League: Warriors looking to contain cowboys’ offload threat

Nathan Fien

Hooker Nathan Fien says the New Zealand Warriors will need to contain North Queensland's offloading threat when the two sides meet in the National Rugby League (NRL) in Auckland on Sunday.

The Cowboys' Kiwis front rower Paul Rauhihi is noted as a prolific offloader, and Fien said promising interchange prop Shane Tronc also had ability in that area.

"They've both got the skills where they can offload the football," Fien said.

"That's very dangerous because the Cowboys have guys like (fullback) Matt Bowen and (hooker) Aaron Payne sniffing around the ruck who can take advantage of any little holes that are created by those offloads."

Fien has inside knowledge of North Queensland, after having played 91 first-grade matches over five seasons at the club.

He was a part of the Cowboys' first appearance in the NRL playoffs last year, before he moved to the Warriors in the summer.

"I'm very much looking forward to running out against my old side," he said.

"We're both in the same boat at the moment - one win and one loss - so it's a pretty important game in those terms."

North Queensland did the double over the Warriors last year, and Fien said his new teammates were expecting nothing but a tough contest on Sunday.

He agreed that the Cowboys' performances last season, when they got to within one game of the grand final, showed they had shaken off the tag as one of the competition's easybeats.

The confidence built up from the run in the playoffs had continued into this campaign, he said.

After an opening round 16-29 loss to Brisbane, the Cowboys came back to upset reigning champions the Bulldogs 24-12 last weekend.

"They went with the Broncos for 70 minutes before a bit of Darren Lockyer magic put them out of the game, and they then knocked off the premiers," Fien said.

"We are definitely not pencilling in this game as one where we've got a win."

He said front rower Ruben Wiki, who is beginning a four-match suspension for a careless high tackle during their 24-12 win over the Broncos, would be a big loss for the Warriors, but one he was confident the club could overcome.

Wiki's replacement, Iafeta Paleaaesina, was bubbling with enthusiasm at being a starting prop again, while there was still plenty of experience with the likes skipper Steve Price and halfback Stacey Jones.

"I don't think it's going to be too much of an issue," Fien said of Wiki's unavailability.

"At the end of the day, we're a professional side. We all know our jobs and if we can each play our role we should do well."

Against Brisbane, Fien saw Jones show a return to some of his form of old as he took the ball to the line more, scored a solo try that sealed the result and landed six goals.

Fien said he and Jones had benefitted from the platform laid by the forwards in both matches so far.

He also felt the extra option provided by five-eighth Jerome Ropati's running game against the Broncos and his own kicking from dummy half had taken some of the pressure off Jones.

- NZPA