Woolf wary of wounded Warriors as key reinforcements return

Fresh from a bye and welcoming back players from injury, Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf is hoping his side can do something they have never done before - return from New Zealand with two points.

Kiwi representative Kodi Nikorima has made an early return from a hamstring injury to partner Isaiya Katoa in the halves, while Felise Kaufusi also returns to action after spending the past few weeks sidelined with a knee injury.

“Kodi is playing. Obviously we've got to get through captain's run, but we wouldn't have him on the plane if we weren't really confident," Woolf said before the team departed Brisbane on Wednesday. 

“He's worked really hard … he was really confident within days after the injury that he was going to be back for this game and made that really clear.

“He's worked towards that and he's done nothing but fill me with confidence with the way he's done that and the way he's done his rehab and the way he's come back and run and there's no hesitation.

"I think we've played our best footy with him at six; and him and Isaiya, they combined really well, they enjoy playing together, they've got a really good combination on the field and so it's a big add on for us.

"Obviously really strengthens our team and means we can put Jake [Averillo] back in the outside backs where we think he's best as well.

“(Kaufusi) is a great one to have back as well, if I think of some of our better games around the middle part of the year, he was one of our better players.

"He's a leader in the middle and he really leads what we want to be as a team.

“It gives everyone a bit of confidence; got a good presence in the middle, he's a great one for us to have back.”

In the absence of many of their injured stars in the past few weeks, the side have relied on new faces who have stepped up from their Hostplus Cup affiliated teams including Aublix Tawha and Tevita Naufahu, who have recently made their NRL debuts and former Dragon Max Feagai, who has shuffled between centre and wing since making his way into the NRL side in Round 12.

“It's always good coming up to play grade, especially the boys, they make it easier, slotting in and just doing your job, and back your boys around to do their job,” Feagai said.

Still in the top eight after their Round 20 win over the Cowboys gave them a “four-point win”, Feagai said it was important for the side to keep building, starting with their trip over to New Zealand.

“That win was really important, a massive win for us. Obviously with the bye, it was four points," Feagai said. 

“You can see around the table, probably that bottom four of the top eight, it's real close, so massive for us.

“(Facing the Warriors at home); their fans get around them and really back their players, but … I back our boys to do the job, it doesn't matter who we are coming up against, I back them always.”

While the Dolphins have had some good news on the injury front, the Warriors have been dealt a further blow, with skipper James Fisher-Harris, five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita and hooker Wayde Egan all missing from this game. However, Woolf said the side would not take them lightly.

“A bit like us, I don't think it really matters who's on the field and who's not on the field, it's about how you go and perform as a team,” Woolf said.

“We've had that sort of disruption just about all year, and we've played some of our best footy without some of our bigger names, so they're very capable of that as well and I'm not too concerned about who plays and who doesn't.

“We're really concentrating on this week, this week's really important for us, it's a big game and something we haven't achieved is go over to New Zealand and win, so that's enough motivation in itself.”