McKinnon keeps it calm during return to top form

He's back in form and back in the starting line-up - but Wade McKinnon isn't entirely back to his old self.

The fullback is doing plenty of the things that helped make his name at the Warriors in a sparkling 2007 season. He's running great support channels, bouncing out of tackles and shutting down threats at the back with a mixture of solid defence and astute positional play.

The long-range breaks and tries haven't come yet, but there are signs they could be close. There is just one aspect of McKinnon that has resurfaced only in the briefest of flashes this season - his temper.

He hasn't spat near any match officials, hasn't even shouted at them much. McKinnon has worked hard at his on-field discipline, but a subdued 2009 season begged the question whether he needed to be on the red line to produce his A-game.

Mercifully for the NRL referees, it appears he doesn't. There've been no signs of the petulance that got him a three-match ban for spitting near touch judge Brett Sutton against Penrith in late 2008.

"Obviously I did have some issues with some calls that I didn't think were the right calls," McKinnon says of past blow-ups.

"I spoke with [coach] Ivan [Cleary] and he wanted me to just control my temper a bit because it affects the team. That was something I worked on and I'm pretty happy with how it's going.

"Every time I go out there I go out to play my best and give my all. Whether I'm angry or not angry I'm still trying my best."

As for last season, McKinnon is as keen as the rest of his teammates to put it behind him.

"It probably wasn't my best season but it is difficult when the team isn't having the best season. But that's last year, I don't know why we're talking about that."

It would be easy to chalk this year's improvement up to losing his starting spot to Lance Hohaia but McKinnon insists the demotion hasn't been a spur.

"I don't really know. I just want to play. The coach started me on the bench. My motivation wasn't about my spot, my motivation is about the team and to win."

Just as he struggled to perform in a poor Warriors side, McKinnon credits this year's revival to an improvement across the board. There's no doubt he has been a beneficiary of the renewed emphasis on keeping the ball alive on attack.

The Warriors lead the league in tackle-breaks (223) and offloads (93), and rank second in line-breaks (28).

"It does make it easier. That's the sort of game I like to play, when the ball's getting thrown around and stuff. The more it's getting thrown around the more opportunity I'll have."

Those opportunities should be plentiful enough tomorrow against a Penrith side that has also produced some outstanding attacking play this season.

The teams could hardly be more evenly matched. Both boast a 3-2 record, while the Warriors have scored six more points and conceded two fewer.

Centre Jerome Ropati is likely to be recalled to the side, with Joel Moon reverting to the bench.

Hooker Ian Henderson, who made an impressive return from injury against the Bulldogs last week, could be the player to drop out of the 17.

Jeremy Latimore, one of the larger props on the Warriors' books, may also be thrust into the starting line-up to counteract the Panthers' size advantage in the opening exchanges.

Cleary said he doubted the Panthers would try to follow the successful blueprint for winning at Mt Smart created by a Manly side that kept things tight and slowly squeezed the Warriors out of the match.

"If they want to change their game it might be a bonus for us. I don't know how they're going to play, I assume they're going to play to their strengths."

If they do, it will be an engaging contest but the Warriors won't want a repeat of last year's classic match, when they coughed up a 32-6 lead to draw 32-32 in Penrith.