KEY POINTS:
The bookies are giving the injury-plagued Knights little chance of winning at Mt Smart tonight and certainly it's a game the Warriors have targeted as must-win.
The Warriors want to continue their exciting attack, the passing game that has brought them success and a place in the top
eight.
Coach Ivan Cleary felt that "pure confidence" was the difference between the team that lost six on the trot and the one which has now won five from the next six.
"I'm reasonably confident if we can keep playing the way we are," he said of their chances of holding a top-eight playoff spot.
They have a good run home, with just Manly of the top four sides and that game is also at Mt Smart. And they have all 25 players from their top squad to choose from.
The Knights, meanwhile, have used 36 players this season, the most of any NRL club, and have 15 first-grade regulars benched by injury this week.
Five-eighths Jarrod Mullen, who just weeks ago was pushing for State of Origin selection, is now sidelined for the remainder of the season after undergoing a shoulder reconstruction this week after an injury at training.
Captain Danny Buderus is still out with a knee problem and continues to struggle weekly with Achilles tendonitis. Adam MacDougall, Milton Thaiday, Todd Polglase, Trent Salkeld and Luke Davico are also gone for the season. And that's after they lost captain and playmaker Andrew Johns to an ongoing neck injury this season.
Coach Brian Smith had a mandate for change when he came to the club in the off-season and he's wasted no time employing that, cutting players including Jack Newton's son Clint while buying in others including former Auckland Warrior Cooper Vuna.
There was no conflict with management, Smith said. "I'm putting into plan what they wanted to happen. They all knew that changes had to be made." As a result of the injuries and the enforced team changes they were lacking combinations.
"That's the biggest thing, it's been tough for the young boys ... It's probably too much at once for them."
The experience would put the club in good stead for next year, said Smith. But he has no illusions about the task at hand. "The Warriors ... have their whole squad to pick from, we're at opposite ends of the spectrum."
Hooker Buderus would not play, Smith said. "He needs a rest."
Smith said the club acted too slowly in making an offer to Johns to keep him on in some way with the coaching staff but he would not rule out bringing him back in future.
They were not interested in dumped All Black Piri Weepu, who spent time at the Knights with Johns in February.
The Auckland Lions field a backline studded with Warriors as they seek a rare consecutive win in the Premier League.
Auckland Lions: Aidan Kirk, Malo Solomona, Tony Martin, Todd Byrne, Patrick Ah Van, Steve Buckingham (c), Lance Hohaia, Wayne McDade, Corey Lawrie, Upu Poching, Louis Anderson, Sonny Fai, Scott Jones; interchange from Marty Mitchell, Leeson Ah Mau, Fabian Soutar, Lui Toimoana, Constantine Mika, Russell Packer.
Knights: Nathan Hinton, David Seage, Stephen Gordon, Karl Johnson, Luke Hession, Marvin Karawana, Scott Dureau, Matthew White, Matthew Thurston, Kade Snowden, Hanan Laban, Mitchell Steel, Riley Brown (c); interchange Tim Natusch, Brendon Hunt, Kurt Sorenson, Willie Tupou, Larry Taufua.
Warriors
* Mt Smart Stadium, 7.30 tonight
Wade McKinnon
Michael Crockett
Jerome Ropati
Simon Mannering
Manu Vatuvei
Michael Witt
Grant Rovelli
Sam Rapira
George Gatis
Steve Price (c)
Ruben Wiki
Logan Swann
Micheal Luck
Knights
Kurt Gidley
Jame McManus
George Carmont
Brad Tighe
Cooper Vuna
Daniel Abraham
Luke Walsh
Mitchell Sargent
Terrence Seu Seu
Adam Woolnough
Steve Simpson
Cory Paterson
Zeb Taia
Warriors: Wairangi Koopu, Evarn Tuimavave, Epalahame Lauaki, Nathan Fien.
Knights: Michael Young, Jesse Royal, Kirk Reynoldson, Daniel Tolar.
