Warriors prop Sam Rapira is preparing to meet a fired-up Sydney Roosters pack when he makes his NRL return in Sydney on Saturday night.

The Kiwis front-rower is set to come off the bench against the tricolours for his first minutes of the season after being sidelined by a shoulder injury picked up in a pre-season trial.

The Roosters are backing up from a 44-4 mauling by competition leaders Melbourne and Rapira says that can mean only one thing.

“They’re going to be a totally different team,” he said on Thursday.

“When you get beaten the way they did, your mindset changes. No matter who you’re playing the week after, you just want to do better and it’s going to be a challenge for us.”

Despite 123 first-grade matches and 13 Tests, Rapira admits he’ll be heading across the Tasman with a touch of nerves after seven weeks on the sidelines.

But while he’s down on match fitness, he won’t be taking a conservative approach against the Roosters, or thinking about his shoulder.

“I’m going to go all out,” he said.

“The coach has given me a jersey on the bench so I just have to do my job and do it good.”

Coach Brian McClennan is delighted to again have the services of one of his premier front-rowers.

“Sam is very good at getting you going forward,” he said.

“He’s very good at sparking momentum for your set, so we’re looking forward to the opportunity to introduce him during the match.”

McClennan agreed that the Warriors could expect to face a side desperate to make amends.

However, he also didn’t think the Roosters went too badly at AAMI Park. It’s just that Melbourne can be so dangerous when they click.

“They actually were going well in that first 30, and even throughout the game, but the Storm can be so clinical, they can break you down so quickly,” he said.