NRL: Enthusiasm key for under-strength Warriors

Warriors second row Lewis brown stood out in last week’s dramatic win over the Bulldogs. Photo / Greg Bowker

The New Zealand Warriors' forwards will again look to bolster their lack of National Rugby League experience with plenty of enthusiasm when they take on Penrith in Auckland on Sunday.

With Steve Price, Micheal Luck and skipper Simon Mannering still on the injury list, the Warriors will field for the second week a starting pack and an interchange bench of four forwards containing no one with 100 first-grade appearances.

The same 10 players were able to do the business in a thriller against the Bulldogs last weekend, with a try to five-eighth Lance Hohaia in the last play of the game securing a 30-24 victory.

The decisive score was set up by second rower Lewis Brown, who had been pushed out to centre because of injury to winger Manu Vatuvei and whose kick ahead rebounded off opposition fullback Luke Patten and back to him to pass to Hohaia.

Brown said today that, with so many experienced players unavailable, he and the rest of the forwards knew they had to step up.

"I know I'm going to have to do it again on Sunday because we're still down on troops," he said.

"It's just the enthusiasm we young forwards have got. We just want to get the job done for the boys. We know we're down on guys but we're not down on heart."

Christchurch-born Brown, 23, has just 19 matches to his name in an NRL career that began last year.

Having arrived at the Warriors as a hooker, he was converted into a second rower and his performances there have led the club to extend his contract for two more seasons until the end of 2012.

Brown said the switch from hooker was a significant one and having former Kiwi second rower Tony Iro as assistant to coach Ivan Cleary had helped in the learning process.

"Both Ivan and Tony have really emphasised passing the ball and that's added a dimension to my game and to the game of the other backrowers," he said.

"As you can see, we're throwing the ball around a bit more and I think it's working for us."

For Brown, the big goal now was consistency.

He was happy with the way he had started the season, but a one-match ban for a dangerous throw set him back and he felt below par when he returned for the home defeat to Manly two rounds ago.

"I got suspended and that rattled me and I lost a bit of confidence in myself," he said.

"Having a week off really hurt me and I was a little flat against Manly. I knew I needed a big one against the Bulldogs to get the confidence back."

For all his late heroics against the Bulldogs, Brown had been fearful minutes earlier that he was in line for the chop after bombing a try.

With the scores locked at 24-24 and time running out, he lost ball as he was transferring it from one hand to other in the act of scoring.

"Ivan's pet hate is someone dropping the ball in front of the line," Brown said.

"I definitely thought I was going to be in reserve grade this week if I didn't come up with something big to redeem myself. Luckily I got the chance to do it."

- NZPA