Team V Guppies

[ozbash]

Micheal Luck’s run of 70 consecutive NRL appearances has been ended by a shoulder injury.
The 26-year-old loose forward has been left out of the line-up for the round 23 clash against Cronulla at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.
The NRL’s top tackler was forced off the field in the 60th minute of last Saturday night’s 16-12 win over Brisbane and is likely to be sidelined for two matches at this stage.
Since joining the Vodafone Warriors for the 2006 season, the former North Queensland back rower hadn’t missed a match until now.
He was the NRL’s top tackler last season – 959 in 26 games, an average of 37 tackles a match – and he has been even more prolific this year. Even though he was on the field only 60 minutes, he made 32 tackles to lift his total to 801 in 20 games (40 a game).
“It’s a real shame for Lucky and disappointing for us because he makes such a huge contribution to the side consistently every week,” said coach Ivan Cleary.
“Considering the workload he has and the job he’s required to do, it’s a tribute to him that he has been able to put such a long run of appearances together.”
With Luck out of the line-up, 19-year-old Ben Matulino is promoted from the bench to make his first start at NRL level after being used as an interchange player in his first eight appearances. Last Friday he was one of nine Vodafone Warriors named in New Zealand’s 49-man train-on squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.
“Ben has made a really good start at first-grade level. He’s worked hard off the bench and this is a great chance for him,” said Cleary.
Matulino goes into the second row with Logan Swann switching to loose forward for his 189th career match. The new player on the bench is 158-game veteran Wairangi Koopu returning for his sixth game of the year, his first since the June 6 clash against South Sydney.
When the Vodafone Warriors and Cronulla met in Sydney in June – Matulino made his first-grade debut that night – the Sharks won 24-8.
The Vodafone Warriors go into Saturday’s match with a 10 wins-10 losses record this season, sitting on 24 points in a share of sixth place but 10th on points differential. This will be their second to last home match of the regular season. So far they’ve won seven of their 10 matches at Mt Smart Stadium.
Their last three matches have all been tense, tight contests beating Melbourne 8-6 and Brisbane 16-12 while losing to South Sydney 16-18.
Having only his second outing of the year will be fullback Wade McKinnon.
Despite being sidelined for close to six months after knee surgery, he was impressive against the Broncos. As well as scoring a try in his 100th career game, he had more runs than any player on the field – 22 – and gained 185 metres, a total bettered only by Jerome Ropati’s 205 metres.

VODAFONE WARRIORS v CRONULLA
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
7.30pm, Saturday, August 16
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1
WADE McKINNON
2
MALO SOLOMONA
3
BRENT TATE
4
JEROME ROPATI
5
MANU VATUVEI
6
MICHAEL WITT
7
NATHAN FIEN
8
RUBEN WIKI (vc)
9
IAN HENDERSON
10
STEVE PRICE (c)
11
SIMON MANNERING
12
BEN MATULINO
13
LOGAN SWANN
Interchange:
14
LANCE HOHAIA
15
SAM RAPIRA
16
EPALAHAME LAUAKI
17
WAIRANGI KOOPU​

www.warriors

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

mmmmm

I guessed everyone thought that Swann to the back and Ben starting would happen. How did Evarn go in Vulcans and Sonny in 20s

We owe the Sharks and i reckon we will win convincingly

 

[northmanlywarrior]

I really dont think this is the strongest side that Cleary could have picked i would have Fai and Tuamvave way ahead of Lauaki and Koopu, so they both had one bad game against Souths, Cleary has lost it. This game is so important it better not cost us

 

[Scottey]

I really dont think this is the strongest side that Cleary could have picked i would have Fai and Tuamvave way ahead of Lauaki and Koopu, so they both had one bad game against Souths, Cleary has lost it. This game is so important it better not cost us

yep.
Fai beats Koopu.
Evarn beats Lauaki... though I suspect they want two second rowers on the bench considering Swann and Matulino won't last as long as Luck usually does.

 

[Stalefish]

Evarn beats Lauaki... though I suspect they want two second rowers on the bench considering Swann and Matulino won't last as long as Luck usually does.

Not only that i think Cleary realizes we ain't gonna win playing the Sharks up the middle. Better off trying to punch holes through their flanks and through Simmons cat like defence. If the Warriors can't keep the Sharks down their end of the field we stand no chance

 

[hitman82]

It makes sense having a slightly more mobile pack against the Sharks. I think this side is the best we could have picked.
We don't need a side packed with inexperienced youngsters against tough nuts like Gallen and Kimmorley. They would exploit them terribly.
For me, this game is Rapira and Matulinos chance to shine.

And Vatuvei better not have another performance like last week, or we Will lose this game.

 

[Rich102]

Sadly I think Penrith will leapfrog us this weekend.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

With Luck out, the first priority I think has been to bolster the workrtate to compensate, hence the selection of a workhorse in Koopu and retention of Swann. Don't see the value in Lauaki's selection, he offers little and can be a liability, I'd have Fai there instead although it seems he's seen more as a centre right now.

 

[hitman82]

Experience. Lauaki has much more experience than Fai, and I heard Fai picked up a minor injury in the U20s match anyway. In such a critical game we need senior players to step up. Lauaki will know this is not the kind of game he can have a brain explosion in.

 

[Rich102]

Experience. Lauaki has much more experience than Fai, and I heard Fai picked up a minor injury in the U20s match anyway. In such a critical game we need senior players to step up. Lauaki will know this is not the kind of game he can have a brain explosion in.

Are you suggesting he picks when to have his brain explosions?

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

lol

 

[hitman82]

Haha, he will know better than to let his aggression take over. Lauaki's the man.

 

[Fast Eddie]

I would have had Tuimavave in the side personally.

 

[blain]

i rate tuimavave WAAAYY higher than lauaki. his last good game of memory was against the roosters last year. for the rest of his games he makes 60 metres and makes 10 tackles. where as tui keeps going and asks for the ball alot more.

 

[hitman82]

Evarn's been dropped because of his morbid pie addiction.
Cleary was obviously pissed off with his performance against the Rabbitohs, and fair enough.
Lauaki spent his time in limbo, and didn't do anything wrong against the Broncos, so he keeps his spot. Simple.

 

[Dr Crane]

Lauaki is sh*t mate

 

[ozbash]

no he's not.

 

[Dr Crane]

Yes, he is.

 

[The Dodger]

is not...

 

[MKEB...]

Is bloody so