Warriors winger Todd Byrne was given the wake-up call he needed after a below-par pre-season for the Auckland franchise.

Byrne led the Warriors in the try-scoring department last year and was one of the club's most consistent players in the disappointing 2005 season.

But coach Ivan Cleary wasn't satisfied with the former Rooster's efforts in their three trial matches and dumped him out of the side for the opening round clash against Melbourne.

Byrne won a reprieve for last Saturday's loss to Parramatta after Sione Faumuina was suspended and he turned out a sound performance in a losing cause.

"I was pretty happy with my game," Byrne told tvnz.co.nz. "I had a few objectives that I wanted to achieve and defending was one of them and I think I contributed to that so I was pretty happy."

The 27-year-old admits his efforts in the trials were not up to scratch.

"It was very ordinary. I was terrible during the trials. I wasn't very focused and I took it a bit easy so Ivan gave me a bit of a kick in the arse and I am glad he did."

Like a true professional Byrne responded, working hard at training and taking that effort into his game against the Eels, where he was one of the Warriors best in tightening up their troublesome right-side defence that leaked points a week earlier.

The team as a whole needs to lift another level or two if they are to beat the defending premiers - the Wests Tigers - at Jade Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday night and finally break the hoodoo of winning in New Zealand outside Ericsson Stadium.

But Byrne doesn't believe that the hoodoo is playing on the minds of him or his teammates.

"Not really. Everyone knows about it but whether we are playing here, in Christchurch or in Zimbabwe we want to get a win."