Pumba
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THERE are no competition points at stake, but tonight's pre-season clash between the Warriors and Newcastle at Auckland's North Harbour Stadium is much more than a meaningless trial match for Knights winger Cooper Vuna.
To start with, Vuna will be playing before friends and family in his home town.
Then he has the combined motivation of consolidating his position on Newcastle's left flank and also taking on his former club, with whom he played a handful of NRL games before seeking a mid-season release last year to join the Knights.
On top of that, Vuna's manager Peter Brown is scheduled to meet with Knights football manager Warren Smiles today to hold contract talks aimed at keeping the 20-year-old in Newcastle for two seasons after this one.
Vuna admitted that he felt he had a point to prove to the Warriors, with whom he made his NRL debut as a 17-year-old in 2004 but received only four more top-grade opportunities in the next 21/2 seasons.
"I always wanted to play for the Warriors," he said.
"Being brought up in New Zealand, they were my home side.
"But since I've moved to Newcastle, I want to prove something to them.
"I want to prove I'm a better player than when I left, and just prove to the coach [Ivan Cleary] that I was a loss when I decided to leave them."
Asked why he felt he was on the outer during his final season at the Warriors, Vuna replied: "I probably didn't show much consistency, performing on game days and training-wise.
"But I kind of realised when I moved to Newcastle all those mistakes I'd been making I had to pick it up.
"Moving over here was one of the best things I've ever done.
"It's just a great opportunity, and I've learned so much since I've been here.
"It was just a real blessing for me."
Vuna scored seven tries for Newcastle in 11 games last season and the speedster is confident he has plenty of improvement left in him.
"I've got to work on the areas of my game and try to make this season a good one my best ever," he said.
If Vuna can do that, it will undoubtedly increase his bargaining power.
Having moved his fiance{aac}e and young son to live with him in Newcastle, Vuna is in no hurry to leave.
"We're happy here, and I love the club for the opportunity they've given me," he said.
"I want to stay, but I guess we have to see what happens."
Vuna has less-than-fond memories of his only other experience of playing against his former Warriors teammates, in round 20 last season when the Knights were hammered 52-10.
"It was a big touch-up," he said.
Newcastle will field a host of project players in tonight's match because Kurt Gidley, Steve Simpson, Ben Cross, Mitchell Sargent, Danny Wicks, Luke Walsh, Cory Paterson and both Adam and Luke MacDougall have not made the trip across the Tasman.
In their absence, rookies Jared Edwards, Byron Fruean, Marty Paulson, Lui Toimoana and Tanu Wulf will get to test themselves against a Warriors team featuring hard-heads such as Ruben Wiki, Wairangi Koopu, Logan Swann and Epalahame Lauaki.
Warriors: Patrick Ah Van, Sonny Fai, Nathan Fien, Ian Henderson, Lance Hohaia, Aidan Kirk, Wairangi Koopu, Epalahame Lauaki, Micheal Luck, Wade McKinnon, Simon Mannering, Sam Rapira, Grant Rovelli, Ryan Shortland, Malo Solomona, Logan Swann, Evarn Tuimavave, Manu Vatuvei, Ruben Wiki (c), Michael Witt.
Knights: Chris Bailey, Danny Buderus, Scott Dureau, Jared Edwards, Richard Fa'aoso, Byron Fruean, Matt Hilder, Chris Houston, Keith Lulia, James McManus, Jarrod Mullen, Wes Naiqama, Marty Paulson, Jesse Royal, Zeb Taia, Mark Taufua, Lui Toimoana, Dan Tolar, Aku Uate, Cooper Vuna, Matt White, Tanu Wulf.
LINKTHERE are no competition points at stake, but tonight's pre-season clash between the Warriors and Newcastle at Auckland's North Harbour Stadium is much more than a meaningless trial match for Knights winger Cooper Vuna.
To start with, Vuna will be playing before friends and family in his home town.
Then he has the combined motivation of consolidating his position on Newcastle's left flank and also taking on his former club, with whom he played a handful of NRL games before seeking a mid-season release last year to join the Knights.
On top of that, Vuna's manager Peter Brown is scheduled to meet with Knights football manager Warren Smiles today to hold contract talks aimed at keeping the 20-year-old in Newcastle for two seasons after this one.
Vuna admitted that he felt he had a point to prove to the Warriors, with whom he made his NRL debut as a 17-year-old in 2004 but received only four more top-grade opportunities in the next 21/2 seasons.
"I always wanted to play for the Warriors," he said.
"Being brought up in New Zealand, they were my home side.
"But since I've moved to Newcastle, I want to prove something to them.
"I want to prove I'm a better player than when I left, and just prove to the coach [Ivan Cleary] that I was a loss when I decided to leave them."
Asked why he felt he was on the outer during his final season at the Warriors, Vuna replied: "I probably didn't show much consistency, performing on game days and training-wise.
"But I kind of realised when I moved to Newcastle all those mistakes I'd been making I had to pick it up.
"Moving over here was one of the best things I've ever done.
"It's just a great opportunity, and I've learned so much since I've been here.
"It was just a real blessing for me."
Vuna scored seven tries for Newcastle in 11 games last season and the speedster is confident he has plenty of improvement left in him.
"I've got to work on the areas of my game and try to make this season a good one my best ever," he said.
If Vuna can do that, it will undoubtedly increase his bargaining power.
Having moved his fiance{aac}e and young son to live with him in Newcastle, Vuna is in no hurry to leave.
"We're happy here, and I love the club for the opportunity they've given me," he said.
"I want to stay, but I guess we have to see what happens."
Vuna has less-than-fond memories of his only other experience of playing against his former Warriors teammates, in round 20 last season when the Knights were hammered 52-10.
"It was a big touch-up," he said.
Newcastle will field a host of project players in tonight's match because Kurt Gidley, Steve Simpson, Ben Cross, Mitchell Sargent, Danny Wicks, Luke Walsh, Cory Paterson and both Adam and Luke MacDougall have not made the trip across the Tasman.
In their absence, rookies Jared Edwards, Byron Fruean, Marty Paulson, Lui Toimoana and Tanu Wulf will get to test themselves against a Warriors team featuring hard-heads such as Ruben Wiki, Wairangi Koopu, Logan Swann and Epalahame Lauaki.
Warriors: Patrick Ah Van, Sonny Fai, Nathan Fien, Ian Henderson, Lance Hohaia, Aidan Kirk, Wairangi Koopu, Epalahame Lauaki, Micheal Luck, Wade McKinnon, Simon Mannering, Sam Rapira, Grant Rovelli, Ryan Shortland, Malo Solomona, Logan Swann, Evarn Tuimavave, Manu Vatuvei, Ruben Wiki (c), Michael Witt.
Knights: Chris Bailey, Danny Buderus, Scott Dureau, Jared Edwards, Richard Fa'aoso, Byron Fruean, Matt Hilder, Chris Houston, Keith Lulia, James McManus, Jarrod Mullen, Wes Naiqama, Marty Paulson, Jesse Royal, Zeb Taia, Mark Taufua, Lui Toimoana, Dan Tolar, Aku Uate, Cooper Vuna, Matt White, Tanu Wulf.
LINK
Good Luck & Bring It On is all I have to say!!
