Todd Payten

Cowboys coach Todd Payten has no regrets at crack at $10m Kiwi Jason Taumalolo

Payten - who made his mark last year as the Warriors' interim head coach - criticised Taumalolo's lack of defensive pressure in the Cowboys' first round defeat to Penrith.

Taumalolo - a New Zealand-born Tonga test star on a 10-year deal at North Queensland worth $1 million a season - made 10 runs for 71 metres, but Payten felt his superstar middle forward should have put more pressure on Nathan Cleary's kick that led to a try for Isaah Yeo.

New Warriors coach knows what he wants

Payten said he was "pretty calm" as the biggest test in his fledgling NRL head coaching career approached with the Warriors game against the Storm on Friday night in Sydney.

He has been a professional coach for nine years with stints with the Wests Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys before he arrived in Auckland in 2019.

Friday's game against the 6th-place Storm is his first as an NRL head coach.