League: Coach hoping for better play from winning team

Steve Price is back in the front row. Picture / Brett Phibbs.

The Warriors have retained a winning team for their match against the Knights at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday.

Steve Price returns to the front row after tonight's State of Origin game but otherwise it is the side that beat the Roosters, although coach Ivan Cleary is hoping for a better performance.

It will be Price's 250th premiership game and he is the 50th player to reach that mark, a few weeks after Ruben Wiki became the 49th.

The Knights come off the bye last weekend. Eight teams have won this season after having the break and six have lost.

Blues captain Danny Buderus and second rower Steve Simpson will back up after Origin.

The Knights have only fullback Milton Thaiday on their injured list. But they have specialist fullback David Seage back in the one jersey after he strained his hamstring in round 11, allowing Kurt Gidley to shift back to five-eighth.

Josh Perry and Clint Newton are elevated from the bench and Adam Woolnough and fill-in five-eighth Todd Lowrie go back to it.

"For the first time in weeks we're not scrambling to fill specialist positions, which should give us an ideal preparation," said Knights coach Michael Hagan.

NZ Warriors

Brent Webb, Patrick Ah Van, Tony Martin, Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei, Jerome Ropati, Grant Rovelli, Ruben Wiki, Nathan Fien, Steve Price (c), Awen Guttenbeil, Louis Anderson, Sione Faumuina,

Interchange: Lance Hohaia, Evarn Tuimavave, Wairangi Koopu, Micheal Luck. Sam Rapira and Clinton Toopi on standby.

Knights

David Seage, Brian Carney, Matt Gidley, George Carmont, Anthony Quinn, Kurt Gidley, Andrew Johns (c), Craig Smith, Danny Buderus, Josh Perry, Steve Simpson, Clint Newton, Reegan Tanner,

Interchange: Luke Davico, Adam Woolnough, Todd Lowrie, Riley Brown, Kirk Reynoldson 18th man.

* Mt Smart Stadium, 2pm Sunday

* Nigel Vagana is rumoured to have agreed on terms to shift to Souths, who are also chasing his Kiwis teammates David Kidwell and Roy Asotasi.

* The Roosters will not release Iosaia Soliola for the test in England despite allowing Adrian Morley to play for Great Britain. The difference was explained as being Morley's reward for "long and loyal" service, as opposed to releasing Soliola being viewed as "irresponsible" given the club's lowly position in the competition.