NRL: Warriors fired up to meet Melbourne

Humiliated Storm will have a difficult time against the rejuvenated, confident Warriors side. Photo / Getty Images

This time around it is the Warriors who might just bring the fury.

Swept away in round seven by the raging Storm tide that swelled in the aftermath of the initial salary cap scandal break, the Warriors were left to lament the misfortune of a schedule that consigned them as the ritual lambs to the slaughter.

While this week's revelations of the full extent of Melbourne's cheating mean there are parallels tonight, times have certainly changed.

The Storm have had long enough to be ground down by the futility of their fate, losing four of their last five matches.

Sure, the further abuse and humiliation heaped upon them this week may provoke one last thrashing of the Storm's star-studded corpse. But even so, they won't have it so easy this time against a Warriors side riding high on the back of four consecutive victories. A Warriors side, that is, boosted by the return of four key players. And a Warriors side that looks much more capable of meeting fire with fire.

"Yeah, definitely, we are looking for revenge," said in-form utility Lewis Brown. "A lot has changed since [round seven]. We are playing with a bit of confidence. I think we have found our feet in the last month. Now it is going to be a good challenge."

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary isn't buying into any theories about the Storm being a depressed and beaten bunch.

"They have still got a very good team and they deserve to be given the amount of respect they are due."

Cleary's biggest concern is how his backline will function with four new faces. After breaking his thumb and leg, playmaker Brett Seymour is making just his fifth appearance of the season, while fullback Lance Hohaia and right-sided flank players Brent Tate and Kevin Locke are also returning from injuries.

"There might be a bit of rust but I think we can cover that," Cleary said. "The fact that those boys are itching to get back in will be a plus, and some fresh legs at this time of year might just be able to balance that rust up a bit."

The successes of the last month may have been built on solid team displays but Brown dismissed suggestion the return of the star quartet might be disruptive. He also didn't fear a drop-off in the levels of the young players who have excelled in recent weeks.

"We knew we had to ... deliver to help our team get through that rough period of injuries and I thought the younger boys did a good job.

"I've learned my lesson from earlier in the season when I went through a rough patch. I'd rather keep where I am at at the moment."

* The NRL has agreed not to advertise an Australian gambling game at tonight's match after consultation with the Department of Internal Affairs. A "Keno Super Saturday" logo breaches legislation that prohibits the advertising of overseas gambling in New Zealand.

WARRIORS v STORM
Mt Smart Stadium, 7.30 tonight

WARRIORS
Lance Hohaia
Kevin Locke
Brent Tate
Jerome Ropati
Manu Vatuvei
James Maloney
Brett Seymour
Jesse Royal
Aaron Heremaia
Russell Packer
S. Mannering (c)
Lewis Brown
Micheal Luck
Interchange: Ian Henderson, Ben Matulino, Jeremy Latimore, Ukuma Ta'Ai, Sione Lousi (one to be omitted).

STORM
Billy Slater
Matt Duffie
Chase Stanley
Greg Inglis
Dane Nielsen
Brett Finch
Cooper Cronk
Bryan Norrie
Cameron Smith (c)
Brett White
Adam Blair
Sika Manu
Kevin Proctor
Interchange: Ryan Hinchcliffe, Todd Lowrie, Aiden Tolman, Jeff Lima, Ryan Hoffman (one to be omitted).