Rugby League: Memo to Warriors: keep on working

By PETER JESSUP

The big worry when Stacey Jones comes back for the Warriors at Ericsson on Saturday night is that the rest of the team will slacken from the workload they've taken on to achieve big wins without him.

Jones' groin strain is not 100 per cent healed - that will require the long rest he will get at the end of the season - but it is good enough that he can get the match-play he needs as the team prepare for the finals.

Warriors captain Monty Betham and prop Jerry Seuseu are being rested to settle injuries they have carried since the test match at the end of July.

Betham has a bad knee, and Seuseu back and shoulder strains.

Wairangi Koopu was not named, giving him time to recover from the head gash he suffered against the Roosters.

In a double landmark, Awen Guttenbeil will captain the Warriors in Saturday's contest against Wests Tigers and play his 100th premiership game.

Repeat injuries have cost him much time off, but his recent efforts have earned him the right to lead.

Jones was not considered for the captaincy because coach Daniel Anderson does not want him burdened with worrying about what others have to do.

"I want him to quietly come into his role," he said.

Back in the side are Tevita Latu, who gets his first start at hooker after a one-week suspension, and Logan Swann, coming from the bench after a week resting a knee injury.

Mark Tookey is on the bench to get game-time should he be required in the finals.

The Warriors can't be pushed out of the top eight, but they want to win their final round-robin game to go into the playoffs on a high.



Anderson has no preferred opponent for the Warriors' first playoff game and wants the team focussed on winning this weekend.

They are most likely to meet the Bulldogs in Sydney on Saturday week - the Dogs are 41 ahead of the Roosters in points differential and both are likely to finish on 36 competition points, behind Canberra, 38, and Penrith, 40.

With a win over third-from-bottom Wests, the Warriors are likely to finish equal with Melbourne on 34 points, but a place behind them in sixth on points differential.

If home teams and favourites win this weekend, the top eight should be Penrith, Canberra, Bulldogs, Roosters, Storm, Warriors, Knights and Broncos.

One plays eight, two plays seven, and so on, the top four with home ground advantage.

This means the Warriors would draw the Bulldogs in Sydney.

The Dogs play a style the Warriors like, and have a smaller pack they can out-muscle.

But this season has not followed any of the usual patterns, and anything could happen.

The Warriors look to be coming right at the right time and, while others are troubled by runs of injury, P J Marsh is their only star player ruled out and they have been without him for two months.

If the team maintain the forward power shown in recent games, particularly during the wins over Brisbane and Sydney City, plus the back-up in attack and enthusiasm to scramble in defence, they will be hard to beat and the Tigers will have little show on Saturday.

The Tigers will not be bringing their Kiwi halfback sensation Benji Marshall to Ericsson because he is studying for his Higher School Certificate exams.

But their success with the 17-year-old Whakatane-born Marshall has no doubt contributed to the west Sydney club's announcement of a partnership with his school, Keebra Park State High, and the local Runaway Bay junior league.

Warriors: Brent Webb, Henry Fa'afili, Vinnie Anderson, Clinton Toopi, Francis Meli, Thomas Leuluai, Stacey Jones, Iafeta Palea'aesina, Tevita Latu, Richard Villasanti, Ali Lauiti'iti, Awen Guttenbeil (c), Sione Faumuina; interchange, Vince Mellars, Mark Tookey, Karl Te Mata, Logan Swann.

Wests Tigers: Robert Miles, Trent Clayton, John Wilson, Mark O'Halloran, Luke Covell, Daniel Fitzhenry, Lincoln Withers, Corey Pearson, Robert Mears, Anthony Laffranchi, Mark O'Neill, Willie Manu, Dale Halatau; interchange, Chris Patterson, Chris Heighington, Patrick Gibbs, Nick Bradley-Qualilawa, John Skandalis (one to be omitted).

NRL points table and fixtures