NRL: Maloney returns to scene of record performance

James Maloney. Photo / Getty Images

While the spotlight will be on Brisbane skipper Darren Lockyer, rival five-eighth James Maloney will have special National Rugby League (NRL) memories of his own when he runs out at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane tomorrow night.

Against the New Zealand Warriors, Lockyer, in the twilight of stellar 17-season career, will clock up a record-equalling 349th NRL appearance.

Maloney is at the other end of the experience scale, with 46 matches to his name after making his debut for Melbourne in 2009.

Only one of them has been at Suncorp Stadium, but it turned out to be a personal triumph.

In March last year, in just his third outing for the Warriors and his seventh in the NRL, he bagged 28 points as the Broncos were swamped 48-16.

"It was a pretty enjoyable day and you don't sort of forget games like that,'' he said.

"It would be nice if the boys could put on another performance like that, but the side they have this year is vastly different and we'll definitely have our work cut out.''

Maloney, who was at halfback that day, grabbed three tries and landed eight of nine shots at goal to match Gene Ngamu and present coach Ivan Cleary's jointly-held record for most points by a Warrior in a match.

Brisbane went on to suffer a second heavy defeat at the hands of the Warriors last season, going down 36-4 on the way to missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 1991.

Under new coach Anthony Griffin, they are sitting fourth on the table and coming off a 46-16 thumping of Cronulla.

Maloney was sure the Lockyer factor would provide an added challenge as the sixth-placed Warriors look to further their own finals ambitions.

"We'd be naive if we didn't think their players will lift for a bloke like that,'' he said.

"That makes it even tougher for us, but by the same token, we've got plenty of motivation ourselves.''

After a four-match losing streak in June that left their campaign becalmed, the Warriors have caught a second wind to string four big wins in a row.

While all of their remaining opponents are either in or just outside the top eight, Maloney was comfortable with the difficult run-in.

"If you finish up against a lot of lower sides, you might get ahead of yourself,'' he said.

"To have a few tough hit-outs leading up to the finals is going to give us a good gauge of where we're at and make sure we put in 80-minute performances.''

Apart from being the NRL's top points-scorer with 146 points, Maloney has also been in excellent general form.

He deflected credit for that to the damage done up front by the likes of props Jacob Lillyman, Sam Rapira, Ben Matulino and Russell Packer.

"I can't rap the forward pack enough,'' he said.

"Everyone knows a lot of the halves' play is determined by what the forward pack does and at the moment our forwards pack is going brilliant. Over the last month, they've kept turning up.''

- NZPA