League: Six is a devil to fill

The Kiwis aren't the only ones struggling for depth at five-eighths, with the Warriors also on the lookout for a No 6 for 2007.

They started the season with Sione Faumuina in the position, hoping he would develop into a long-term option, but soon reverted to Jerome Ropati.

But coach Ivan Cleary said "the jury is still out" on Ropati as a five-eighths and the club is understood to be searching for an alternative in Australia.

Ropati's future is not under threat, with the 21-year-old having proven a handy centre. The departure of Clinton Toopi at the end of the season leaves an opening there.

"I'm not sure if he's the man for the future," Cleary said. "He's shown some good signs but he's a little inconsistent. I think he has the ability to do it but I guess the jury is still out on him [as a five-eighths]."

The Warriors are keen to develop homegrown players in the key positions of the halves, hooker and fullback but will look to Australia in the short term.

Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said given the depth in the forwards, the club was focusing efforts on the make-up of the backs.

"We have around 19 or 20 players [of the squad of 25] already pencilled in or set in stone for next season," Scurrah said. "We have four to six spots up for grabs and they are the most critical so we are reviewing all our options.

"These will be made up from a combination of new players from our development system, options with current squad members unsigned and who is available on the market."

Brent Webb, Awen Guttenbeil, Evarn Tuimavave, Epalahame Lauaki and George Tuakura are all coming off contract at the end of the season.

It looks increasingly likely Webb will be replaced by Parramatta's Wade McKinnon, while Guttenbeil has also been told he can look for another club.

Negotiations with Tuimavave and Lauaki have stalled while their agent, Jim Banaghan, is in the UK. But Banaghan said the club had withdrawn its offer for Tuimavave after he was given a day to accept one on the table.

"We were told it was a once-only offer for 24 hours," Banaghan said. "Evarn has interest from all over the world and if the Warriors aren't smart, they will lose him because Evarn will have more homes to go to than [club owner] Eric Watson."

Today Ropati lines up against one of the game's best five-eighths, Brisbane's Darren Lockyer.

"Lockyer's the benchmark," Ropati said. "I've been watching a lot of clips of him and he's phenomenal."

If he can shut down Lockyer, the Warriors will have a chance and Ropati will have a better chance of convincing doubters he can be a long-term No 6.