Rugby League: Warriors bent on avoiding another unbearable defeat

By PETER JESSUP

One sports follower will be desperate for the Warriors to lose to North Queensland tonight, with $30,000 riding on them taking the wooden spoon after a pre-season bet of $3000.

But for every league fan in New Zealand, a loss to the competition's perennial cellar-dwellers would be unbearable, the shame of having to cop last place and the inevitable bagging that would bring from Australia, unthinkable.

The Warriors' seven losses on the trot equals the club's worst losing streak from rounds seven to 13 in 1997 when John Monie departed and Frank Endacott started.

Since 1995 the season's results have read 10/20, 11/20 in'96, 7/10 in Super League'97, 15/20 in the reunited comp'98 and 11/17 last year.

After this the Warriors play Brisbane away and the Eagles at home, the Cowboys host the Roosters then the Raiders.

A win is vital to keep Auckland out of last place - the visitors have two points behind but a better for-and-against record that would leapfrog them over the Warriors if they win.

The weather threatens to be a great leveller, the predicted easterly gale offering kickers a ground-gaining advantage, wet weather sure to mean it's tight.

The Warriors have the better, bigger and more experienced forwards and should get the gains there to allow their halves and three-quarters to move.

The team should be desperate to prove something to the long-suffering fans and to prove their worth to any potential buyers, and that should carry them home.

Football manager Hugh McGahan said the team had tried to carry on regardless despite talk of a buyout of the shares held by the financially troubled Tainui tribe.

"We don't know what is happening or going on, it is a shareholder issue.

"We've been told to continue as normal and we're trying to do that the best we can.

"It is difficult to gauge how the players are feeling, but we'll probably find out from the result of the game, keeping in mind we haven't won for a while," he said.

However, there is no talk of a grudge match as a result of the "Cheergirl Brawl" in Townsville.

In that match, the Warriors won 18-12 with only 12 men, in a bruising encounter which spilled over the sidelines.

NRL chairman Michael Hill is over from the Newcastle club for a familiarisation visit.

He will be on hand to apologise for any refereeing blunders that rob the home side of tries of the type taken from Stacey Jones against the Sharks last week.

Warriors: Clinton Toopi, Odell Manuel, David Myles, Nigel Vagana, Henry Faafili, John Simon (capt), Stacey Jones, Joe Vagana, Robert Mears, Terry Hermansson, Logan Swann, Monty Betham, Jason Death; interchange Cliff Beverley, Scott Coxon, Ali Lauiti'iti, Matt Spence.

Cowboys: Graham Appo, Damien Smith, Julian O'Neill (capt), Paul Bowman, Brian Jellick, Scott Prince, Nathan Fien, Jamie McDonald, Leigh McWilliams, Robert Relf, Mark Shipway, Kyle Warren, Peter Jones; interchange: Jeremy Schloss, Nick Paterson, John Manning, Daniel Strickland.

Referee: Moghseen Jadwat.