NRL: Rooster won't hide from rival

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. Photo / Dean Purcell

Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves denies he's out to avenge Simon Dwyer's monster hit when he faces the Wests Tigers backrower in Saturday's NRL trial match.

The giant Kiwi was left seeing stars after Dwyer sent him crashing to the turf during an epic 100-minute finals clash last year, won by the Roosters 19-15.

Waerea-Hargreaves was forced to undergo scans to determine if he was fit enough to take part in the rest of the finals series, having been forced off the field late in the game.

However, the affable 22-year-old said he won't be singling out Dwyer for special attention, but certainly won't be taking a backward step from him either.

"I am just going to go out and do what is best for the team, the game is different now to last year, although it seems when we play the Tigers the games get bigger," Waerea-Hargreaves told AAP.

"It would be selfish of me to go out and do individual stuff, but if he (Dwyer) comes towards me then we will see what happens."

Rated as one of the best young forwards in the world, Waerea-Hargreaves missed the opening five rounds of last season after injuring his shoulder in training.

Twelve months on, and with a full pre-season behind him, the New Zealand international warned his rivals he will be even better in 2011.

"This time last year I had my arm in a sling and missed the first five or six rounds so it's just good to be ready for round one," he said.

"I didn't have any pre-season last year but this year I have, and I feel a lot fitter and a lot stronger as a result, I am also more experienced."

Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce will play his first game on Saturday since the grand final defeat to St George Illawarra in October.

The NSW playmaker will be partnered in the halves by 21-year-old Mark Kheirallah with five-eighth Todd Carney still recovering from a groin operation.

Pearce said he was unsure if the Dally M Medallist would be fit for the season opener against bitter rivals South Sydney on March 11, but backed Kheirallah to be an able deputy.

"He played fullback in the '20s last year, I thought he played really well in the trial against the Bulldogs the other week," Pearce said.

"He is probably not an organising type, but very good with the ball and really fast, a bit like the guy who he is replacing.

"I think he will play really well, he has been really confident in training and if Toddy isn't right for round one, then there may be a spot for him."

- AAP