The New Zealand Warriors are preparing to face a fired-up Manly side when they meet the defending NRL champions at Brookvale Oval on Sunday.

The two sides had contrasting fortunes in round one last week, but the Warriors are reading little into the Sea Eagles' defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs, last year's wooden spooners.

That loss came after a nightmare week for the premiers, with star fullback Brett Stewart charged with sexual assault and then stood down for four weeks by the NRL for drunken behaviour.

The Warriors are sure the Sea Eagles will have regrouped and new recruit Jacob Lillyman said the visitors would have to be switched on from the start.

"There are few bigger tests in the game than Sunday afternoon at Brookvale Oval," the former North Queensland Cowboy said.

"They've had a bit of controversy and it's going to pull them together and they're going to come out of the gates flying.

"We won't be able to let the game find us. We're going to have to take it by the scruff of the neck."

Lillyman ruled out any complacency on the part of the Warriors after their 26-18 home win over Parramatta last Saturday night.

The Warriors looked to be running away with the game after they went up 26-6 early in the second half.

However, injuries to second rower Ben Matulino, utility Lance Hohaia and lock Micheal Luck, and a resurgent Parramatta made for a few nervous moments at the end.

"Although a lot of people are talking up our win, we as a team know there's a lot of improvement in us," Lillyman said.

"We'll be looking to implement a few more things this week."

The injuries left the Warriors with a one-man bench at the end of the game and also meant Lillyman was on the field longer than he expected.

The Queensland State of Origin forward had only 20 minutes of game time during the pre-season trials after coming back from a shoulder reconstruction.

Against the Eels, he came off the bench to play 61 minutes straight after fellow second rower Ben Matulino suffered an early ankle injury.

"I was very sore to say the least and a little bit fatigued in the days after," he said.

"But it felt good just to get the first real hitout under my belt."

About the only part of his body that wasn't hurting afterwards was his shoulders, "so that was pretty heartening".

Matulino, Hohaia and Luck will all sit out the match against Manly, with the decision to rest Luck announced on Friday.

Luck, who was knocked out in a tackle by Parramatta prop Fuifui Moimoi, was originally named in the starting 13 against Manly.

However, the Warriors have decided not to risk him even though he passed a psychometric test on Thursday.

His replacement in the squad is 19-year-old front rower Leeson Ah Mau, who made his NRL debut off the bench against the Eels.

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