Wayne Bennett wasn't cracking any smiles but Newcastle veteran Danny Buderus says the master coach is excited about getting back into September NRL finals action.

It's not only stars Jarrod Mullen or Darius Boyd that the Melbourne Storm are wary of, it's the man who will orchestrate Newcastle's NRL semifinal showdown tomorrow night.

The Kiwis World Cup squad is starting to take shape, but the Kiwis selectors are still unsure about whether they will be able to call on Sonny Bill Williams.

Warriors' fans are known for being a loyal bunch and their patience will continue to be tested over the next two seasons.

Boyd Cordner rates Sydney Roosters teammate Jared Waerea-Hargreaves as the premier front-rower in rugby league and admits his absence from tomorrow night's NRL final against Manly is a major blow.

Benji Marshall's move to rugby means he'll miss New Zealand's defence of the league world cup in the Northern Hemisphere later this year.

Neither Matt Elliott nor Elijah Taylor could deny it - the Warriors missed their chance to snatch an unlikely finals berth because of the top two inches.

Sam Tomkins has signed with the Warriors and will be unveiled by the club in the next 10 days.

I got it wrong when early in the season I said Thomas Leuluai was not the answer for the Warriors as a half.

Watch a replay of our live updates of the Rugby Championship international between the All Blacks and Argentina from Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.

Presuming the more likely parts of the last-ditch plan work out, the Warriors will be left hoping one of two giant upsets occurs in the final round of the NRL.