Blair: Warriors must be wary of vengeful Rabbitohs
AUCKLAND: Adam Blair hopes a painful lesson has sunk in as another Sydney NRL club arrives in Auckland seeking vengeance against the Warriors.
Veteran forward Blair reckons fourthplaced South Sydney will not have forgotten their ugly
3220 loss to the thirdranked Warriors when the teams met in Perth in round one.
He says tonight’s fixture carries the same danger signals as two weeks ago.
The Warriors did not cope when a Roosters team smarting from a round four Warriors blitzing in Sydney responded by trampling the hosts up front in a 320 rout at Mt Smart Stadium.
Now on a threematch winning streak, the Rabbitohs are sure to have noted how Roosters hard men Dylan Napa and Jared WaereaHargreaves targeted the Warriors.
The three Burgess brothers could wreak similar havoc if the hosts are not switched on.
‘‘I think they’re [Souths] a completely different team from the first time we played them,’’ Blair said.
‘‘It’s similar to when we first played the Roosters . . . we expect them to come over here all fired up and ready to take it to us.’’
The Warriors bounced back last week to beat Parramatta 2414, and Blair can understand critics suggesting the inconsistency of recent seasons is creeping back into their game.
However, he believes the Warriors’ eight wins — more than they achieved in all of 2017 — is raw evidence they are a superior outfit this season.
‘‘Nobody would have put us where we are at the moment,’’ Blair said.
‘‘We’ve got some young boys here who just have to learn that every game’s a tough game.’’
Improving their discipline has been identified as critical by Blair.
The Warriors have conceded more red zone penalties than any other team in a season where referees are leaning heavily on the sin bin.
Isaiah Papali’i became their latest player to be sinbinned, letting the Eels back into last week’s contest.
‘‘It’s quite hard when you’re a man short and teams are recognising those things now,’’ Blair said.
‘‘They’re trying to work your middles over really hard and hopefully getting space out wide.
‘‘Obviously against this team, it’s a big pack and discipline’s the key for us.’’ — AAP