Rugby League: When Ali changed tack

By PETER JESSUP

The Warriors were stunned when Ali Lauitiiti went on Sky Television and claimed he wanted to stay with the club, because that's the exact opposite of what he had said to them just minutes earlier.

In his last meeting with the management, Lauitiiti made it clear he was out of the scene. He was challenged as to whether he had a problem with the coach and replied "No."

The message was that he and wife Janina wanted to do their OE.

Lauitiiti's message to fans that he wanted to stay in Auckland was not the one he delivered to his bosses.

He appears set to join English club Wigan, where his co-manager Frank Endacott coached for a year after he exited the Warriors, on a contract worth near twice what he is being paid now.

The rest of the squad have made it clear they are committed to turning around the miserable season.

The team named yesterday to play the Melbourne Storm at Ericsson on Sunday include Awen Guttenbeil, back as captain, and under-pressure halfback Stacey Jones.

Tony Martin partners Clinton Toopi as left wing after the experiment with him and Franics Meli shifting sides of the field failed to produce the required result.

Senior Warriors players, including Jones, have spoken to coach Daniel Anderson to reassert their loyalty to the club and to express personal commitment to better effort.

Jones told the coach he wanted him to know that he would battle through the present problems and give his all throughout the year.

Jerry Seuseu, Guttenbeil and Monty Betham had expressed similar sentiments.

Clinton Toopi said after Monday's training that the session was the best he had had this year.

"So that's taken a little bit of pressure off him personally," Anderson said.

"Totally," was Anderson's one-word response to a query as to whether he was confident he still had talent to win a premiership.

He has spoken to the full squad and asked for thoughts or comments on Lauitiiti's release or other issues, inviting anyone with queries or concerns to address them.

Chief executive Mick Watson said yesterday that there were no further changes planned, and again underlined that Anderson's job was not under threat, contrary to rumour and speculation.

He said there were no problems between the players and Anderson. Lauitiiti's release frees up a considerable sum of money which the Warriors will take into the market after the anti-tampering deadline expires on June 30.

It's likely the money will be spent on tough Australians to bolster the defence in the middle of the park and to marshall and boost performance under pressure.

Lauitiiti's inability to convince management and team-mates of his desire again underlines the queries about Polynesian mental application that have persisted at the Warriors every year since their inception.

They're not short of flashy off-loaders.

What they need are players who start when the hooter goes, not at halftime; players who can tough out the grinding sections of games; players who can bring composure, vision and execution under the defensive hammer or when hot on attack.

Lauitiiti's departure was not a catalyst for motivation against the Storm, Anderson said. He felt some change was coming from within the squad anyway.

"There may still be a little bit of self-doubt there because we haven't been winning, but I can see they have been trying." The Storm have lost backrower Peter Robinson with a knee strain. Last week's bench player, Danny Williams, is expected to step up to start.

Alex Chan is in doubt after being put on report for a high shot on Michael Luck during their win over North Queensland.

His replacement would be Rodney Howe, who redeemed himself in reserve grade after a bad run of form.

Chan will be able to play only if the club opts to fight the charge and he is found not guilty tonight.

Warriors draw and results - 2004 NRL

Other NRL fixtures and points table