Albert Vete aka the machete, the Chooks ain't ready.

Last week our Warriors beat Newcastle Knights and I cried 'meh'. The Knights weren't very good and won't be very good this season but you've still gotta win those games. Newcastle aren't last on the NRL ladder though, nah, that honour is bestowed on the Roosters who sit win-less from four games (Knights have a draw).

The Roosters have been touched up by the Rabbitohs and Cowboys, while loosing by only a point to Canberra and lost by two points last week against Manly. That's important because I think the Roosters are a lot better than a wooden spoon spot, they are a lot better than the Knights and they'll offer the best gauge of where the Warriors are at right now.

With Bodene Thompson still out injured, I love the look of this Warriors 17 and we're starting to see some sort of identity in how their squad looks - not quite in their style of play just yet. The man who fills Thompson's boots in the starting line up is Albert Vete, who will start at lock again this week and face off against former Warrior and the low key breakout player of last season Sio Siua Taukeiaho.

That battle will be fun to observe and I don't envy anyone who has to tackle Taukeiaho, Vete's shift to the middle of the field is what really excites me though. Simon Mannering had done this job previously, Mannering was an edge forward who was moved to the middle while Vete has only played prop in the NRL which means he's just staying in the middle.

Two forwards who have been moved from an edge to the middle are Taukeiaho with the Roosters and Jason Taumalolo with the Cowboys while Martin Taupau enjoyed great success doing the same with Wests Tigers last season. What they have in common is their mobility, power and aggression, which Mannering lacks. Vete has these in stacks, on racks on racks on racks so it will be interesting to see how Vete influences the game with his energy and aggression through the middle, against a typically big Roosters pack.

Sidenote: Last night we saw Jake Trbojevic and Sam Burgess start at lock, they're both props who have become middle forwards ... like Vete.

One of the main reasons I like this 17 picked by Andrew McFadden is that it oozes aggression and enthusiasm. The Roosters have a pack with Sam Moa, Dylan Napa, Kane Evans and Taukeiaho in it, forwards who look to assert themselves on their opponent and intimidate. Vete, Sam Lisone, Charle Gubb and Konrad Hurrell don't match those Chooks with their size, they are more mobile and have better footwork though, plus they love to rip in which will make this an entertaining contest up the guts.

I wanna include Jazz Tevaga in this as well. Tevaga has demanded selection with how he goes about his business as he gives the Warriors a rugged edge through the middle, he'll scamper around making repeat tackles, chopping big forwards down and lead the Warriors' line speed when he's on the field.

Don't worry too much about Issac Luke's form thus far. I've been critical of Luke, mainly because he's not doing what he's good at which is scooting out of dummy half and the Warriors will be immensely better when Luke is keeping the defenders around the ruck interested in Luke and not our halves.

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Luke will come right and I reckon he couldn't pick a better game than this to do so as the Roosters will be ripe for the picking through the middle, in behind the ruck. If Luke's darting into that space with Shaun Johnson, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and/or Tuimoala Lolohea sniffing around in support, the Warriors will potent on attack and they will take a step towards how I see them playing at their best.

Keep an eye on the battle between the halves as well. I love Jackson Hastings' work and he's a half who will be around for a long time while Jayden Nikorima is almost identical to older brother Kodi, they are both young and are still learning their craft though. Shaun Johnson and Jeff Robson are established NRL halves who have plenty of experience, but what do they have in common?

They are both new halves combinations and haven't quite fired as a combo just yet.

I reckon Luke could finally start to do his job in this game and I also think we're going to see Robson's best game. These two blokes are the missing pieces, when they start to do what they were brought to Auckland to do, we'll see the Warriors look much slicker in attack as their performances have a great impact on guys like Johnson etc.

A quick word on the rumoured Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Shaun Lane trade. Faitala-Mariner has long been linked with a move to the Bulldogs and with Lane viewed as being excess by coach Des Hasler, it looks as though Hasler could get his man in Faitala-Mariner.

Faitala-Mariner has shown that he's a dynamic ball-runner, however he hasn't shown any defensive ability. If there's a coach who can fix this, it's Hasler and the Warriors will have no problems in bringing through another young edge forward like Faitala-Mariner in the future so I'm not overly fussed with losing Faitala-Mariner to the Bulldogs.

Lane could be a very interesting pick up after he burst on to the scene last season and hasn't featured this season as Hasler has welcomed back Tony Williams and opted for a smaller lad on the bench. Lane is merely a victim of circumstance here as he doesn't quite fit what Hasler wants, this isn't a case of Lane being not very good - we saw last season that he is really good.

What caught the eye about Lane is his size (he's massive), more importantly though it's that Lane isn't a defensive liability on the edge because of his size. For all the talk and excitement about Ali Lauititi's skill, Lane's combination of size and mobility could give the Warriors a unique threat out on the edges. Ponder to yourself Lane hitting a short ball, two or three defenders trying to bring him down only for Lane to offload to Johnson or Tuivasa-Sheck.

That could be a reality and Mt Smart could possibly have a new favourite Aussie.