Focus on game, not winning streak: Luke

AUCKLAND: The Warriors have their feet firmly on the ground despite the club’s best start to an NRL season.

The team was the preseason pick of many pundits to continue its finals drought which dates back to 2011. But instead it is four wins from four.

Tonight the Warriors play North Queensland in Auckland but hooker Issac Luke has banished thoughts of extending the streak.

‘‘I’m not thinking about five wins,’’ he said.

‘‘I’m just thinking about going through our structures and process again, and giving us the best possible chance to be in the game.’’

He cited a key factor over the past month as the Warriors’ ability ‘‘to bring ourselves back to neutral’’ after the high of a win.

Luke has been one of the standouts in the turnaround from its ninematch losing run at the end of last season to now sitting second in the competition.

By his own admission earlier this year, he had failed to deliver in his first two seasons after his move from South Sydney. But he has shown a sharpness in his game from the round1 win over the Rabbitohs in Perth.

His trademark snipes from dummyhalf are again a feature, although he put that down to his teammates ‘‘getting a lot more quick playtheballs’’.

Against the Cowboys, the Warriors will welcome back two of their big names — halfback Shaun Johnson and backrower Simon Mannering.

Johnson has got over a groin strain that forced him to miss last weekend’s 306 upset of the Sydney Roosters. Mannering, who has a club record 280 NRL appearances, has been included on the bench after being sidelined since injuring his shoulder in a trial.

North Queensland will be desperate to turn its fortunes around. After three successive losses it is languishing at 13th on the table.

With Kangaroos prop Jordan McLean out for three months with a foot injury, veteran Scott Bolton has been promoted to the starting 13 and Corey Jensen added to the interchange.

Despite the Cowboys’ predicament, Warriors enforcer Adam Blair is bracing for a battle up front.

‘‘They’re going to turn up here and try to turn their season around,’’ the lock said.

‘‘A lot of people have put them as one of the best teams in the competition, so we have to be ready for a tough game physically and mentally.’’ — NZN