By PETER JESSUP
The Warriors and Wests Tigers will take unchanged winning teams into their clash at Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney, on Sunday.
The Warriors have a new confidence after the efforts of their best 17 against the Eagles. There were a few niggling injuries at early training this week, but those tend to heal quicker after a win than they do after a loss.
The same squad will go to Sydney on Friday. Last week's latecomer, Awen Guttenbeil, has recovered after months being sidelined, and the only positional change is the move of line-breaker Ali Lauiti'iti into the front row.
That probably gives an indication of how coach Daniel Anderson wants the game played. Lauiti'iti has the size to break the first tackle and is a good off-loader of the ball. The back-rowers and half Stacey Jones look likely to feed off that as the Warriors again seek to go straight up the middle.
Anderson wants to get the team's defensive stats into the top half of the table. His only real disappointment last weekend was the late tries the Warriors conceded when the game against the Northern Eagles was already won.
Wests coach Terry "Baa" Lamb was also pleased with his side's effort in a 24-22 win over St George. Their fitness showed at the end, and Lamb was pleased with the patience the players showed in maintaining pressure when behind, and not panicking as the clock wound down.
The Tigers have a much worse record at the old Wests Magpies ground at Campbelltown than at their second home ground, Leichhardt at Balmain, but football manager Steve Lavers said that was not an issue.
They have trained there twice this week, and the ground is now said to be more like a carpet than the patchy green beach it used to be.
The club have reached a settlement with former captain and likely new Kiwi selector Jarrod McCracken, which is yet to be signed off.
He will join the club administration for the launch of a feeder deal with Brisbane Souths this week, and would remain part of their "family," Lavers said. The club is not at this stage considering taking action against either the Melbourne Storm or Kiwi Stephen Kearney over the spear tackle that ended McCracken's career.
Teams:
New Zealand Warriors: Ivan Cleary, Henry Fa'afili, Richie Blackmore, David Myles, Francis Meli, Cliff Beverley, Stacey Jones (co-capt), Ali Lauiti'iti, Jason Death, Jerry SeuSeu, Logan Swann, Awen Guttenbeil, Kevin Campion (co-capt); interchange: Mark Tookey, Justin Morgan, Monty Betham, Wairangi Koopu, Shontayne Hape (one to be omitted).
Wests Tigers: Matt Seers, John Carlaw, Kevin McGuinness, Terry Hill, John Hopoate, John Simon, Craig Field, John Skandalis, Ciriaco Mescia, Jason Lowrie, Darren Senter (capt), Luke O'Donnell, Tyran Smith; interchange: Owen Craigie, Trent Runciman, Corey Pearson, Shane Walker.
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