Talented Parramatta fullback Wade McKinnon was today confirmed as the Vodafone Warriors’ major signing for the 2007 National Rugby League season.
The 25-year-old former South Sydney custodian has signed a three-year contract and will move to Auckland at the end of the 2006 season.
“I’ve obviously got some business to finish with Parramatta first but I’m excited about moving to Auckland to play under (head coach) Ivan Cleary and to play alongside guys like Steve Price and Ruben Wiki,” said McKinnon from Sydney.
“The big attraction for me to sign was the way the Warriors play. I like to run off blokes and I think their style is going to help my game.
“The Warriors have huge potential. That’s been seen by the way they’ve been playing lately. They’ve got so many talented players and lots more coming through.
“They are opponents at the moment but it’s going to be a great team to be a part of.”
Vodafone Warriors head coach Ivan Cleary was thrilled the club had been able to secure one of the NRL’s best-performed fullbacks to replace the departing Brent Webb.
“Brent’s been doing a great job for us and it’s disappointing to lose him but we’re extremely lucky to secure a player of Wade’s quality,” said Cleary.
“He brings some outstanding credentials to the club and it won’t take long for our fans to discover how valuable he’s going to be for us from next season.”
McKinnon stands out among the NRL’s fullbacks in a variety of categories. After the latest round of matches:
• He averages 16 runs a game, more than any of his fullback rivals.
• His kick return statistics are clearly the best of all fullbacks, averaging 72 metres a game.
• He makes more tackle breaks than any other fullback with an average of 7.2 a game, his best being 12 when the Eels beat Wests Tigers.
• He’s the NRL’s second best line-breaking fullback behind Melbourne’s Greg Inglis with an average 1.3 line breaks a game.
• And only Inglis is ahead of McKinnon for average metres gained per game, McKinnon with 155, Inglis 160. He made 237 metres against Penrith in one match and 233 in another against the Bulldogs.
Sydney-born McKinnon was a Parramatta junior but left the club to start his NRL career with South Sydney in 2002.
“Brett Hodgson was at Parramatta in those days and he was on fire so I went to Souths to get a start in first grade,” said McKinnon.
He played 26 times for the Rabbitohs over two seasons before returning to the Eels for the 2004 season after Hodgson left to join Wests Tigers.
The Eels’ win over Canberra on Saturday night was his 70th career match, his 44th for Parramatta. While McKinnon says he doesn’t know any of his new team-mates especially well he’s not short on advice about making himself at home in Auckland.
“I’ve been to Ericsson Stadium a few times but other than that I don’t know much about the city,” he said.
“This is the first time I will have lived outside Sydney and quite a few of the blokes at Parramatta have been giving me some tips about Auckland. Guys who have lived there before like P J Marsh have told me how much they enjoyed their time there. And some of the Kiwi boys have helped me, too.”
McKinnon’s signing continues the club’s retention and recruitment programme which has seen a number of players re-signed or given contract extensions – Ruben Wiki, Tony Martin, Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei, Grant Rovelli, Evarn Tuimavave and Epalahame Lauaki – while Aidan Kirk (Sydney Roosters) and Russell and Paora Packer (Central Falcons) have so far joined McKinnon as new recruits.
WADE McKINNON
Born: February 12, 1981
Birthplace: Sydney
Position: Fullback
Height: 183cm
Weight: 90kg
Junior Club: St Clair (Sydney)
NRL Clubs: South Sydney (2002-03), Parramatta (2004-06)
NRL Debut: South Sydney v Sydney Roosters, Aussie Stadium, March 15, 2002
NRL Career: South Sydney – 26 games (9 tries), Parramatta – 44 games (13 tries)
NRL Points: 88 (22 tries)
• All statistics up to and including Parramatta v Canberra on July 1.
