KEY POINTS:
If the champion Melbourne Storm had a choice of opponent for the first week of the NRL finals series it would not be the Warriors.
Only two clubs have won in Melbourne in the past two seasons, the Warriors and Sharks. And the Warriors are one of just
seven clubs to beat the Storm this year when they travelled.
The Aucklanders fly over on the back of eight wins from their past 10 games _ including significant scalps in the top-four. They will have loads of self-belief.
It is imperative for them that they start hard and fast and do not concede a run of early points that would shatter that confidence.
The Storm do have weaknesses. For a start, they have made no secret of their intention to target Manu Vatuvei with kicks, as they did when they beat the Warriors 32-18 in round one.
Captain Steve Price left early in that game with a hamstring problem that kept him out 10 weeks and the Warriors' confidence limped off with him, not returning until he did mid-season.
But Vatuvei's work taking high balls and ground grubbers has improved susbstantially and he is not the weak link defensively that he was.
The Storm should be scared of his power, 14 tries in 14 games. If the Warriors shift the ball to him regularly the man charged with stopping him will be a bruised speed bump in no time and it's sure he won't be able to hold the 112kg freight train out for 80 minutes.
That man might be Steve Turner, named to return after a month out with a knee problem and surgery.
It would not be surprising to see Storm coach Craig Bellamy make backline changes to counter Vatuvei, perhaps shifting Matt Geyer wide, but with alternative centre Will Chambers gone for the season with a knee injury they are not flush with experienced outside backs.
Dallas Johnson is named at lock but word here is he has taken no part in training this week and won't play. Michael Crocker or Ryan Hoffman will be lock, with Jeremy Smith shifting up from the bench. His replacement will be either Scott Anderson or Adam Tolman, both rookies.
The biggest threat to the Warriors is Storm five-eighth Greg Inglis who, after extending his contract at the club on Wednesday, declared he was looking forward to the finals series to repay the club and showcase what they'd paid $450,000 a season for.
"I'm a consistent footballer now but there's plenty of improvement left. I'll be coming out in the finals series with all guns blazing," he said. Inglis' contract deal has apparently got skipper Cameron Smith thinking the same way despite big money offers elsewhere a year before his contract's up.
Here, the Storm are paying $1.12 and the Warriors given a $5.50 return, but few among the expected 13,000 crowd will give them any chance at all.
Hopefully that will not include the 17 Warriors.
They have the talent to win _ do they have the resolve?
The curtainraiser should give a big lift if the under-20s Junior Warriors do what they definitely should and blow St George off the park.
