NRL: Warriors need to perform against Broncos or face the axe

Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has resisted making sweeping changes but his under-performing players are running low on brownie points going into Saturday's NRL clash against Brisbane.

A number of players are lucky to have retained their spots after the Warriors conceded at least 30 points in two awful defeats to Penrith and St George Illawarra over the past fortnight.

With just four wins from 11 games they have fallen down to 14th spot on the premiership ladder and desperately need to get their campaign back on track before two away games against Parramatta and the Gold Coast.

Kearney is conscious of the fragile state of his side and has held off on swinging the axe in the hope they will repay his loyalty and turn things around against the second-ranked Broncos at Mt Smart Stadium.

He hopes they can reproduce the resilience and determination that saw their form climb over a five week period prior to the representative round, earning wins over the Eels, Titans and Roosters.

"I take myself back to two performances ago and the five weeks previous to that, the guys had done a pretty good job," said Kearney.

"We've made a couple of subtle adjustments. We get Simon (Mannering) back this week and made a couple of changes but the last thing I want to do is send panic through the organisation."

From front-row to fullback, almost the entire side has been below par, but major concerns hang over the forwards ability to assert themselves physically and their edge defence on both sides of the ruck.

Halves Shaun Johnson and Kieran Foran are under pressure to improve the side's struggling attack and last tackle kicking options and more is needed from centres Blake Ayshford and David Fusitu'a.

With patience wearing thin, Kearney admitted a third straight loss would leave him with little alternative but to consider other options in the weeks ahead.

"I'll look at that certainly after this weekend," he said.

"Am I happy with some of them - no, I'm not. But I've got to trust in them and the same players were doing a good job three games ago, so you can't lose that, their ability, in the space of two weeks.

"But it's making sure that I give them every opportunity to get that back."

The side is buoyed by the return of former captain Mannering with the veteran lock overcoming a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the last two games.

Young front-rower Albert Vete is likely to start off the bench in his first outing since the round three loss to Canterbury, with senior prop Jacob Lillyman away on Queensland State of Origin duty.

Mannering's leadership and defence around the middle of the park has been sorely missed, but Kearney does not expect the former Kiwis captain to turn the side's fortunes by himself.

"It's not for Simon to come back and fix the issues that individuals have to fix themselves.
"That's been a priority this week, everyone owning their performances over the last week and a bit, and making sure that we move forward in improving those.

"Simon, obviously he will help, but it's about everyone else making sure they've got their games right."