Warriors all set for big showdown with Titans

BY AARON LAWTON

The Warriors and the Titans could not have taken more contrasting approaches on the eve of an intriguing NRL finals showdown in Queensland.

For two hours yesterday morning, the Gold Coast Titans lounged around in the stifling sun, ran a few drills and generally knocked about – all in front of a giant media contingent.

With their last training session done and dusted ahead of tonight's NRL finals match against the Warriors, the players slowly left the pitch at the Gold Coast's Skilled Park, climbed into their cars and went their separate ways.

And then the Warriors turned up.

But while the Titans might have been joking around, it was all business for Ivan Cleary's men.

Members of the media were politely asked to vacate the premises by a large, bald and heavily tattooed security guard and naturally, nobody was brave enough to argue.

Some members of the Australian press camped outside the ground, poking their cameras through a crack in the fence to try to get some illicit footage of the visitors in action.

Other than noticing that veteran centre Jerome Ropati, who has been battling with a groin injury, sat out the session, there probably wasn't much to see.

The stark contrast was obvious even if Warriors coach Cleary yesterday downplayed suggestions there were a few nerves in the visiting camp.

"We're all business," Cleary joked when asked for the reasons behind the Fort Knox-like approach to his side's final training session.

"We are pretty relaxed.

"Everyone knows their job and now it's just a matter of staying relaxed and mentally prepared for the game.

"I'm not worried in that I've seen anything different (in the boys) than I have in most of our games recently.

"Once everyone gets out there in the atmosphere tomorrow night, it will be one of those things to get out there and enjoy."

Cleary said his side's final hit-out had gone to plan and that at this stage his players would line up as listed in the programme, Ropati included.

"Training was good. It was reasonably short but it was good to get out there and have a run around," he said.

"Everything went fairly smoothly so now it's just about getting in that lock-down time and mentally preparing from here on in.

"We had one of those years where I wouldn't put my house on anything but everyone is looking pretty good.

"Jerome's been nursing that groin since he came back (in round 25). It's just been one of those things where he hasn't been able to do too much training.

"He got through the game fine last week and I'm very confident he'll be able to do that again."

After finishing the regular season in fifth spot, the Warriors, should they lose tonight, are likely to live to fight another week.

But with the Raiders a real chance to knock over the Panthers and the Roosters also in with a possibility of beating the Tigers tomorrow night, statistically, a loss against the Titans could bounce the Warriors out of the NRL finals in week one, given the two lowest-placed losers this weekend are eliminated.

"You don't go into a game thinking you might still have a chance even if you don't win," Warriors captain Simon Mannering said. "We are treating this as do or die.

"It is a big challenge but it's finals footy and anything can happen."

TEAMS

Warriors: Lance Hohaia, Kevin Locke, Brent Tate, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei, James Maloney, Brett Seymour, Sam Rapira, Aaron Heremaia, Russell Packer, Simon Mannering (capt), Lewis Brown, Micheal Luck. Interchange: Alehana Mara, Ben Matulino, Ukuma Ta'ai, Jacob Lillyman, Jesse Royal, Joel Moon (two to be omitted).

Titans: William Zillman, Kevin Gordon, Steve Michaels, Clinton Toopi, Joran Atkins, Mat Rogers, Scott Prince, Luke Bailey, Nathan Friend, Anthony Laffranchi, Greg Bird, Mark Minichiello, Ashley Harrison. Interchange: Michael Henderson, Brad Meyers, Matthew White, Bodene Thompson, Luke O'Dwyer (one to be omitted).

Referees: Tony Archer, Gavin Badger. Kickoff: 9.45pm (NZ time)

- © Fairfax NZ News