Love-ing the challenge (From Warrington Guardian)

Love-ing the challenge

TOA Kohe-Love will relish the challenge of trying to force his way into what he believes to be the best three-quarter line in Super League.

He says that competition for places has been the key ingredient that Warrington have been missing in recent years. And now that they have it he fancies Warrington to not only make the top six next season - but to make the top four!

The 28-year-old, who will start his second stint at Warrington next year after first joining the club as a 19-year-old, said: "It's fair to say that there is going to be some tough competition for the two centre spots next season and I don't think anyone will be guaranteed a place in the side.

"Martin Gleeson, Brent Grose and Ben Westwood are all quality players. They are very good try scorers but they can also set up tries for their wingers and that's all you can ask from a centre.

"But I have every confidence in my own ability.

"I have to concentrate on what I can do and what I can control.

"If someone else has your shirt then you can either moan about it or fight for it and I know which one I'll be doing.

"It's up to everyone else to do the same thing and that will make us a stronger team.

"Competition for places is healthy for a club. It brings the best out of players and the fans should be excited about Warrington's three-quarter line for next year.

"It should be explosive providing that we click together and I'm sure that we will.

"I have been very excited by the things I've seen at training and our aim should be to make the top four.

"Aiming for the top six is a bit of a cop out as far as I'm concerned. We should be aiming higher than that and with the players that we have the top four is a realistic ambition.

"All of the ingredients are there and I think we are going to explode next year."

Kohe-Love has noted numerous changes at the club since Paul Cullen gave him permission to use Warrington's training facilities in July.

Training with the players enabled him to complete the final stages of his recovery from knee reconstruction surgery and he is now raring to resume his professional career.

Kohe-Love said: "It's such a relief to know that I'll be playing again next year and I couldn't be playing for a better club as far as I'm concerned.

"I have always had a good relationship with the fans at Warrington but the environment is much better than when I was last at the club.

"The facilities, the board, the backroom staff and the stadium have all improved and it's just a matter of getting the right team together now."

Kohe-Love turned down an offer from Wakefield to join Warrington.

He said: "When I came back to Warrington with Hull for the first time the reception that I got from the supporters was amazing.

"And ever since then Warrington has been the only club that I wanted to play for.

"It wasn't until I left Warrington that I realised how happy I was here.

"So Warrington was always going to be my first choice for next season, specially after they opened the doors to me after I was released by Bradford.

"That was a really nice gesture because the club didn't owe me anything.

"So I owe the club a big thank you. The training that I've been doing you can't do by yourself. You need to be in a team environment to be able to do it."

Kohe-Love, who got married this year and is expecting his second child at the beginning of December, has scored 71 tries in 119 appearances for Warrington.

He has also been sin-binned and sent off on a fair few occasions but he insists that high shot headlines are a thing of the past.

He said: "I used to get carried away in the heat of the moment and do silly things. It was down to over enthusiasm more than anything else and that's all in the past.

"Since I left Warrington to join Hull, I've not been sent off once.

"I've not been to the judiciary and I've not been suspended.

"I'm a lot more experienced now so I won't be going down that route too often."

Kohe-Love also gave his thumbs up to fellow Kiwi signing Logan Swann.

The two players played together at Bradford at the start of the season and Kohe-Love is delighted that they will be reunited at Warrington.

He said: "I rate him very highly. He's an international isn't he? He's played plenty of Tests for the Kiwis and is a very experienced player.

"So I'm looking for a good season from Logan next year. He's big and tall, is a good ball player and he can run well as well.

"He's also a good bloke off the field. He's a good laugh, is pretty easy going and I'm sure he will be a popular figure in the dressing room."