Rugby league: Why the Warriors should be excited for difficult stretch ahead

The Warriors sit seventh on the NRL ladder after five rounds. Photo / Photosport

Nathan Brown has implored his Warriors side to be excited about what lies ahead, with their toughest two-game stretch of the NRL season starting Sunday.

After starting the season with matches against teams who are expected to struggle to make the playoffs, and starting with a 3-2 record, the Warriors now face the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm in enemy territory over the next fortnight.

"It's a challenge that as coaches and players and as an organisation we should all be really excited for," Brown said of what lay ahead.

"They're two clubs who have been very successful, and two clubs we should be really excited about playing – especially coming off the back of winning a few games and showing we are improving.

"We should really look forward to it as a great challenge."

The Roosters have had mixed form so far this season, matching the Warriors' record and needing a big comeback to top the Brisbane Broncos last time out.

But Brown said there was nothing to read into as it was simply what the Roosters did year after year as they settled into the season.

It's true the Roosters have been consistent in their starts historically, but in the last six seasons, they have never held a losing record after five rounds of the competition, either starting 4-1 or 3-2.

"They know what they're doing," Brown said of the Roosters. "They've got plenty of talented players there and they understand what's required to do well. For us, we just have to look to build on some stuff we've done over the past three weeks. I think we've got better from week-to-week the past three games and we're going to need to get better again this week."

Progression has been a big part of the Warriors' approach to the season this year, with the message to the younger players in the team being to learn from their mistakes and play through them.

They have remained consistent where possible in terms of lineup selection, and have again tapped a familiar squad to run out at the SCG on Sunday afternoon, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak replacing Marcelo Montoya (suspension) in the backline and Eliesa Katoa included in the provisional 17 in place of Jack Murchie (calf injury).

Brown said he was happy with what he had seen in recent weeks, and the step up in opposition this weekend would provide a good test for his squad.

"From this time last year, I think all of our younger backs have showed some growth in different areas of their games; different players are progressing in different areas, but as a whole I'd certainly like to think we can all agree they're getting better, and it's something they need to continue to do as well to become a good solid NRL player.

"We're very early in the year and we've put a good couple of wins together. This week we take on an opposition who are generally up at the pointy end of the ladder, so the challenges this week will get greater for us."