NRL: New Zealand Warriors ready for crucial stretch

Blake Ayshford of the Warriors. Photo / Getty

The Warriors hope to overcome the Canterbury Bulldogs at Mt Smart Stadium tomorrow night in the first stage of an important three-week block that could prove crucial to their NRL finals hopes.

Coming off the bye round after their last-start 34-12 away win over the Gold Coast, the Warriors are sitting in 11th position on the premiership ladder and just two points outside the top eight.

Centre Blake Ayshford says the Warriors must bank six more competition points by clinching results over the 12th placed Bulldogs and fifth-ranked Sea Eagles in next week's long-haul away clash in Perth, before enjoying their second bye in round 18.

"If we win these next two (going) into the bye this little block will be very important to us," said Ayshford.

"I know I'm happy we've got the bye after Perth because that's a long trip but we'll focus on these next two games really hard and try and make a climb up the ladder."

The 157 game veteran needs no reminding of the fact the Warriors have faded out of finals contention in each of the last five seasons but is at a loss to explain the worrying trend.

He laments another poor start to their campaign in which they managed just six wins from 14 games and says it's imperative they capitalise on their next two assignments to help them make up some lost ground.

"We haven't started too crash hot again," he said. "We've won enough games to stay in touch but you look at games where you should have won that possibly might cost us in the end.

"So these next two are the important ones to get back on track - that's six points with the bye - so these next three weeks will be really important to the season."

The Bulldogs will have New South Wales State of Origin forward pair Josh Jackson and David Klemmer backing up from Wednesday night's game two defeat to Queensland but will be without wing Brett Morris who was ruled out yesterday after suffering a knee injury in the ANZ Stadium clash.

The visitors are desperate to back up their gritty round 14 16-2 win over the Dragons after losing their previous four matches and will rate their chances against the Warriors after claiming a 24-12 win in their round three match in Dunedin.

Warriors five-eighth Kieran Foran is expected to be given until the last minute to prove he has overcome a quad injury before taking his place against the Des Hasler coached outfit he will join next season.

Coach Stephen Kearney wants his side to once again play to their potential and build on their six tries to-three win against the Titans but expects the Bulldogs to provide a typically tough assignment.

"We keep mentioning about having consistency in our process and how we go about things and we're pretty clear about what works for us and it's about making sure that we prepare to perform that way," said Kearney.

"What I do know about the Bulldogs is they have always been a tough football club and they're a team full of tough individuals, with the likes of James Graham and Klemmer and Tolman.

"They're a tough footy team and that's what we're preparing for and we know if we get our process right then we give ourselves a great chance."

The Warriors' winning percentage from 2013-2017:

* Pre-Origin - 53 games, 20 wins, 37.74 per cent, 15th
* During Origin - 27 games, 20 wins, 74.07 per cent, 1st
* Post-Origin - 30 games, 8 wins, 26.67 per cent, 16th