NRL: Warriors not burdened by 2011 grand final

Warriors second-rower Feleti Mateo (28) is the third-oldest player in tomorrow night's Warriors side. Photo / Getty Images.

Nearly every week, the Warriors of 2012 are compared to the 2011 vintage that went on a run that was only ended in last year's grand final.

It places high expectations on Brian McClennan's side and fans are waiting, and hoping, for the run to start this season.

It doesn't help they hold an identical eight wins, eight losses record that last year's team put together and it was at this time last year that Ivan Cleary's side started a run of seven wins in nine games to complete their regular season.

The Warriors have built a little momentum recently after consecutive wins over North Queensland and the Gold Coast but face a difficult task tomorrow night when travel to take on a fourth-placed Broncos side who welcome back their contingent of State of Origin players. They haven't managed three consecutive wins all season and it has meant they occupy eighth on the NRL ladder.

"It's not a burden," McClennan said of trying to live up to last year. "It's an experience that has been really good for all the players. It helps you know to concentrate on one game at a time because that's what was happening last year. It's not a burden. We fully appreciate and understand why people outside the club think like that. But it's not the way we think.

"It's very dangerous to start looking too far ahead or talking about what happened last year. It's irrelevant. We have to concentrate on the game at hand. We are playing against a very good side in the Broncos who have a great tradition and a great ground. We will just focus on that."

They will have to do it without blockbusting centre Konrad Hurrell, who injured his foot in the 32-14 defeat of the Gold Coast last week, but that has been offset to some degree by the return of winger Manu Vatuvei who has recovered from knee surgery.

Hurrell has scored 12 tries in his 12 games this season, including 11 in his last seven, and his absence will be sorely missed. He heads a young brigade who have come through this season, particularly in the backline, and it is one of the reasons why they have been inconsistent in 2012.

"We are much younger than last year's side," said second-rower Feleti Mateo who, at 28, is the third-oldest in tomorrow night's Warriors side. "That's probably the only difference to last year. There's still a good feeling in the club, which we had last year. We had a lot of faith.

"We haven't really put an 80-minute performance together all year. It's encouraging that we still have a lot in front of us. We will just keep plugging away. We don't have a break in our run into the finals and I think that's the best thing for us because we can get that momentum."

They round out their season against Newcastle (H), Manly (A), Cronulla (H), North Queensland (A), Penrith (H), the Dragons (A) and Canberra (H) but a lot will depend on whether key players can stay on the field.

The top eight remains the first goal but changes to the playoffs format rewards teams who finish higher and it's not only people on this side of the Tasman who expect the Warriors to make their move.

Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin believes they are good enough to win September's grand final.

"They've got the same team [as last year] plus Nathan Friend. Potentially I think they're premiers," he said. "They're probably, in my view, one of the top two or three teams in the competition, despite where they're sitting on the ladder.

"They've got strike and class right across the field and their younger forwards are learning how to grind games out now which makes them very hard to get over the top of."

Warriors team to play the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, on Friday (9.30pm): Kevin Locke, Bill Tupou, Ben Henry, Lewis Brown, Manu Vatuvei, James Maloney, Shaun Johnson, Russell Packer, Nathan Friend, Ben Matulino, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (c), Elijah Taylor. Interchange: (one to be omitted) Omar Slaimankhel, Sione Lousi, Jacob Lillyman, Steve Rapira, Sebastine Ikahihifo.

Broncos: Josh Hoffman, Gerard Beale, Alex Glenn, Justin Hodges, Dale Copley, Corey Norman, Peter Wallace, Josh McGuire, Andrew McCullough, Petero Civoniceva, Matt Gillett, Sam (c) Thaiday, Corey Parker. Interchange (one to be omitted): Ben Hunt, Ben Te'o, Ben Hannant, Mitchell Dodds, Dunamis Lui.