NRL: Luck will be key to Warriors' fortunes

The Warriors will be counting on Michael Luck to lead the rebuilding effort. Photo / Getty Images

No prizes for guessing what the Warriors have been working on this week.

After slumping to an embarrassing 50-6 hammering by the Tigers in Sydney last Friday night, the preparations for the visit of the table-topping Dragons have been all about defence.

That's D-fence with a capital D. A fence would probably come in handy too, against a Dragons side boasting the competition's third-most-prolific attack, but the Warriors will have to settle for the next best thing - tackling machine Micheal Luck.

An infected hand meant the back rower was forced to sit out a defeat by the Tigers that narrowly missed going into the record books for all the wrong reasons.

Luck stayed home and watched the game on television. He enjoyed the first 30 minutes. The Warriors were dominant in defence, winning the wrestles and their linespeed was good.

In the blink of an eye all that fell apart. The structure collapsed, individuals became isolated and the rampant Tigers ripped them to pieces.

Luck will be expected to lead the rebuilding effort.

"You always struggle to defend good attacks when you are defending individually," he said. "The best way to defend is as a team and as a unit. We've been working hard this week to make sure everyone is on the same page.

"I've been involved in games like that both on the giving and receiving side. It just seems like quicksand for one team. The harder you try the worse you go. I suppose we just have to take lessons out of it.

"The best way to do it is to make sure you have got an even share of the ball, and when you've got it be effective with it. You can't just go through the motions and complete your sets, you've got to challenge defences."

The return of Manu Vatuvei and James Maloney will certainly help on that score. Vatuvei won't win many awards for his defensive skills, but his effectiveness with the ball helps keep opposing teams at bay.

Maloney is a nuggety defender who also possesses the sharpness of foot to keep defenders honest.

But the Warriors are without key playmaker Brett Seymour - sidelined again with a fractured leg - and senior prop Sam Rapira.

By contrast the Dragons boast a galaxy of superstars. Few pundits are giving the Warriors any chance. The TAB has given the home side a 7.5-point start.

"It's a big challenge but one that I personally enjoy," Luck said. "The Dragons are consistent, they are clinical, they know their strengths and they play to them. They roll forward in numbers and they have got a lot of strike.

"They are a side you know are going to come out and complete 30 sets, kick-chase well and defend well. It's our challenge to do the same, match them and get over the top of them.

"We have got to be prepared to be in an arm wrestle the whole game."

Warriors fans would probably settle for just that, regardless of the result.

Last week the Dragons blanked the star-studded Eels 30-0. They have won 11 of 15 matches between the sides including a 29-4 victory in the corresponding fixture last season.

It may be far from an ideal situation to be blooding a new five-eighth but Luck has full confidence that Isaac John, who makes his fourth NRL start and first of the season in place of Seymour, will be up to the job.

"Isaac's a pretty confident young guy. He's been around the group for quite a number of years now. He knows the plays, the calls and the sets back to front."

WARRIORS v DRAGONS
Mt Smart Stadium, 2pm, Sunday

WARRIORS
Lance Hohaia
Kevin Locke
Brent Tate
Jerome Ropati
Manu Vatuvei
Isaac John
James Maloney
Jesse Royal
Aaron Heremaia
Russell Packer
S. Mannering (c)
Ukuma Ta'ai
Micheal Luck

DRAGONS
Darius Boyd
Brett Morris
Beau Scott
Matt Cooper
Jason Nightingale
Jamie Soward
Ben Hornby (c)
Matt Prior
Luke Priddis
Michael Weyman
Neville Costigan
Ben Creagh
Dean Young.

INTERCHANGE
Warriors: Ian Henderson, Ben Matulino, Jeremy Latimore, Lewis Brown, Sione Lousi (one to be omitted).

Dragons: Jon Green, Jarrod Saffy, Trent Merrin, Michael Greenfield, Kyle Stanley (one to be omitted).