NRL: Revenge at top of pecking order

Ben Matulino is looking to get the Warriors' campaign back on track following last weekend's heavy defeat to South Sydney. Photo / Getty Images

Matulino looking to atone for poor performance against Rabbitohs in Perth last week.

Getting back to basics should help the Warriors return to their winning ways when they host the Sydney Roosters at Mt Smart Stadium tomorrow, says prop Ben Matulino.

The Warriors are viewing the match as a chance at revenge for the 46-12 thrashing they received in last season's corresponding clash, when they were dominated through the middle by a hulking Roosters pack.

Looking to get their campaign back on track following last week's heavy defeat to South Sydney, the Warriors expect the visitors to adopt a similarly physical game plan, but Matulino says they won't be taking a backward step.

"Playing them last year, I know they bullied us off the park," Matulino said. "We were pretty soft and we got smoked through the middle so that's the game that stands out for me as one that really hurts from last year.

"This week we'll be looking to try and match them in the middle and match them with aggression."

Despite missing their four State of Origin stars, New South Wales trio Mitchell Pearce, Boyd Cordner and Michael Jennings, and Queensland's Aidan Guerra, and former Kiwis test prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who will miss the match with a calf injury, Matulino insists the Warriors are taking nothing for granted.

Waerea-Hargreaves spot is expected to be filled by bench man Dylan Napa, with former Warriors prop Suaia Matagi coming into the 17 to line up against his old club.

Despite the loss of Waerea-Hargreaves, Matulino rates the contrasting build and playing style of Roosters and fellow Kiwis front-rower, Sam Moa as another major threat to their defensive line.

At 1.83m and 105kg, Moa powers into tackles with the force of a cannonball, but it's his ability to get to his feet and play the ball quickly that offers hooker and captain Jake Friend options with which to attack.

"He's actually got good footwork and has a good bump on him as well," Matulino says of his current test teammate.

"With his size and the way he's built he's a nugget and he's playing just as good as Jared and he's another one we need to stop."

Coach Andrew McFadden was far from impressed with Matulino's effort against the Rabbitohs and there are areas of his performance he is eager to tidy up on this weekend.

"I dropped the ball and there were a couple of time when I wasn't in the kick-chase and Greg Inglis came up through the middle. That's the kind of stuff that I pride myself on and I didn't turn up then, so he [McFadden] was pretty hard on [me].

"I'll be trying to get back to doing that to repay him for the stuff that I did wrong."

The home side are expecting a huge forward challenge from the Roosters' big men, and with Pearce missing from the Roosters' No7 jersey, halfback Shaun Johnson is tipping a big game from former Warriors' five-eighth James Maloney.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from Jimmy [Maloney]," Johnson explained. "The last time he was out here he ran all over our edge so I'm looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we can give a bit back this time.

"Everything they do is off the back of a pretty physical forward pack so we need to measure up there first."