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A minute's silence for drowned player Sonny Fai will preface the New Zealand Warriors' rugby league trial match against Melbourne Storm at Waikato Stadium tomorrow.
In their first pre-season match ahead of their 2009 NRL campaign, the Warriors will pay tribute to former squad member Fai, who went missing at Bethell's Beach last month.
The match will also mark the return of club legend Stacey Jones on his one-year deal, after he retired in 2005 with 238 appearances.
Warriors hard man Sam Rapira is calling for all Waikato fans to get along to the Stadium.
The Hamilton born and raised World Cup winner said the more people who turned out to see the pre-season game, the more likely the Warriors were to come back and play more games outside of Auckland.
"It would be great to make it an every year thing. I know we are an Auckland-based side but we are the New Zealand Warriors and I'd love to play at home more," he said.
When the Warriors were in Hamilton in 2006, Rapira didn't play. So tomorrow night's game will be his first in a Warriors shirt in Hamilton, and there's another first too for the 21-year-old.
"As a young footy player coming up through the grades I used to watch Stacey Jones and now I get to play with him for the first time on Thursday," the Hamilton Boys' High School old boy said. "I'm pretty excited about it."
Rapira said he was enjoying the added responsibility that came with being in the top two front rowers since Ruben Wiki retired, but felt he still had plenty to learn.
"I don't know if I am automatically the No 2 prop now there are a few young guys coming through who are playing well. I enjoy doing for them what Ruben did for me though, but I haven't learnt everything, that's for sure."
Rapira's season will be all about securing a starting spot; about making sure he's one of the first names on Ivan Cleary's teamsheet and, although he said it was only in the background for now, making sure he does enough for Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney to give him more Kiwi tests too.
His first chance to impress will be tomorrow when Kearney will be in the stands, albeit with his Storm assistant coach's hat on.
But priority No 1 for the 11-test Kiwi is the Warriors, their pre-season, and then making and winning the National Rugby League grand final.
"All the boys think we can do it. We had a good season last year and if we make a few small changes, we think we can go further than we did last time."
Rapira said the lack of big names in the Storm side would not make the Aussie minor premiers any easier and he still expected a physically demanding encounter.
"They could bring their top team or their juniors, it will be hard, but we're more worried about us and what we need to do in the game."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4844590a1823.html
In their first pre-season match ahead of their 2009 NRL campaign, the Warriors will pay tribute to former squad member Fai, who went missing at Bethell's Beach last month.
The match will also mark the return of club legend Stacey Jones on his one-year deal, after he retired in 2005 with 238 appearances.
Warriors hard man Sam Rapira is calling for all Waikato fans to get along to the Stadium.
The Hamilton born and raised World Cup winner said the more people who turned out to see the pre-season game, the more likely the Warriors were to come back and play more games outside of Auckland.
"It would be great to make it an every year thing. I know we are an Auckland-based side but we are the New Zealand Warriors and I'd love to play at home more," he said.
When the Warriors were in Hamilton in 2006, Rapira didn't play. So tomorrow night's game will be his first in a Warriors shirt in Hamilton, and there's another first too for the 21-year-old.
"As a young footy player coming up through the grades I used to watch Stacey Jones and now I get to play with him for the first time on Thursday," the Hamilton Boys' High School old boy said. "I'm pretty excited about it."
Rapira said he was enjoying the added responsibility that came with being in the top two front rowers since Ruben Wiki retired, but felt he still had plenty to learn.
"I don't know if I am automatically the No 2 prop now there are a few young guys coming through who are playing well. I enjoy doing for them what Ruben did for me though, but I haven't learnt everything, that's for sure."
Rapira's season will be all about securing a starting spot; about making sure he's one of the first names on Ivan Cleary's teamsheet and, although he said it was only in the background for now, making sure he does enough for Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney to give him more Kiwi tests too.
His first chance to impress will be tomorrow when Kearney will be in the stands, albeit with his Storm assistant coach's hat on.
But priority No 1 for the 11-test Kiwi is the Warriors, their pre-season, and then making and winning the National Rugby League grand final.
"All the boys think we can do it. We had a good season last year and if we make a few small changes, we think we can go further than we did last time."
Rapira said the lack of big names in the Storm side would not make the Aussie minor premiers any easier and he still expected a physically demanding encounter.
"They could bring their top team or their juniors, it will be hard, but we're more worried about us and what we need to do in the game."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4844590a1823.html
