NRL: Warriors' playmaker back from wilderness

Brett Seymour says his guidance should hopefully cut the Warriors' error rate. Photo / Greg Bowker

Captain Simon Mannering yesterday withdrew from the Warriors' clash against North Queensland at Mt Smart Stadium.

Mannering was originally named to make his return from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him since the Warriors' third-round game against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium on March 28.

"He has trained well throughout the week but Simon doesn't feel he's quite ready," said coach Ivan Cleary.

"He's not completely confident so we're taking a cautious approach this week but he'll be a definite starter against South Sydney next weekend."

Lewis Brown comes back into the line-up to take Mannering's place in the second row while loose forward Micheal Luck, who signed on with the club for a further two years this week, will captain the side.

Meanwhile, Brett Seymour is hoping the down times are finally behind him as he makes his belated home debut. Seymour's struggles have been well documented, with the talented playmaker sacked by Brisbane and Cronulla after repeated alcohol-related offences.

The Warriors offered him a fresh start, something he thought he was making in round one against the Titans on the Gold Coast. But that match proved merely a false start, with a badly broken thumb meaning another lengthy pause in what has already been a stop-start career.

"I was pretty shattered," he said of the moment he discovered the injury was more than just a painful bruise.

"It took me a while to get over it. But time goes on. That is the life of a professional football player. You have your ups and downs. When you are on the up you soak it up and when you are on the down you look for help."

Right now it is the Warriors that need help - Seymour's help. A promising start papered over his absence, but as summer faded and the competition entered its inevitable grind, the loss of their senior playmaker has bitten deep. Promising five-eighths James Maloney, in particular, has shouldered a heavy burden trying to run the cutter behind an oft well-beaten pack.

"He's had a real good stint," Seymour said. "But first grade is tough week-in, week-out so hopefully I can take a bit of the load off him and we can feed off each other."

Seymour isn't one to shirk responsibility.

"I was starting to think I wouldn't get my spot back early on, but things have really slowed up for us. We have been making too many errors and making it very difficult for ourselves. That will come back to me taking control and giving them that guidance we need at the right time in the game.

"The last couple of weeks have just been pitiful. We just have to get back to doing the basics right."

If the Warriors are to overcome a Cowboys side with a huge pack, they will need a much better start than they have managed in recent times. Over a run of three straight home defeats they have been outscored 34-0 during the first halves. Against the Storm in Melbourne they trailed 22-0 at the break. On all four occasions they lost.

The soft starts have prompted Cleary to introduce prop Mataupo Poching, who makes his debut after an encouraging run of form for the Auckland Vulcans. Poching's 1.87m, 106kg frame should add some welcome size to a Warriors pack that has struggled against larger opponents this season.

"It is not so much about the size, it is more about the impact," Cleary said. "I have definitely picked a team looking for much more steel, particularly at the start of the game, and I think we'll get it."

Having been just one of an ever-declining number of Mt Smart spectators in recent weeks, Seymour is looking forward to finally getting out on his new home turf and doing what he can to help banish the blues.

"I am excited actually. I know what it is like coming here for an away team. It has been a bit of a fortress. But we have dropped three in a row at home so I'd like to be part of a home victory and show the supporters we have got a team they can really follow."

Australian betting agencies have suspended wagers on the match amid suspicions star Cowboys playmaker Johnathan Thurston will be a late inclusion.

WARRIORS V COWBOYS
Mt Smart Stadium, 7.30 Saturday night

WARRIORS
Lance Hohaia
Kevin Locke
Brent Tate
Jerome Ropati
Manu Vatuvei
James Maloney
Brett Seymour
Sam Rapira
Aaron Heremaia
Mataupu Poching
Lewis Brown
Ukuma Ta'ai
Micheal Luck (c)

COWBOYS
Matt Bowen
Michael Bani
Willie Tonga
Ashley Graham
John Williams
Grant Rovelli
Michael Morgan
Matthew Scott (c)
Aaron Payne
James Tamou
Scott Bolton
Willie Mason
Leeson Ah Mau

INTERCHANGE
Warriors: Ian Henderson, Ben Matulino, Jeremy Latimore, Russell Packer, Jesse Royal (one to be omitted).

Cowboys: Anthony Watts, Dane Hogan, Manase Manuokafoa, Antonio Kaufusi.