Vice-captain Ruben Wiki will move within three games of his landmark 300th NRL appearance when he returns to the Vodafone Warriors’ line-up for Friday night’s clash against South Sydney at Mt Smart Stadium.
With captain Steve Price on State of Origin duty with Queensland, Wiki (35) will start at prop after playing 70 minutes straight for the Auckland Vulcans in their New South Wales Cup match against Western Suburbs last Saturday.
Wiki’s last NRL outing was against Penrith on May 18, taking his career tally to 296. He needs four more matches to become only the 10th player in the competition’s 100-year history to make 300 first-grade appearances.
Wiki’s return is one of several changes to the side that beat the Newcastle Knights 18-16 on Saturday night, the Vodafone Warriors’ first away victory of the season.
Apart from Price returning to the Queensland side after missing the opening Origin game through injury, centre Brent Tate has been retained in the Maroons.
His absence has resulted in Aidan Kirk moving from the left wing into the centres, a position he has filled regularly for the Auckland Lions and the Auckland Vulcans over the last two seasons.
Another feature of the side is the inclusion of giant winger Manu Vatuvei’s after a six-week stint on the sideline. He scored seven tries in the first seven matches of the year but hasn’t played since the clash against Gold Coast on April 27, when he was forced off with what turned out to be a spiral fracture of his left fibula.
Also back in the side is utility Lance Hohaia, who missed the Newcastle trip with a thigh injury. While he has been the regular fullback since replacing Kirk in the opening match of the season, Hohaia will be used off the bench this time with Patrick Ah Van retained after his match-winning deeds against the Knights.
Ah Van was outstanding in his first outing at fullback this season, scoring a try and kicking three goals from four attempts including the winning penalty. He gained 157 metres from 15 runs (including 118 metres from nine kick returns), he made six tackles and missed none, was credited with four tackle breaks and he made no errors.
There’s also a change in the Vodafone Warriors’ starting second row combination on Friday night where Epalahame Lauaki moves back into the run-on combination and 20-year-old Sonny Fai goes onto the bench.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
8.00pm, Friday, June 6
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1
PATRICK AH VAN
2
MICHAEL CROCKETT
3
AIDAN KIRK
4
JEROME ROPATI
5
MANU VATUVEI
6
NATHAN FIEN
7
GRANT ROVELLI
8
RUBEN WIKI (vc)
9
IAN HENDERSON
10
SAM RAPIRA
11
SIMON MANNERING
12
EPALAHAME LAUAKI
13
MICHEAL LUCK (c)
Interchange:
14
LANCE HOHAIA
15
EVARN TUIMAVAVE
16
RUSSELL PACKER
17
SONNY FAI
