Warriors wary of unpredictable Panthers
than them with our enthusiasm. Completing sets is going to be important and playing the brand of footy we want to play.’’
May and Luai are both seen as players of promise but are novices at NRL level.
While May turned out for Samoa in last month’s Pacific test against Tonga, the 22-year-old is returning to first grade for the first time since his season was ruined by a knee injury last year.
Luai, 21, is making only his second NRL appearance after playing 26 minutes off the bench against the Knights in round 10.
The Panthers already have an expansive style with an emphasis on second-phase play but the introduction of May and Luai could make them even more unpredictable.
‘‘The brand of footy [Penrith] play, you’re not quite sure what you’re going to get,’’ Warriors coach Stephen Kearney said. ‘‘We’ve watched a bit of them reserve grade and they’re in really handy players so we’ve given the guys an awareness of what they look like.’’
The Warriors will be without two frontline players of their own with Tohu Harris (knee) and Bunty Afoa (elbow) both sidelined for up to six weeks.
Coming during the run-in to the finals, Blair admitted the injuries were a ‘‘big blow’’ but has been encouraged all season by the internal competition at training.
The 32-year-old veteran was impressed by his side’s defensive display against the Sharks but says there has been a big focus on eliminating basic errors.
Even without Maloney and Cleary, the Panthers have enough strike through Dallin WateneZelezniak, Waqa Blake and Viliame Kikau, as well as experienced forwards Trent Merrin and James Tamou, to make the Warriors pay if they continue to give away cheap possession.
‘‘I thought we dropped a lot of ball coming off our line,’’ Blair said. ‘‘Coming up against any team, it’s tough to be able to defend your line for so long.
‘‘Credit to our boys, we’ve been doing it really well but it’s not a place where you want to stay for most of the game.’’
What: When, where: Panthers:
Warriors: