KEY POINTS:
The Warriors go to Cronulla in round 14 of the NRL tonight in search of resurrection and redemption and, by happy coincidence, it was in this game in round 14 last year that they found both.
At this stage in 2007 the Warriors had won four and lost eight including the last six in a row and it seemed all hope of a playoff spot was gone.
This year they have won five, lost seven but the huge points-conceded total is suggesting their defence is not strong enough to carry them into the finals, let alone go anywhere once there.
The Warriors won 12-2 in Cronulla last year, after being beaten 22-20 by the Sharks at Mt Smart in what was the start of that six-loss run.
So they may take some comfort from that and from the fact they have won eight, lost nine in all contests between the clubs.
They should also get a boost with the inclusion of winning Queenslanders Steve Price and Brent Tate in the squad.
Conversely, the Sharks' New South Wales duo Greg Bird and Paul Gallen must lift after the disappointment of the 30-0 thrashing on Wednesday night.
They have lost prop Adam Peek for three weeks with a medial ligament strain so Luke Douglas starts and Blake Green comes on to a five-man bench but otherwise field much the same team that has won four of the last five games.
The Warriors switch Lance Hohaia back to fullback where he has been comfortable and he will resume the goal-kicking duties, Patrick Ah Van shunted back to their five-man bench.
The backs have shown sufficient attacking prowess to suggest they could carry the team to victory - but which forward pack will turn up, the one that can't make ground and is error-prone or one with power and a good completion rate?
The dismal loss to Souths can be down to just one factor and it was identified by their coach Ivan Cleary earlier this season in relation to their frailty away from home - it's upstairs, a mental issue.
At 14-0 up they should never have let Souths back into the game.
Their 28 points at the end should have been enough to win and would be enough to win a majority of games - if the defence was up to NRL standard.
Tonight, the Sharks will bring a rugged confrontational style up front, complemented by Brett Kimmorley's long raking kicks for territory and his pin-point chips and bombs when they are closer to the line. They will have noted the Warriors' inability to cover the kicks from Souths and are sure to employ the kick-chase to the in-goal.
The Warriors cannot afford to gift them easy metres on kick-return or early in the tackle count, or they will get on a roll that will put Kimmorley within range.
To that end the veteran Logan Swann comes back after two weeks out specifically to tighten the defence in the middle.
It will not be surprising to see coach Cleary elect to give the teenage Ben Matulino a run ahead of long-server Wairangi Koopu. Matulino, 19, offers a tackling style that staples opponents in half and drives them backwards. At least that's what he's been doing in under-20s.
The coaching staff have no doubt Matulino can reproduce that form at top level.
Koopu was also named to join Lauaki and Ryan Shortland in the Auckland Vulcans, who are eighth in the 12-team New South Wales Cup competition, as they play fourth-placed Wentworthville.
Also named for the Vulcans is Michael Witt who has not played since he slipped while kicking for goal a month ago.
