NRL: Price given all-clear to lead Warriors

Warriors captain Steve Price has fully recovered from a blow to the throat and will lead the team against the Roosters. Photo / Getty Images

Skipper Steve Price has been given the all-clear to lead the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League this weekend, ending two weeks of frustration.

Price said today that a specialist had confirmed his availability to face the Sydney Roosters in Auckland on Sunday. The prop received an accidental blow to his throat in the round-two win over Manly last month.

He played the following weekend in the defeat to Brisbane, but was stood down for the subsequent losses to South Sydney and Newcastle.

"It's frustrating sitting out, no matter what the result is on the field," he said.

"I hate missing footy games and I've just felt helpless over the last couple of weeks. It impacts even more when you lose. You wonder what you might have been able to do."

Price, 35, said the specialist told him yesterday that the injury had improved to the point that there was no risk in his return to action.

"Accidental shoulders and elbows and that sort of thing happen all the time and that was a reason I wasn't playing," he said.

"But now the specialist is completely happy and, even if I did get a knock, that's absolutely fine. It's pretty much the same as it was before."

Price's comeback, as well as that of giant winger Manu Vatuvei, who has been out for three matches because of knee ligament trouble, is a major boost to the Warriors.

Rated as serious title contenders before the start of the season, the Warriors began in positive fashion, with back-to-back wins over Parramatta and Manly.

But three defeats on the trot, the last a 24-22 loss at Newcastle after a late rally couldn't quite get them over the line, have dropped then down to ninth. Price had plenty of praise for the efforts of his teammates in his absence, saying he was proud of what they had produced in the face of a lengthy injury list.

"We've got a lot of young guys who have had an opportunity and we've only been a couple of points short of teams who have been in quite good form," he said.

"So it's not all doom and gloom. Hopefully we can build on what's been achieved over the last couple of weeks even though we've not got the result."

Price believed minor rather than major improvements were needed to turn around the team's fortunes.

He said the defensive effort had lifted in recent weeks and it was at the attack end where the Warriors could do better.

"We've been dropping a bit of ball, which is putting pressure on us to defend a bit," he said.

"Last week we did a lot of defending and we were able to come home really strongly.

"If we can hang on to the ball a bit better, we'll be able to come up with some real good options to put the opposition under pressure."

While Price and Vatuvei are back, injuries continue to be a constraint for coach Ivan Cleary.

Among the frontliners, utility Lance Hohaia is still out with a knee problem, while fullback Wade McKinnon joined after the casualty ward after loss to the Knights with a hamstring complaint.

- NZPA