Steve Price might be the most popular Australian in New Zealand but does the Warriors skipper have it in him to turn around the little nation's undignified slide down the league competition ladder?

His coach Ivan Cleary is desperately hoping the answer is yes this Sunday as Price - his best player and top earner - returns from three weeks on the sidelines to find his club languishing in 14th place.

Their competition, the Canberra Raiders, are just one place above them, giving the game the dubious honour of being the only one this week to have no bearing on the NRL finals as both teams are thoroughly ruled out of the September playoffs.

In the Warriors' favour is the return of Price from a rib injury and the recall of experienced centre Jerome Ropati, not to mention the boost of a home game.

The Auckland side have won the past four clashes at Mt Smart Stadium, a statistic that may give some heart to Cleary as he rallies his troops.

"We haven't had an easy time as a team lately and having Steve and Jerome on the sideline hasn't helped," Cleary said.

"It's good to be able to call on them this week and we'll need everything they can give us, along with everyone else in the side."

The coach has issued an order to his men "starting this week, everyone lifts their game a bit."

But according to commentators that's too little late for the Warriors against the Raiders, who have already shown they're ready to fight after beating table-topping St George Illawarra and resurgent Brisbane and giving the second-placed Bulldogs a good run for their money in Sydney.

By contrast, the Warriors have won just one of their past eight games and don't appear to be putting up a fight at all, plumbing new depths last week with an embarrassing 40-4 loss to Parramatta.

The Raiders game is their best chance of a win in their final three, as the Bulldogs and Storm are yet to come.

But there are few signs they have it in them.

The critics certainly don't think so, writing the side off as this year's "biggest disappointment" after starting the season as serious finals contenders.

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