KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Warriors' biggest signing for 2008 says he's confident he's over the knee injury which ruined most of his 2007 National Rugby League (NRL) season.
Brent Tate has played just once - in a pre-season loss against Manly in Sydney on February 29 - since injuring his knee during the third State of Origin game last season .
But the Kangaroo and State of Origin back said getting through the Manly game had given him huge confidence going into the club's first NRL match for 2008 on Monday.
"I was pretty relieved really. It was a weight off my shoulders that I got that first game out of the way," he said.
"It's been a long hard road but I think now I'm starting to feel a real knee again, which is a nice feeling being a footy player when you go out to train. It's just starting to feel normal again."
Tate said the team took a lot of positives out of the loss against Manly but admitted he faced a tough task in his first NRL match for the Warriors, against last year's premiers, the Melbourne Storm.
"They're deservedly favourites again, I think they're a great team," Tate said.
"I don't think there's any tougher assignment than Melbourne in Melbourne so it's going to be a huge test for us but it's one that we're looking forward to and I guess it's a good chance to see where we're at so early.
"We've prepared really well and we'll keep preparing this week for the game and we're confident going to Melbourne."
Tate will play at right centre, inside Patrick Ah Van, with coach Ivan Cleary choosing NRL debutant Aidan Kirk to fill the massive void left for the season behind them at fullback by the injury to Wade McKinnon.
The Warriors lengthened in betting for the season with McKinnon's injury but Tate said Kirk was handling the pressure well.
"It's just been another week in training for him," Tate said.
"He'll be definitely pretty nervous I think but he'll handle it, he's got a fair bit of experience in Premier League and he's trained really well this year.
"He'll only get better with confidence and obviously Ivan's very confident in him, as all the guys are. All we need him to do is give 100 per cent and that's all you can ask for."
Tate arrived in Auckland the moment the Brisbane Broncos, his only previous club, exited the NRL last season.
He said his brother-in-law Steven Price has helped him settle into Auckland but he said the club's off-the-field systems were just as comforting.
" The club's a really professional outfit from the front office right down to the coaching staff," he said.
"I've come from a really professional club like Brisbane so to come to a club like this which is right up there as well is something that's made it really easy for me. "
The Warriors had a very good 2007, qualifying fourth before losing both playoff matches to Parramatta and North Queensland, and Price said there was high expectation for the club in 2008.
"Mentally we're a lot stronger. The Warriors have always been known to lose games from brain explosions, but I think last year we put that to bed a little bit," he said earlier this week.
"Our biggest challenge is to back up what we did last year. The Warriors' history has been a bit of a heart beat - there's been a bit of success, there's also been some terribly low lows, and I think that's the biggest thing that our challenge is going forward."
Price said earlier in the week that the team wasn't scared by Melbourne's reputation.
"We've got the premiers from last year first up, and they're exactly that - they're last year's premiers, not this year's premiers."
- NZPA
