Rugby League: Confident Warriors aim to dine on Rabbit stew

By PETER JESSUP

The Warriors have had plenty of problems over the eight years of their existence, but how to handle winning has not been one of them - until now.

They are on a roll they have never been on before, and extending the club record to eight wins in a row against South Sydney tonight is more than likely.

The Warriors have already won 10 of 12 games, two more than they won in all of the 2000 season and only two fewer than they won in 26 rounds last season. And there are 13 games to come.

So what is different about this season's Warriors, and how do they keep themselves from slipping into the sort of inevitable decline their supporters came to expect in previous years?

The side are still making plenty of errors, so there is room for improvement.

They still play badly in the second half of some games - against the Sharks and North Queensland, and Souths last time they were here - but now they win them.

Coach Daniel Anderson is confident his side have the ability to win in Sydney tonight, provided they turn up with the right attitude.

"I don't think they'll take Souths lightly - they've been touched up by them before," Anderson said.

Centre Clinton Toopi is one of those who used to make errors from one-handed offloads.

This season he has cut his error rate by a mile, is second on the NRL's statistics list for line-breaks behind Newcastle's Timana Tahu, and is equal for tries scored with Nigel Vagana of the Bulldogs. Both have scored 11.

"The coach has encouraged us to carry the confidence of a top-four team," Toopi said.

"We feel like we're learning how to win. We know we're taking steps forward, building on what we've learned."

One of the things they had learned was to stick to the game plan.

"We've learned that when we veer off it we tend to go nowhere."

Errors were still a problem and a talking point in the team, "but there's more control now".

The team got more ball now, especially out in the centres.

The aim was to train well and take the confidence from that on to the paddock.

"The coach has told us we can't afford to be complacent." said Toopi. "We know it's all lost if we slacken off now. We're confident we can go on with it - but not arrogant."

The gym is a happier place by far than it once was with plenty of banter.

There is an underlying current of competition: players who used to be a walk-up start, including international Logan Swann, are being held out by the good form of others.

The players all know they cannot slip, because the coach has no favourites.

Anderson said: "My motivation is to stay a top-four team. We've got the Broncos one point behind and the leaders one point in front. Drop a game and we're out. Keep winning and we're on top of the table."

He agreed with Toopi about taking good work into the game.

"Last week the training was high quality and we hope to keep backing that up."

He knows there is improvement to come. The Warriors are still working on basic skills, tightening individual techniques in attack and defence.

"Maybe the improvement will come when we're put in tight situations, when we have to fight at the back end of a game," said Anderson. "At 28-0 at halftime there wasn't too much pressure last week."

He is enjoying the confidence the team have because confidence means composure on the field, and they are showing it. That comes off the back of good forward work.

But they play a bigger, harder, more experienced pack in the Rabbitohs this weekend.

would be surprised if McKinnon lined up there. He was expecting him to swap with Owen Craigie.

Whoever plays there, they will play going backwards if the Warriors pack maintains form.

Jason Death's darts from dummy-half and the offloads of Paul Stringer, Adam Muir and Andrew Hart are Souths' only weapons and those should be easily defused.nte

However, the Rabbitohs are ready to be run over. The club website describes last Monday's 42-6 defeat by the Roosters as "Groundhog Day" and warns fans to expect another against the in-form Warriors.

Then it exhorts them to get down to the ground. "Don't worry - it could be worse - at least we have a team to cheer for."

New Zealand Warriors: Ivan Cleary, Henry Fa'afili, John Carlaw, Clinton Toopi, Justin Murphy, Lance Hohaia, Stacey Jones (capt), Jerry Seuseu, P. J. Marsh, Mark Tookey, Ali Lauiti'iti, Wairangi Koopu, Kevin Campion. Interchange: Motu Tony, Richard Villasanti, Justin Morgan, Sione Faumuina.

South Sydney: Andrew King, Justin Brooker, Russell Richardson, Owen Craigie, Brent Grose, Wade McKinnon, Brad Watts, Scott Geddes, Jason Death, Paul Stringer, Andrew Hart, Adam Muir (capt), Luke Stuart. Interchange: Scott Rigon, Duncan McGillivray, Jay Bandy, Adam Peek, Nathan Merritt, Jamie Fitzgerald (two to be omitted).