NRL: Warriors' chance to capitalise on injuries

Simon Mannering of the Warriors. Photo / Getty Images

Hurt, embarrassed, disgusted with themselves. Expect the Warriors to bring the fury with them when they run out on to Canberra Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

If they don't, it's going to be a long season.

"We're pretty dark about how we performed [against the Roosters last week]," coach Brian McClennan said. "We were woeful. It is how we react and what we do positively from here that counts.

"We've got no issues if we play to the best of our ability and get beat. But when you play poorly and get beat ... that is not what we've set out to do. We know we've underperformed. We are pretty dirty about it, it is what we do now that counts."

McClennan will also know that if his side can escape Canberra with a rare win - the Warriors have managed to do so just twice in 17 years - it would go a long way towards calming the troubled waters that are beginning to lap at his side's ankles. A win would level the ledger at 3-3 and push the club back into the top half of the table with a home match against the struggling Rabbitohs to come next week. Lose, however, and the club will be in a hole that could deepen with matches against the high-flying Storm and Broncos on the horizon.

"This has become a very important match to us in terms of what we want to do about the season," McClennan admitted.

It should be winnable. Not only will the Warriors be supremely motivated, they will face a Raiders side weakened by injuries.

Kangaroos prop David Shillington appears unlikely to make a return, while senior forwards Brett White (who is out for the season with an ACL injury) and Joel Thompson (missing for up to a month with a damaged ankle) are also absent. However with Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Dane Tilse, Josh Papalii and Bronson Harrison in the ranks, the Raiders certainly still have some pop up front.

Having watched his side make a fourth poor start in five matches to concede an insurmountable lead to the Roosters last week, McClennan is in no doubt where major improvement from the Warriors must come.

"We've just had too many games where the first quarter - which is the hardest and fastest quarter - we just haven't got into the game and subsequently we haven't got much ball," McClennan said. "So while everyone runs their hardest and runs their fastest and tackles their hardest and the linespeed is at its fastest we have hardly had the ball. We know what we've got to do. We've just got to get out there and make sure we execute well and we are 50-50 with the ball and possession and territory."

Feleti Mateo is likely to reprise the impact role he performed successfully off the bench against the Bulldogs in round three and McClennan may further shuffle his forward rotation. Krisnan Inu, who is with the squad as injury cover for Manu Vatuvei, appears unlikely to play.

• Scans on Micheal Luck's broken hand on Thursday revealed it is healing well, with bone beginning to grow around a screw inserted to mend the break. Luck expected to be back playing in five or six weeks.

Raiders v Warriors

Canberra, tomorrow, 4pm (NZ time)

Reece Robinson
Blake Ferguson
Jarrod Croker
Shaun Berrigan
Jack Wighton
T. Campese (c)
Josh McCrone
Dane Tilse
Glen Buttriss
T. Learoyd-Lahrs
Joe Picker
Bronson Harrison
Josh Papalii

Reserves: Travis Waddell, Jarrad Kennedy, Sam Mataora, Mark Nicholls

Glen Fisiiahi
Bill Tupou
Ben Henry
Jerome Ropati
Manu Vatuvei
James Maloney
Shaun Johnson
Sione Lousi
Nathan Friend
Ben Matulino
Feleti Mateo
S. Mannering (c)
Elijah Taylor

Reserves: Russell Packer, Ukuma Ta'ai, Lewis Brown, Sam Rapira, Krisnan Inu.