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NRL's Bulldogs won't take Warriors lightly

Jasper BruceAAP
The Warriors will be hoping to snap a four-game losing streak against Canterbury in Auckland. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)
Camera IconThe Warriors will be hoping to snap a four-game losing streak against Canterbury in Auckland. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP

Canterbury interim coach Mick Potter is warning his side not to underestimate the difficulty of playing the struggling Warriors at their Mt Smart Stadium home ground.

The Warriors' only win since April came in their homecoming game against Wests Tigers, and in the follow-up fixture in Auckland, the New Zealanders pushed Melbourne in a four tries to three loss.

The Warriors' final two games at Mt Smart Stadium this season are against the Bulldogs on Friday and Gold Coast in round 25, both of which they will rate as winnable.

Potter said the Warriors would be eager to give their home fans something to cheer about as a disappointing season draws to a close.

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"I'm pretty worried, playing them here at their home ground," he said.

"They'll be looking to prove a point to their fans and to themselves that they can do better. I know they can do better.

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"It's going to be a tough contest. We're expecting the first 20 minutes to be pretty fierce."

The Warriors are hoping to atone for last week's hefty 48-10 loss to South Sydney, during which they conceded six first-half tries.

The defeat confirmed the Warriors would finish the weekend with the worst points differential in the league, overtaking Newcastle.

"It was embarrassing, really," interim coach Stacey Jones said.

"There's not much we can do about that now. We've got to move on.

"The big thing for us this week was making sure the boys were upbeat, ready to come home and put together a performance."

Bulldogs forward Tevita Pangai Jr has stayed behind in Sydney to attend the birth of his child.

Pangai has been replaced on the bench by Harrison Edwards but is likely to return for next weekend's game against Parramatta.

"He just needs to do the job there first before he worries about us," Potter said.

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