Round 11
Parramatta Eels 30 d. New Zealand Warriors 6

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

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

Eels hand Warriors heaviest defeat of the season
Tue May 29, 2007
Source: www.warriors.co.nz

Parramatta gave the Vodafone Warriors their heaviest defeat of the season at Parramatta Stadium on Monday night.

After being only 6-12 down at halftime, the Vodafone Warriors had a disappointing second half as they yielded 18 unanswered points. The 24-point losing margin meant the side dropped out of the top eight for the first time since the season started.

When Logan Swann scored his first try of the season off a Michael Witt bomb, there was optimism the Vodafone Warriors would come right back at Parramatta. But a series of errors gifted Parramatta field possession and points as Daniel Wagon (47th minute), Eric Grothe (63rd minute) and captain Nathan Cayless (67th minute) all benefited. Tim Smith's kicking game laid on three tries on a night that rapidly deteriorated for the Vodafone Warriors.

Their previous three defeats had all been close affairs as they stayed in the battle to the end before losing by two points to Cronulla, six to Newcastle and four to Wests Tigers. But the cumulative effect of so much defensive work in the last two months really caught up with the players this time. The match followed the pattern of recent weeks with the Vodafone Warriors offering too much possession to the their rivals.

By halftime they'd already made almost 50 more tackles than Parramatta. In the second half alone they were forced to execute 218 tackles to just 129 for the Eels. It meant the tackle count climbed beyond 400 for the second time in four games - 409 provisionally to Parramatta's 273 - and that ultimately told.

As usual second rower Micheal Luck was the tackling workhorse with 51 for the night and only one miss. He has now made close to 300 tackles in his last seven appearances. Steve Price (43), Nathan Fien (35), Evarn Tuimavave (32), Jerome Ropati (28), Lance Hohaia (28) and Ruben Wiki (26) also had heavy loads.

Parramatta had started well when young winger Jarryd Hayne put his State of Origin horrors to bed with another superb try. And the lead doubled to 12-0 when Ben Smith profited from an error before Swann brought his side back into contention. But after that there was little to be enthusiastic about as the Vodafone Warriors slid to their fourth successive defeat.

They now return home for back to back matches against the Bulldogs and Melbourne, both 4.00pm kick-offs, on the next two Sundays.

Match details:

At Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta:
Parramatta Eels 30 (Jarryd Hayne, Ben Smith, Daniel Wagon, Eric Grothe, Nathan Cayless tries; Luke Burt 4 conversions, penalty).
Vodafone Warriors 6 (Logan Swann try; Tony Martin conversion).
Halftime: 12-6 Eels.
Referee: Paul Simpkins

Report source: www.warriors.co.nz


Koopu in line for first NRL outing of season
Tue May 22, 2007
Source: www.warriors.co.nz

Experienced back rower Wairangi Koopu is poised to make his return to NRL action when the Vodafone Warriors have their first taste of Monday Night Football against Parramatta next week.

Koopu (27) was today included on a five-man bench to travel to Sydney for the 11th-round clash at Parramatta Stadium.

The 136-game veteran hasn't played for the Vodafone Warriors since injuring his right shoulder in the 12-10 home win against Cronulla on August 5 last year.

After a long rehabilitation programme, he returned to action for the Vodafone Auckland Lions in their New South Wales Premier League clash against the Newcastle Knights on May 12 and turned out for the side again when it took on Balmain Ryde in Auckland last Sunday.

Koopu joins Lance Hohaia, Epalahame Lauaki, Sam Rapira and Evarn Tuimavave on an extended bench which will be trimmed to four closer to the match.

Also named to return to the line-up is captain Steve Price, who makes his 21st appearance for Queensland in tomorrow night's first State of Origin clash of the year against New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

With Price in the side, Rapira goes back to the bench while back rower Corey Lawrie will turn out for the Vodafone Auckland Lions this week. Lawrie, the club's only NRL debutant so far this year, has played four times for the Vodafone Warriors and five times for the premier league side this season.

For the first time this season, the Vodafone Warriors have all NRL squad players available for selection.

Winger Michael Crockett returns to action for the Vodafone Auckland Lions after being sidelined since dislocating his left elbow in the fourth-round NRL encounter with Manly on April 8. In his first four matches for his new club, the former Wests Tigers player scored four tries.

When the Vodafone Warriors and Parramatta met in Auckland on March 17, the home side won 34-18. The sides are now locked in the middle of the points table, both on 10 points with the Vodafone Warriors ranked seventh and Parramatta eighth.

The Eels have two players involved in the New South Wales side for tomorrow night's State of Origin match - debutant winger Jarryd Hayne and second rower Nathan Hindmarsh.

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS v PARRAMATTA EELS
Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta
7.00pm, Monday, May 28, 2007

Vodafone 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 (vc)
9 Nathan Fien
10 Steve Price (c)
11 Louis Anderson
12 Logan Swann
13 Micheal Luck

Subs:
14 Lance Hohaia
15 Wairangi Koopu
16 Epalahame Lauaki
17 Sam Rapira
18 Evarn Tuimavave
(one to be omitted)

Coach: Ivan Cleary

News sent by: www.warriors.co.nz

Tue May 22, 2007
• Eels welcome back Tahu and Moimoi
  

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