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PRICE AND TATE BACK TO MARK WIKI'S 300-GAME ACHIEVEMENT IN FRONT OF HOME FANS
Ruben Wiki’s 300-game achievement will be a focal point when the Vodafone Warriors face North Queensland in their 18th-round NRL clash at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.
And helping him mark the feat in front of home fans for the first time will be the 35-year-old Wiki’s club team-mates Steve Price and Brent Tate, who return to the side after helping Queensland to its 2-1 State of Origin series success last week.
They were both absent for the clash against Wests Tigers when the former Kiwi captain became the first New Zealander and only the 10th player in the competition’s history to appear in 300 first-grade games.
Price and Wiki will resume their partnership in the front row while Tate teams up with 20-year-old Sonny Fai in a new-look centres partnership. Fai played the entire 80 minutes there against the Tigers, scoring one try himself and making a long break to create Lance Hohaia’s second half try.
With his retention and Tate’s return, the seasoned Jerome Ropati has been named on a five-man bench. Also included on the bench are prop Sam Rapira – making way for Price’s return – Evarn Tuimavave, Ben Matulino and standoff Michael Witt.
Apart from Price and Tate slotting into their regular positions, the starting line-up is the same as that used against Wests Tigers with Grant Rovelli at halfback, Nathan Fien at standoff and Simon Mannering in the second row.
“We had an important win at Leichhardt Oval and it was great to see Ruben honoured the way he was for reaching 300 games,” said Vodafone Warriors coach Ivan Cleary.
“It’s a great achievement and our fans have the chance on Saturday night to celebrate the feat. We’d love to see as many people there as possible to honour Ruben.”
Winger Manu Vatuvei hasn’t yet fully recovered from a leg injury. He wasn’t considered for this game. His fitness will be reassessed ahead of next week’s away clash against the Bulldogs.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
7.30pm, Saturday, July 12
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1
LANCE HOHAIA
2
MALO SOLOMONA
3
BRENT TATE
4
SONNY FAI
5
AIDAN KIRK
6
NATHAN FIEN
7
GRANT ROVELLI
8
RUBEN WIKI (vc)
9
IAN HENDERSON
10
STEVE PRICE (c)
11
SIMON MANNERING
12
LOGAN SWANN
13
MICHEAL LUCK
Interchange:
14
JEROME ROPATI
15
EVARN TUIMAVAVE
16
SAM RAPIRA
17
BEN MATULINO
18
MICHAEL WITT
COACH: IVAN CLEARY
