League: Warriors should keep on a roll against lowly Souths

The Warriors get the chance to roll South Sydney tomorrow. Victory would secure three consecutive wins for the first time since 2003, which should be sufficient motivation.

But it is likely to be the last season that the hapless Rabbitohs are seen as the competition low-lights.

The Warriors have won 12 of the 15 contests between the sides since 1995 and beat Souths 46-14 at Mt Smart Stadium in round seven this season. Now, in round 16, Souths have just the one win this year, against a depleted Broncos team.

The Warriors, meanwhile, have hit a rare patch of form and if they play as they have the past few weekends they should win comfortably.

Souths have lost outside back Adam MacDougall to suspension, and prop Scott Geddes and several lesser-lights to injury. They do not have the talent or depth to match the Warriors.

Next year will be a different story. Souths signed Eels utility Dean Widders to a three-year deal this week after securing internationals Nigel Vagana and David Kidwell and the club is talking with Kiwis prop Roy Asotasi. They have other targets, too, but part-owner Peter Holmes a Court said the focus was now switching to player retention. Eight of this year's side remain unsigned for next year.

One-quarter of the juniors in Souths' catchment area are Aboriginal and Widders is seen as a role model for them, as is Anthony Mundine who has been hired as Aboriginal community liaison officer.

Vagana is seen as bringing nous to the backs and Kidwell staunchness to the forwards. Souths will have an all-Kiwis back row next year with Kidwell joining Joe Galuvao and David Fa'alogo.

Off the field, a group of eight including former Souths and Warriors hooker Jason Death this week announced they would run a ticket against the board of the South Sydney League Club in a bid to end the hold of veteran Souths campaigner George Piggins.

The league club used to support the football club financially but it has struggled in recent years and has not made any grant to the Rabbitohs since 1993. This year, the league club has been losing A$96,000 ($115,500) a month and is selling its poker machines and licences to make ends meet.

Holmes a Court is not one of the eight new candidates standing under the banner Redfern Unity 2008 but they support him, and vice versa. If elected at the annual general meeting on July 30 the group aims to invest to revamp the Souths building, adding a leisure centre and training facilities, commercial space that would be leased, bettter bar facilities and a Hall of Fame. The aim is to generate profit that would allow A$1 million a year to be granted to the football club.

"If we are successful in winning this vote I can confidently say that South Sydney will have the best facilities of their kind in rugby league," Holmes a Court said. "Our goal is to turn the league club into a profitable organisation that can put money back into the community and football club shortly after being up and running again in 2008."

The primary job for the Warriors tomorrow is to start hard and fast so Souths do not get early points, get their tails up and start running hot. The Warriors have let this happen to them in previously, either losing or making unnecessarily hard work of a win.

Then the visitors need to remain committed for the full 80 minutes.

Of interest is the improving kicking game from Grant Rovelli and Nathan Fien and the improving confidence of those two and Jerome Ropati in running the game.

The Warriors have dropped to last on the NRL's crowd averages and Souths are third-last. Both average about 9000 compared with a league average of about 15,000. The Olympic Stadium has offered a free ticket to anyone who turns up tomorrow with a New Zealand passport.

* The NRL referees' boss, Robert Finch, has stopped video referees from advising on incidents in general play after noticing players deliberately slowing the game in the hope of getting reversal of decisions after TV replays.

* Stadium Australia, 5pm tomorrow

NZ WARRIORS

Brent Webb
Patrick Ah Van
Tony Martin
Simon Mannering
Manu Vatuvei
Jerome Ropati
Grant Rovelli
Ruben Wiki
Nathan Fien
Steve Price
Awen Guttenbeil
Louis Anderson
Sione Faumuina

SOUTH SYDNEY

David Peachey
Nathan Merritt
Todd Polglase
Luke MacDougall
Paul Mellor
John Sutton
Ben Walker
Peter Cusack (c)
Shane Walker
M. Manukuafoa
David Fa'alogo
Mark Minichiello
Shane Rigon

Interchange:

Warriors: Lance Hohaia, Evarn Tuimavave, Wairangi Koopu, Michael Luck.

South Sydney: Jaiman Lowe, Stuart Webb, Ben Rogers, Joe Galuvao.