays by an NRL team seen at Mt Smart stadium to lose 30-16. They have won just five matches this season and sit above only the pointless Melbourne Storm on the ladder.

That run of form saw coach Ricky Stuart fall on his sword two weeks ago, with assistant Shane Flanagan taking over. Flanagan has yet to coax a victory out of the Sharks, but they have at least shown signs of life, losing narrowly to the Tigers and Raiders.

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary has noted the improvement - particularly on attack - and is bemused by references to the Sharks lacking talent.

"I look at that team and I can see plenty of talent," Cleary said.

Seymour, too, believes a Sharks side desperate to notch a victory for their new coach will be a dangerous foe for a Warriors team that can ill afford another slip-up.

The likes of hard-nosed lock Paul Gallen, five-eighth Trent Barrett and prop Kade Snowden were dangerous customers, Seymour said. "They will certainly want to win this game. We expect a really tough battle."

If the Warriors are to win that battle they'll need a vastly improved effort from Seymour and five-eighth James Maloney, who were comprehensively outplayed by Titans duo Scott Prince and Matt Rogers last week.

Maloney coughed up six of the team's 12 errors, although several were down to poor passes from Seymour, who refused to blame the broken thumb he suffered in round one for his inaccuracy.

Sam Rapira travelled with the side but Cleary was cagey as to whether the side's senior prop would make a much-awaited comeback from the dislocated kneecap he suffered in round 11.

WARRIORS v SHARKS
Toyota Stadium 9.30pm Saturday

SHARKS
Nathan Gardner
Blake Ferguson
Dean Collis
Ben Pomeroy
Luke Covell
Trent Barrett (c)
Scott Porter
Kade Snowden
John Morris
Luke Douglas
Grant Millington
Anthony Tupou
Paul Gallen
Interchange: Josh Cordoba, Broderick Wright, Paul Aiton, Taulima Tautai, Tim Smith.

WARRIORS
Lance Hohaia
Bill Tupou
Brent Tate
Joel Moon
Manu Vatuvei
James Maloney
Brett Seymour
Ben Matulino
Aaron Heremaia
Russell Packer
S. Mannering (c)
Lewis Brown
Micheal Luck
Interchange (from): Ian Henderson, Jesse Royal, Jeremy Latimore, Ukuma Ta'ai, Jacob Lillyman.