FORMER Warriors captain Steve Price says the New Zealand club's NRL nightmare last year may have been a blessing in ­disguise.

Price will not line up in the Warriors’ trial against the North Queensland Cowboys at Barlow Park tomorrow night after
off-season surgery on a long-term heel problem, with his place in round one also in doubt.

Pictures: Cowboys and Warriors in Cairns

While his start date is up in the air, Price is excited about the Warriors’ chances this season after a major re-evaluation in the off-season.

"In a sort of a weird way it’s been a bit of a blessing," Price said of the Warriors’ 14th placing last season.

"Even though you’re working hard anyway, you work so much harder because you really do enjoy playing at that time of the year (finals)."

While the Warriors were not making excuses for last season, Price said it was a sign of the overall strength of the NRL.

"I think the positive from it is, you don’t take anything for granted, you re-evaluate everything," he said. "You try and improve each individual as well as the team, as well as the coaches.

"We’ve made some changes right throughout the club. The year before we didn’t do that because we had a good finish to the year; maybe we weren’t as good as we thought we were."

One of those changes is the captaincy role, with Price axed in favour of Simon Mannering.

"It’s going to be something that I’m going to be learning because I’ve been the captain of teams for the last eight years," the former Bulldog said.

"It’s going to be different for me but it doesn’t change how I play or what I do.

"I just don’t toss the coin at the start of the game or run out first.

"Ivan (coach Ivan Cleary) has said to me that he still wants me to play and if I’ve got something to say, to
say it.

"It’s going to be new for all of us, but that’s another challenge in itself and I’m looking forward to it. I really support Simon and what the club’s decided."

Price, who turns 36 next month and is off-contract at the end of the year, is still undecided about his future in the game.

"Pre-season’s a big indicator. It’s been a bit of an unusual pre-season, I haven’t been able to do any training with the boys but I’m still really enjoying it.

"When you get out on the field, it’s how you’re playing and how you’re going and what the club thinks as well."

One certainty is that while he’s playing in the NRL, Price will be available for representative selection.

"You’ve got to earn that by how you play for your club and I want to play well for the club," he said.

"If I can play well for the Warriors and achieve those other things, that’ll be great."

See The Cairns Post today for the official match program.

The teams for tomorrow's game:

Cowboys: 1 Ty Williams, 2 John Williams, 3 Willie Tonga, 4 Ashley Graham, 5 Obe Geia, 6 Grant Rovelli, 7 Johnathan Thurston, 8 Matt Scott, 9 Aaron Payne, 10 Carl Webb, 11 Scott Bolton, 12 Steve Southern, 13 Luke O’Donnell. Interchange: Ray Thompson, Clint Amos, Steve Rapira, Antonio Kaufusi, James Tamou.

Warriors squad: Patrick Ah Van, Lewis Brown, Aaron Heremaia, Lance Hohaia, Shaun Johnson, Jeremy Latimore, Jacob Lillyman, Kevin Locke, Sione Lousi, Micheal Luck, Wade McKinnon, James Maloney, Alehana Mara, Ben Matulino, Joel Moon, Russell Packer, Sam Rapira, Jerome Ropati, Jesse Royal, Brett Seymour, Bill Tupou.

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