KEY POINTS:
Rookie winger David Williams can expect plenty of aerial bombardment tonight when Manly try to make the grand final for the second successive year.
The Sea Eagles need to get past the Warriors and the hard-running Williams will be marking giant opponent Manu Vatuvei.
The pair's colourful nicknames
have set up a mouth-watering duel between the Wolfman and the Beast.
But Williams will be conceding height and bulk to Vatuvei, who at 1.89cm and 112kg, is 6cm taller and 20kg heavier.
Vatuvei's size makes him a natural target from many of the Warriors' attacking kicks, and halfback Nathan Fien said the Kiwi winger would be an obvious go-to man again.
"When we're down in the attacking end, I don't think we have to change too much," he said.
"It's no secret we go high to Manu. Why wouldn't we? He's a bloody giant out there on the wing.
"We've managed to score a few tries by just kicking out that way, whether he knocks it back or he takes it and falls over the line.
"It's definitely a strength of ours and I don't see that changing this weekend."
Vatuvei, 22, has scored 16 tries in 16 appearances during an injury-hit season.
His recent strike rate has been even more impressive - seven in the past four matches.
Williams, also 22, is no slouch in the try-scoring department either, having dotted down 13 times in 18 matches of his debut NRL season.
Fien said the Warriors' long kicking game also has to be accurate as well, given the attacking threat posed by Manly fullback Brett Stewart when bringing the ball back.
Stewart would also have to be watched closely further up the field, having scored a competition-best 20 tries this season, including four in the two matches against the Warriors.
Fien will have a tough head-to-head contest of his own, his opposite number being Dally M Player of the Year Matt Orford.
"He's definitely a competitor and he's not going to die wondering," Fien said.
"He's such a key man for them, whether it's through his kicking or his aggressive runs. Hopefully we can get on top of him and nullify his impact."
The Warriors also have a size advantage on the other wing, with Aidan Kirk shading Michael Robertson.
But five-eighth Michael Witt indicated that bald statistics could be deceptive. The likes of Williams and Robertson might look comparatively smaller from the sidelines, but "they're not so small when they're running straight at you".
- NZPA
