League: New boys on attack for Warriors

The Warriors will be looking to re-establish themselves as a fearsome team to take on at home when they meet Manly at revamped Ericsson Stadium tomorrow.

Fans have good cause to be optimistic that their side can turn around the poor form of last season, not least because of the buy-in players.

New captain Steve Price is likely to be second Warrior to touch the ball from the first kick-off they receive, and he'll want to bend the Manly line, dent the opposition forwards and show his troops the way to the try-line.

Second value buy Ruben Wiki will take the ball up twice in some sets, and in practice no one has bashed the tacklers as Wiki has.

Age 32, you wouldn't want to tell him he's running on old legs, and those pumping thighs sure don't look tired. As others held tackle bags this week, he was the only player to bust through every time.

You would not expect players like Price and Wiki to drop the ball, especially close to their own or the opposition line.

The off-loads should be more measured this season because of the steadying of the attack these two will provide. Crippling mistakes should be fewer.

Wiki is as fast as any prop in the competition and offers scoring ability from 30 to 40 metres out. Price will gain consistent metres early in the tackle count.

In Richard Villasanti, Karl Temata, Iafeta Paleaaesina, Evarn Tuimavave and George Tuakura - who has been training with the squad after impressing for the President's Selection against them - the Warriors have heavy competition for bench back-up to the big-buy duo.

Nathan Fien can be expected to speed up and improve the delivery of the ball from dummy-half. A hooker in his junior football, he was a capable halfback for the Cowboys last season and has a good field-kicking game, acceleration from the mark and a nice pass.

Stacey Jones will benefit from that, with quicker delivery of the ball and options for last-tackle kicker. Jones has looked sharper and quicker in pre-season, with more willingness to go to the line and smarter timing in holding the ball up for support players.

He is clearly keen to accept responsibility for helping to reverse the form slide of last season, having put his hand up to do the goal-kicking. In pre-season he has been achieving 75 per cent and coach Tony Kemp has told him he expects 80 per cent.

Former fullback Ivan Cleary has been helping with technique and routine, using video to analyse Jones' approach. Senior players Price, Wiki and Jones have all said they feel well prepared by the pre-season build-up that focused on improving aerobic fitness levels to equip them to play out the 80 minutes.

Price said training with the Army at Waiouru was different, more challenging than anything he'd done. "I hope I never have to go there again," he joked. Tests suggest the players are leaner, fitter.

Kemp said he'd placed a good deal of emphasis on seniority in the team and the first-game selection included only two players with fewer than 50 games - Jerome Ropati and Louis Anderson.

He expected to beat Manly "all across the park" if the 17 played to their potential. The fans will be expecting that too. Do the old "man-against-man" test of which players from the Sea Eagles you'd like in the Warriors' ranks and only Steve Menzies would make it.

Defeat is unthinkable. A low-scoring close victory will not be a victory.

Ericsson Stadium, tomorrow, 2pm

WARRIORS
Brent Webb
Todd Byrne
Tony Martin
Clinton Toopi
Francis Meli
Lance Hohaia
Stacey Jones
Ruben Wiki
Nathan Fien
Steve Price (c)
Wairangi Koopu
Awen Guttenbeil
Monty Betham

Reserves: Jerome Ropati, Iafeta Paleaaesina, Louis Anderson, Richard Villasanti

MANLY
Brett Stewart
Scott Donald
Terry Hill
Paul Stephenson
John Hopoate
Michael Witt
M. Monaghan (c)
Brent Kite
Shayne Dunley
Jason King
Steve Menzies
Sam Harris
Ben Kennedy
Reserves: Luke Williamson, Anthony Watmough, Daniel Heckenberg, Kylie Leuluai, Chad Randall