Warriors' centre Brent Tate fizzing for finals

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FINAL TIME: Experienced centre Brent Tate is in top form as the Warriors head into the NRL finals.

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Finals time is Brent Tate's time and the experienced centre feels he's peaking nicely as the Warriors prepare for tomorrow night's NRL playoff with the Titans on the Gold Coast.

The Broncos never missed making the finals during Tate's eight years in his beloved Brisbane. When he crossed the Tasman to join the Warriors in 2008 the New Zealand franchise qualified for the business-end of the championship.

Not surprisingly with Tate absent with a major knee injury last year the Warriors faltered.

Despite another season punctuated by injury, Tate has come good over the back half of the campaign and so have the Warriors.

Now both the man and the team are fizzing to be in the finals again.

"I think the last couple of weeks my own game has been a lot better," the 28-year-old says with a good deal of pride.

"I'm feeling good heading into the finals and I'm looking forward to it as much as these younger boys are."

Tate has been at the heart of the Warriors' improved defensive effort this year and he's also starting to show his line-breaking abilities as well.

But it's Tate's cool head that will be crucial to the Warriors.

What advice does he have for the less-experienced players around him heading into one of the most difficult venues at Skilled Park, Robina?

"Don't get caught up too much about playing the Gold Coast. We just have to really concentrate on our own back yard. If we play the footy that we can play for 80 minutes we are going to be a chance of winning the game just as much as them," he says.

"While we might be down a little on experience compared to them we have some guys who are great players and a lot of young guys who are so keen and they are ready.

"I think defensively we have been really strong – that's probably been our biggest asset. And it's going to have to be pretty good against the Titans because they have plenty of attacking options with Preston Campbell, Scotty prince and Mat Rogers."

The Warriors might have been restricted to just two training sessions because of their travel but the short week doesn't worry Tate. He believes it may be a blessing for a team high on confidence.

"I think the quick turnaround might be a good thing for us. We're straight back into it and we don't have too much time to dwell on what's ahead of us. We can just get on with the job, get out there and give it a crack.

"They are a bloody tough side. Both games that we have played them, we have been right in the contest and we have just let ourselves down with patches where we have dropped off. The Gold Coast are a team that makes you pay for that.

"So we just have to put a complete performance together. This game isn't going to be won in the first 20 minutes - it's going to be won late in the back end of the game."

With Tate leaving the club at the end of the year to join the North Queensland Cowboys, he's desperate to prolong his time in Warriors colours as long as possible.

He would love nothing more than a win in Queensland tomorrow to give the Warriors a home playoff next week.

- © Fairfax NZ News