NRL: Cleary keeps winning team

Ivan Cleary. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand Warriors coach Ivan Cleary has rewarded the players who upset the Melbourne Storm on Monday by naming an unchanged squad for their National Rugby League match against the Penrith Panthers in Auckland on Sunday.

The Warriors produced their best performance of the season on Anzac Day in Melbourne to down the Storm 18-14 at AAMI Park. Cleary has opted for the same 17 players despite a short turnaround for the side.

The Warriors will be out to claim their fourth win in five matches when they take the field at Mt Smart Stadium with Cleary buoyed by the side's improvement against the Storm after an inconsistent start to the season.

"We needed to improve in a lot of areas against Melbourne and we did," said Cleary.

"While the win was satisfying, just as encouraging was the overall performance, especially the way we defended and the way we were able to finish our sets.

"It was a high-quality game with exceptionally high completion rates from both sides.

"But now we have a short lead-in time before meeting the Panthers. They're always dangerous opponents with the talent they have in their squad and, once again, we'll have to prepare really well."

The Panthers, who said yesterday they planned to split with their coach of five years, Matt Elliott, at the end of the season, lost 20-10 to Manly on Friday night and lie 14th on the competition table.

The Warriors are ninth after their third win. Penrith have a two wins-five losses record.

* Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has kept faith in his players, retaining the same lineup for Saturday night's clash with Newcastle.

Bellamy was bitterly disappointed by his side's first-half defensive effort in their loss to the Warriors.

But the coach has given his players another chance to prove themselves in successive matches at home.

The Storm trailed 18-10 at halftime against the Warriors in an uncharacteristically sloppy effort, with a number of players falling off tackles and dropping balls.

- NZPA

WARRIORS
Lance Hohaia
Kevin Locke
Lewis Brown
S Mannering (c)
Krisnan Inu
James Maloney
Brett Seymour
Sam Rapira
Aaron Heremaia
Jacob Lillyman
Feleti Mateo
Elijah Taylor
Michael Luck

PANTHERS
Michael Gordon
David Simmons
Michael Jennings
Timana Tahu
Brad Tighe
Travis Burns
Luke Walsh
Sarafu Fatiaki
Nigel Plum
Trent Waterhouse
P Civoniceva (c)
Kevin Kingston
Tim Grant

Warriors: Alehana Mara, Ben Matulino, Ukuma Ta'ai, Russell Packer.

Panthers: Nafe Seluini, Matthew Bell, Yileen Gordon, Sam McKendry, Adrian Purtell.