Green invaluable say Warriors and Storm

Stephen Kearney and Craig Bellamy agree that Blake Green will make an essential difference to the Warriors when they seek to end their lean NRL run of Anzac Day results against Melbourne.

Halfback Green is set to return from a groin niggle that has sidelined him for the past two games, both ending in narrow losses for the Warriors.

Warriors coach Kearney lamented his team’s lack of control when the result was within their grasp against both South Sydney and North Queensland.

Green’s composure was keenly missed with rookie halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita and an out-of-position Peta Hiku, at five-eighth, unable to pull the right strings when it counted.

Kearney was confident the 32-year-old Green would pass a late fitness test and inject some composure against a Storm side the Warriors have beaten only twice in their nine Anzac Day meetings since the traditional fixture began a decade ago.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve put ourselves in positions where we’re capable of going on and getting the result but we just haven’t managed it well enough,” Kearney said.

Green was Melbourne coach Bellamy’s first-choice five-eighth outside Cooper Cronk in 2015 and 2016.

Bellamy felt Green was a central figure at the Warriors last year, even before they lost the services of Shaun Johnson.

This season, the wily playmaker is close to essential.

“They’ve obviously missed him,” Bellamy said of Green.

“He’s a really experienced player and he does most of their organising and the running of their game for them, so he will be a real big in for them

“We’ve got a heap of respect for Greeny. While he was here he was a wonderful player and he’s doing a great job over there.”

Bellamy said Harris-Tavita had made a good fist of his first three NRL appearances and looked a threat, as well as being defensively impressive.

Hiku returns to the centres, pushing Gerard Beale to the wing in an otherwise-unchanged Warriors starting line-up.

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