NRL: Warriors still haunted by failure to tame Tigers

The Warriors looked set for a third consecutive win when they led 10-0 over the Tigers at halftime but were made to pay for some costly errors before going down 24-22. Photo / Getty Images.

A Warriors side still seething from spurning a golden opportunity to tame the Tigers will have the chance to make amends against the Storm on Sunday at Mt Smart Stadium after coach Brian McClennan opted to leave his match day 17 intact.

First-choice fullback Kevin Locke had appeared the most likely to force his way back into the side, however having spent just seven minutes on the field since suffering a nasty haematoma against the Titans in round four, Locke will instead make his comeback via the Auckland Vulcans in the NSW Cup.

With the sternum injury he suffered in a brief outing against the Storm in round eight still bothering him, Locke is by no means certain to play for the feeder club against Newcastle on Saturday.

McClennan has made it clear Locke's return is dependent on him getting through 80 minutes of football. Until that happens the fullback jumper will be filled by speedster Glen Fisiiahi, who turned in his most impressive first grade performance of the season in the morale-sapping defeat by the Tigers.

Veteran forward Micheal Luck could still be five weeks away from taking the field, with the workhorse lock pencilled in for the round 17 match against the Cowboys. He is to undergo a scan on June 13 to determine if his broken hand has healed sufficiently. If he is cleared to resume contact work he could theoretically face Cronulla three days later. However, with a bye scheduled the following the week the club will most likely adopt a cautious approach and give Luck an extended lead-in to his first match since last year's grand final.

Hooker Nathan Friend has also been slated to return from a broken jaw in the Cowboys match.

They may be unchanged from their most recent outing but the Warriors are significantly retooled from the side that pushed the Storm for 70 minutes before capitulating in Melbourne.

Three-quarters of the team's spine is different, with the most significant change the presence of halfback Shaun Johnson.

Friend and Locke are also now out of the line-up, as is departed back Krisnan Inu and forward Ukuma Ta'ai.

Into the side have come senior prop Jacob Lillyman, boom centre Konrad Hurrell and livewire hooker Alehana Mara.

The changes - particularly the addition of Mara's muscular running game from dummy half and Hurrell's remarkable strikepower - have further boosted an attack that ranks third in the competition. However, the defence remains a major concern, with the relentless Storm sure to fancy their prospects of regularly rupturing a line that has conceded an average of 24 points a match.

An improved defensive display would be required, McClennan said.

"We did some things well [in the first match], especially around that ruck area and in the collision area we were really strong," he said. "But we have some challenges there in terms of our shape and our defence out on the edges."

McClennan also confirmed the Tigers defeat, during which the team squandered a 10-0 halftime lead, had been hard to take. "We are all pretty dark on it. I think the boys have moved on but us coaching staff are still trying to get over that one. We understand there are things we need to execute a lot better. We were naive in that we didn't put the sword to them in the first half."

WARRIORS

Mt Smart Stadium, 4pm Sunday

Glen Fisiiahi
Bill Tupou
Ben Henry
Konrad Hurrell
Manu Vatuvei
James Maloney
Shaun Johnson
Russell Packer
Alehana Mara
Ben Matulino
Elijah Taylor
Simon Mannering
Feleti Mateo

Warriors: Lewis Brown, Sam Rapira, Sione Lousi, Jacob Lillyman.

STORM

Billy Slater
Matt Duffie
Dane Nielsen
Will Chambers
Justin O'Neill
Gareth Widdop
Cooper Cronk
Jesse Bromwich
Cameron Smith
Jason Ryles
Ryan Hinchcliffe
Ryan Hoffman
Todd Lowrie

Storm: Anthony Quinn, Rory Kostjasyn, Michael Greenfield, J Lowe.