Team v Storm

[ozbash]

Ropati left the field with more shoulder trouble after 29 minutes of Sunday’s 20-40 loss to the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium, ruling him out of Jones’ NRL finale and 261st outing for the club.
Ropati has been joined by Vatuvei, who picked up a knee injury scoring the second of his two tries last Sunday. It had been hoped the club’s top try-scorer this season – he has 13 in 19 games – would recover to play against the Storm but coach Ivan Cleary today left him out, naming Aidan Kirk as his replacement.
“With Steve (Price) and Simon (Mannering) out as well, we’re certainly down on troops heading into the last game of the season,” he said.
With Ropati out, Patrick Ah Van moves from the right wing – where he played against the Bulldogs – to left centre where he’ll partner Kirk.
While Price (eye) and Mannering (knee) remain on the unavailable list, winger Kevin Locke is named to return from a hamstring strain that sidelined him for the game against the Bulldogs.
The match will close off Jones’ NRL career after what has been his 12th season following an 11-season stint from 1995-2005.
“Stacey’s a true legend of the game and it would be great to see him given a decent send-off on Sunday. No one deserves it more. He came back for this season and has done a terrific job for us,” said Cleary.
Jones owns most of the club’s records including most points (674) and most tries (77) as well as most games.
With Mannering out of the side last weekend only one player – Jacob Lillyman – will finish the season with a full book of appearances in each of the club’s 24 matches.
Ukuma Ta’ai and Lewis Brown, who both played 80 minutes for the first time in an NRL match last Sunday, are again teamed in the second row.
Captain Micheal Luck made 38 tackles against the Bulldogs to complete the rare feat of more than 1000 tackles in an NRL season. He heads into the last match of the year with his total at 1007, ahead of his competition-topping totals in both 2007 and 2008.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v MELBOURNE STORM
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
7.30pm, Saturday, September 5
VODAFONE WARRIORS

1 WADE McKINNON
2 KEVIN LOCKE
3 LANCE HOHAIA
4 PATRICK AH VAN
5 AIDAN KIRK
6 JOEL MOON
7 STACEY JONES
8 SAM RAPIRA
9 AARON HEREMAIA
10 EVARN TUIMAVAVE
11 LEWIS BROWN
12 UKUMA TA’AI
13 MICHEAL LUCK (c)
Interchange:
14 IAN HENDERSON
15 RUSSELL PACKER
16 JACOB LILLYMAN
17 BEN MATULINO
COACH: IVAN CLEARY

http://www.warriors.co.nz/news/357/vatuvei-and-ropati-out-of-melbourne-match


:lol::lol::lol:

 

[Revelation 3:20]

geee..what a sad looking bunch

 

[NZ Warrior]

Thank God this is the last game. I don't think I could take seeing another nuffy-lookin' team like that. It'll all be over soon.

Go the Juniors!!!

 

[Skinner]

I think that is the saddest looking team I've seen for a long time - probably means they could win LOL

 

[Meth]

We are going to get murdered

 

[Dr Crane]

but hey, at least the back row looks better now.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

How happy do you reckon Craig Bellamy was when he saw that team? I say very, very, very.

GI is going to score a lot of tries.

 

[NZ Warrior]

How happy do you reckon Craig Bellamy was when he saw that team? I say very, very, very.

GI is going to score a lot of tries.

Inglis is going to beat us, like we were his girlfriend.

Bellamy probably didn't even get past our backline, before bursting out laughing.

Guys, this could get ugly.

 

[ozbash]

Go the Jones boy.

He'll have a blinder...

 

[Drzoidberg]

Haha ah van and kirk haha


Sad but true

 

[MKEB...]

Geez the average height of our backline is four foot nine,

The storm versus the Smurfs, gawd Inever thought I would see the day.

 

[Martli]

but hey, at least the back row looks better now.

Was gonna say, best back row all year.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Yawn feast out wide

No Manu means no bombing to the corner which means we have no moves

 

[Waitakere Warrior Fan]

Sooo... At the start of the season who thought we'd be finishing off with Locke & Kirk on the wings, along with Hohaia and Ah Van in the centres?

I rather like the look of the forward pack though, apart from Price still being out. We seem much more dangerous with Brown and Ta'ai on the field most of the match and with only two of Mannering, Lillyman & Luck. There's actually some measure of attacking potency in the second row this way!

Also, have we re-signed Tuimavave yet? If not we'd better get cracking. He's been good since returning, and I'm sure offers more than someone like Carl Webb and at a cheaper cost.

 

[Revelation 3:20]

Im really keen to see the NYC Warriors play, ohhh and I heard there is some game being played after it....cant remember who it was....mmmmm. :sarcasm:

 

[tezzah1]

This team is going to get murdered! I think the secondrowers are tiny- maybe the tiniest I have seen ever. Matulino and Luck physically look bigger. Whitey, Blair, Hoffman and even Tolman provide size.

Tipping Wairangi to have a blinder~ he's been tearing it up in NSW Cup. Hahaha at Ah Van and Kirk pairing. GI is going to have a field day with them outwide with Hohaia. At least with Locke in the team there is some decent speed for the late chase down... poor Clearly must be anxious for this game to hurry along.

 

[mean_maori_mean]

Sooo... At the start of the season who thought we'd be finishing off with Locke & Kirk on the wings, along with Hohaia and Ah Van in the centres?

I rather like the look of the forward pack though, apart from Price still being out. We seem much more dangerous with Brown and Ta'ai on the field most of the match and with only two of Mannering, Lillyman & Luck. There's actually some measure of attacking potency in the second row this way!

Also, have we re-signed Tuimavave yet? If not we'd better get cracking. He's been good since returning, and I'm sure offers more than someone like Carl Webb and at a cheaper cost.

resign tuimavave I cant believe all the calls to re-sign him.

Honestly after a year out with injury you think the bloke would come back fit.

He has comeback fatter than ever it was neck injury not a knee injury.
Dont they have stationary bike at the warriors.

He can put a decent hit on and the odd good ball but balance that out with bad fitness, crap offloads and penalties.

More than anything he has improve the millions of years it seems he has been there.

He has heaps of natural talent I would rather seem him go to a club like the bulldogs or storm and develop it.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

I still want to see someone put Brett White on his ass

 

[NZ Warrior]

I say the Warriors go out with a bang, and really f**k the Storm up. We'd be the heroes of the comp.

 

[Rovelli]

Must be one of our smallest backlines ever in terms of height and weight:
- Hohaia
- Kirk
- Ah Van
- Locke