NRL: Eels coach Brad Arthur predicts Warriors to bounce back after loss to Roosters

  • 18/05/2018

Parramatta coach Brad Arthur is predicting a physical battle when his Eels face the Warriors in Sydney on Friday night.

After being trounced 32-0 by the Roosters last week, the Warriors are determined to bounce back against the last-placed Eels.

The Warriors welcome back hooker Issac Luke for the clash, but they remain without Shaun Johnson who is sidelined with a foot injury.

They will also be without their captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who stayed back in New Zealand as his fiancé is due to have the couple's first child in the coming days.

Blake Green will captain the side in Roger's absence, while the decision of who will start at fullback for the round 11 fixture will be confirmed an hour before kick-off.

Arthur predicts the Warriors will be fired up after last week's poor performance.

"They had a performance they weren't happy with a while ago, and then they bounced back the next week, and they were unbelievable with their physicality," said Arthur.

"They are big, strong and carry the ball hard so we will have to be good defensively, because if you let them get a roll on, they're hard to stop."

Simon Mannering.
Simon Mannering. Photo credit: Photosport

Meanwhile, Warriors forward Simon Mannering knows they can't take the desperate Eels lightly.

The Sydney club has only won two games this season, and has scored the least amount of points through 10 rounds.

"You have seen throughout this competition before it doesn't matter where a side is on the ladder - anyone can beat anyone on the day," Mannering said.

"That's the beauty of this game - if you are just slightly off, it doesn't matter if you're at the top of the table or down the other end - you will get beat.

"We can't afford to look too much into who's in form or on what points because if a team turns up mentally and you are off slightly, it can get ugly.

"We are very much focussed on ourselves for this one."

The Warriors have won three of the last five meetings between the two sides.

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