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The New Zealand Warriors put their slim finals hopes on the line as they do battle with a Gold Coast Titans side playing for pride. Join The Roar from 2:00pm AEST today for live coverage of this Round 25 fixture.
Under coach Andrew McFadden the Warriors have combined their creative flair with intelligent structure, but they seem to have lost the confidence that made them so dangerous.
Injury has hit the New Zealanders hard but they are a proud side and will want to finish their season as high up the ladder as possible.
The Warriors have made several changes to the side that was thrashed by the Roosters last weekend.
Dominique Peyroux and Sam Rapira return to the squad, with Ngani Laumape shifting to the wing. Sione Lousi has been named to start at lock and Sebastine Ikahihifo comes in on the interchange bench. David Fusitua (shoulder) and Feleti Mateo have both been omitted from the side.
Titans coach Neil Henry will be looking for a much-improved performance after his charges were thrashed by the Dragons last start.
He has named an unchanged squad and while there is one welcome inclusion to the team, with David Mead a possible chance to return from injury on an extended bench, it has been tempered with the loss of other key men to injuries.
Nate Myles is out for three months after undergoing surgery and David Taylor is still at least another week from returning.
One of the topics that always generates debate among fans is who is the fastest player in the game.
Two of the quickest are on show in this match, with Shaun Johnson and James Roberts both playing – if either of those two make a clean break it would make for a very interesting foot race.
Prediction
The Warriors have an incredibly strong record against the Titans, having not lost to the Gold Coast side since 2010, but those matches haven’t been high-scoring affairs.
That pattern could very well change this weekend as a big win would help keep the Warriors in touch with the top eight, while a loss could very well spell the end of their finals hopes for season 2014.
Despite the Warriors frustrating their fans with their inconsistent performances in recent weeks, they have more than enough firepower to get the job done against the Titans.
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