Round 10
New Zealand Warriors 26 l. Wests Tigers 30

2007 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Wiki reaches half century for Warriors in return to captaincy role
Sat May 19, 2007
Source: www.warriors.co.nz

Ruben Wiki's return to the captaincy will also coincide with his 50th NRL game for the Vodafone Warriors in their 10th-round encounter at Mt Smart Stadium tomorrow.

Since making his debut for the club in 2005 after 225 games for Canberra, the 34-year-old Wiki has appeared in 49 of the 56 matches the Vodafone Warriors have played.

In cracking his half century today, Wiki will move within 25 games of joining a select group of just nine other players who have appeared in 300 first-grade matches.

With regular captain Steve Price on State of Origin duty, Wiki takes over the role in circumstances that closely mirror what happened a year ago.

On May 20 last year, just ahead of Origin 1, the Vodafone Warriors also faced Wests Tigers in Auckland. That night they won 34-12.

Wiki went on to lead the side to two more victories in Price's absence ahead of the next two Origin matches, 22-12 against the Sydney Roosters and 28-22 against Penrith.

The Vodafone Warriors had their final training at Mt Smart Stadium late today, coming through with the originally-named 18 players all unscathed. A decision on which player will be omitted from a five-man bench will be announced tomorrow.

Several changes have been made to the line-up. Wade McKinnon, Tony Martin and Michael Witt have all returned from suspension, McKinnon slotting back into his fullback spot and Martin into the centres. Witt has been chosen to have his first start for the club at halfback. He played at standoff in the first seven games of the season before his one-match suspension last weekend.

With McKinnon back, fill-in fullback Patrick Ah Van moves to the right wing and Lance Hohaia goes to the bench. The changes see regular halfback Grant Rovelli, winger Todd Byrne and hooker George Gatis lining up for the Vodafone Auckland Lions against the Balmain Ryde Tigers in the New South Wales Premier League curtain raiser at Mt Smart Stadium tomorrow.

TEAM
The Vodafone Warriors completed their preparation for the match against the Tigers with their final training run in Auckland today.

All 18 players originally named came through the session untroubled. It won't be revealed until tomorrow which one of five players named on the bench will be omitted.

It's expected that Tevita Metuisela will be the player omitted from the five-man bench named by Wests Tigers.

Vodafone Warriors NRL squad members Aidan Kirk, Cooper Vuna, Todd Byrne, Grant Rovelli, George Gatis and Wairangi Koopu are playing for the Vodafone Auckland Lions tomorrow.

CASUALTY WARD
Michael Crockett (elbow) Round 11

STATISTICS
The Vodafone Warriors have beaten Wests Tigers in each of their last four visits to Auckland. The Tigers' last win in Auckland was a 21-16 victory in 2001. The Vodafone Warriors won 34-12 in 2006, 21-4 in 2005, 32-16 in 2003 and 28-12 in 2002 (the last win a result that ultimately clinched the club's first minor premiership).

Nathan Fien is eight games short of playing his 150th NRL match.

Ruben Wiki makes his 50th appearance for the Vodafone Warriors, the 275th of his career overall.

Halfback Grant Rovelli is missing from the line-up for the first time since joining the Vodafone Warriors in 2006. He will play for the Vodafone Auckland Lions, breaking a run of 32 consecutive first-grade appearances since his debut against Melbourne in the opening round of the competition last year.

Loose forward Micheal Luck will continue his unbroken run of games for the Vodafone Warriors. Tomorrow he will play his 33rd match on end since joining the club last year.

Luck again topped the Vodafone Warriors' tackle count with 34 tackles against Newcastle last week. In his previous four matches he had tackle counts of 36, 44, 44 and 47 giving him a total of 205 tackles, an average of 41 a game in his last five outings.

Lance Hohaia needs six more points to reach 200 points in his first-grade career.

Tony Martin needs one more goal to reach 100 NRL goals for the Vodafone Warriors. He is four points short of 250 NRL points for the club and six points short of 350 for his NRL career.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS V WESTS TIGERS
Overall: Played 12, Won 6, Lost 6
At Mt Smart Stadium: Played 6, Won 4, Lost 2
Biggest win: 34-12, Mt Smart Stadium, 2006; 36-14, Campbelltown Stadium, 2002
Most recent win: 34-12, Mt Smart Stadium, 2006

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
4.00pm, Sunday, May 20, 2007
Referee: Steve Clark

New Zealand Warriors
1 Wade Mckinnon
2 Patrick Ah Van
3 Tony Martin
4 Simon Mannering
5 Manu Vatuvei
6 Jerome Ropati
7 Michael Witt
8 Ruben Wiki (C)
9 Nathan Fien
10 Sam Rapira
11 Louis Anderson
12 Logan Swann
13 Micheal Luck

Interchange (one to be omitted)):
14 Lance Hohaia
15 Evarn Tuimavave
16 Sonny Fai
17 Epalahame Lauaki
18 Corey Lawrie

Coach: Ivan Cleary

Wests Tigers
1 Brett Hodgson (c)
2 Daniel Fitzhenry
3 Dean Collis
4 Paul Whatuira
5 Taniela Tuiaki
6 Liam Fulton
7 John Morris
8 Todd Payten
9 Robbie Farah
10 Bryce Gibbs
11 Ben Galea
12 Chris Heighington
13 Dene Halatau

Interchange (one to be omitted):
14 Chris Lawrence
15 Ben Te'o
16 Bronson Harrison
17 Jarrod Saffy
18 Tevita Metuisela

Coach: Tim Sheens

News sent by: www.warriors.co.nz


Wests Tigers team for Warriors clash
Tue May 15, 2007
Source: www.weststigers.com.au

Wests Tigers Coach Tim Sheens has named his team to play the Warriors on Sunday, May 20, at Mt Smart Stadium in round 10 of the Telstra Premiership.

Prop Jarrod Saffy comes into the team on the interchange bench for prop Ryan O'Hara, who is out with a jaw injury.

Second-rower Tevita Metuisela has been named on a five-man bench.

1 Brett Hodgson (c), 2 Daniel Fitzhenry, 3 Dean Collis, 4 Paul Whatuira, 5 Taniela Tuiaki, 6 Liam Fulton, 7 John Morris, 8 Todd Payten, 9 Robbie Farah, 10 Bryce Gibbs, 11 Ben Galea, 12 Chris Heighington, 13 Dene Halatau. Subs: 14 Chris Lawrence, 15 Ben Te'o, 16 Bronson Harrison, 17 Jarrod Saffy, 18 Tevita Metuisela (one to be omitted).

News source: www.weststigers.com.au

Tue May 15, 2007
• Changes made by Warriors for clash with Wests Tigers
  

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