Trial Team

[Scott]

Warriors team named for trial match

2/14/2007 2:40 PM New signings Michael Witt, Michael Crockett and Corey Lawrie all included in Warriors side for Sunday's trial against Auckland.


The first Warriors team of the season has been named for a trial match against the Auckland Lions on Sunday.


New signings Michael Witt, Michael Crockett and Corey Lawrie will all don Warriors jerseys for the first time.


Witt will team up with Grant Rovelli in the halves, while Crockett is on the left wing with Lawrie to start at loose forward.


The services of Wade McKinnon will not be called on, instead Lance Hohaia will play at fullback.


Meanwhile, Warriors utility Cooper Vuna is hoping a pre-season start is just the beginning of a bumper 2007.


Vuna has been named in the centres for the match on Sunday.

The 19-year-old has made only five appearances for the Warriors since making his debut in 2004, but feels 07 could be his year.


Vuna says he cannot wait to get on the field to start impressing the coaching staff and his family.



Lance at fullback.... Interesting.

 

[Scott]

Taken from www.radiosport.co.nz by the way!

 

[NZ Warrior]

No Ropati @ 5/8. I love it.

 

[Martli]

What's the forward pack:lol:

 

[NZ Warrior]

New Warriors On Show For First Time

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Michael Witt
© Getty Images / Matthew King
14/02/2007
Xtra
New signings Michael Witt, Michael Crockett and Corey Lawrie will wear the Warriors' jersey for the first time in Sunday's NRL Community Day trial against the Auckland Lions at Mount Smart Stadium.

While ex-Parramatta and Manly standoff Witt and former Wests Tigers winger Crockett have NRL experience, Lawrie and the seven players named on the bench are yet to make their first-grade debuts.

Witt (23) has been partnered in the halves with Grant Rovelli, who played in each of the Warriors' 24 NRL matches last season.

Crockett (23), boasting seven tries in his eight first-grade matches, is on the left wing while Lawrie will start at loose forward. Signed from Bartercard Cup side the Canterbury Bulls, he turns 27 on Thursday.

The bench includes only one player who isn't a teenager, forward Wayne McDade (25). Sonny Fai (18), who has previously travelled as 18th man for the Warriors, is joined by 17-year-olds Russell Packer and Constantine Mika and a trio of 19-year-olds in Malo Solomona, Miguel Start and Scott Jones. The last five are all on super elite contracts which have enabled them to train fulltime with the NRL squad.

There's plenty of NRL experience among the rest of the side for what head coach Ivan Cleary is using as a chance to look at options ahead of the club's two vital NRL trials against North Queensland in Mackay on February 24 and the Bulldogs at North Harbour Stadium on March 3.

To that end Lance Hohaia will start at fullback and winger Cooper Vuna, who has played his five NRL matches on the wing, is in the centres with Tony Martin.

"For this trial, it's a good chance to have a look at what some players can do in other positions," Cleary said.

"It also allows us to give our younger players the experience of playing alongside first graders in a genuine trial."

Not being used on Sunday are new signings Wade McKinnon and Logan Swann plus Steve Price, Ruben Wiki, Wairangi Koopu, Nathan Fien, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei, Micheal Luck and Simon Mannering. Not considered were Patrick Ah Van and new fullback Aidan Kirk, who are both coming back from off-season surgery. They'll all be involved in Community Day activities, including coaching clinics for kids from 10.00am on Sunday.

The trial is also vital for the Auckland Lions as they build towards making their debut in the New South Wales Premier League this year. Some players from the Warriors' development squad are likely to turn out for the Lions, co-coached by Graeme Norton and Brian McClennan.

Bill Harrigan, now working as assistant to NRL referees' coach Robert Finch, will control the trial.

Warriors Team:
1 Lance Hohaia, 2 Todd Byrne, 3 Tony Martin, 4 Cooper Vuna, 5 Michael Crockett, 6 Michael Witt, 7 Grant Rovelli, 8 Sam Rapira, 9 George Gatis, 10 Evarn Tuimavave, 11 Epalahame Lauaki, 12 Louis Anderson, 13 Corey Lawrie, 14 Sonny Fai, 15 Wayne McDade, 16 Russell Packer, 17 Constantine Mika, 18 Malo Solomona, 20 Miguel Start, 21 Scott Jones.

 

[Martli]

Full team (from xtra)

1 Lance Hohaia,
2 Todd Byrne,
3 Tony Martin,
4 Cooper Vuna,
5 Michael Crockett,
6 Michael Witt,
7 Grant Rovelli,
8 Sam Rapira,
9 George Gatis,
10 Evarn Tuimavave,
11 Epalahame Lauaki,
12 Louis Anderson,
13 Corey Lawrie,

14 Sonny Fai,
15 Wayne McDade,
16 Russell Packer,
17 Constantine Mika,
18 Malo Solomona,
20 Miguel Start,
21 Scott Jones.

Wonder who the captian is. Pretty much what you'd expect from a trial team I guess, lance at #1 is kinda odd though.

 

[ozbash]

yep, they,re going to give the Lions a start fielding a team of nuffies like that.

i like the bench.

 

[Skinner]

Interesting to note that 13 of that squad are ex NJC players - something is working.

It's obviously angled to give the Lions a bit of a go at the big time.

 

[Dr Crane]

Has the Lions team been named, or is it simply that train on squad released a few days ago?

 

[LeagueNut]

I know it's only a trial .... but since when is Hohaia a fullback??!!??

Otherwise that'll be a damn good team to watch.

 

[AliN]

it'll be good to see these young guys given a taste albeit a trial. And for the imports to show us why they were signed.

 

[Humphrey]

yep, they,re going to give the Lions a start fielding a team of nuffies like that.

i like the bench.

That bench will be the starting line up for the Premier League side once the season kicks off and the likes of Wiki, Mc Kinnon, Vatuvei, Ah Van etc are put back in the Warriors side proper.

So hardly a good trial game for either side. The best that Prem League side should be doing is putting the side out as they think theyll start the comp. Our blokes are already 3 months of training behind their competition in Aussie so some game time together surely is a necessity IMO

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

No Ropati @ 5/8. I love it.

And it should stay that way too ;-)