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Vodafone Warriors vice-captain Ruben Wiki reaches another major milestone against Melbourne on Saturday night in what has been a year of achievement for him.
In leading the Kiwis to their Tri-Nations triumph last November he took his world record test appearances tally to 50.
And just into his second year with the Vodafone Warriors he became only the second New Zealander to play in 250 first-grade games, reaching the mark in front of his old supporters at Canberra in April.
On Saturday night he collects another honour when he plays his 264th match to equal the record for most games in the competition by a New Zealander.
Making the feat even more special is the fact he’ll achieve it in front of his former Kiwi team-mate Stephen Kearney, who holds the record and who is now the Storm’s assistant coach.
And there to celebrate it among the crowd will be Wiki’s mother Tessa who now lives in Melbourne.
“I suppose when you play as long as I have these things come along but it’s still nice to get there and to know Mum will be in the crowd watching,” said Wiki.
“But for a few trips to the judiciary I would have made it this far a little sooner.”
Despite that a one-match suspension earlier this month has actually worked in Wiki’s favour in this instance. It means he’s poised to celebrate owning the record outright in front of his home crowd when the Vodafone Warriors meet the Sydney Roosters at Mt Smart Stadium on August 27.
Only six New Zealanders have made more than 200 first-grade appearances. Apart from Kearney and Wiki, the others are Stacey Jones (238), Daryl Halligan (230), Dane Sorensen (227) and Nigel Vagana (206).
Wiki’s 264th match comes against a Melbourne side which will be seeking to win its 12th straight match to secure the minor premiership on Saturday night.
Head coach Ivan Cleary has stayed with the same 17 players used in the club’s 26-0 win against North Queensland last Saturday night. Utility Lance Hohaia will again line up in the centres, George Gatis starts at hooker and Micheal Luck in the second row (making his 98th appearance).
It was hoped centre Tony Martin (shoulder), Nathan Fien (back) and Wairangi Koopu (shoulder) could return against Melbourne but all three have again been ruled out. It means Martin won’t be able to make another trip to play against the club he won a premiership with in 1999.
The win against North Queensland was the second time this season that the Vodafone Warriors had kept an opponent scoreless, having inflicted a 66-0 defeat on South Sydney earlier. The only other times opposition teams have failed to score were in 1999 when Newcastle was beaten 42-0 and 2001 when Cronulla was shut out 30-0.
Last Saturday night they were without four highly experienced regulars in Koopu (136 games), Fien (133) and Martin (109) as well as Sione Faumuina (99).
“It was a great win against the Cowboys when you consider how many experienced players we were missing,” said Cleary.
“But it’s a daunting trip we now face to Melbourne.
“The Storm have been showing the way all season and to win 11 games on end is an outstanding achievement. We’ve had a couple of good wins but this takes us to another level against a well-coached side full of quality players.”
When the two sides met in the opening round this year, the Storm won 22-16 in Auckland and have gone on to amass 18 wins while losing just three times. Since dropping matches away to the Cowboys and the Tigers in rounds three and four, the Storm’s only defeat in the last 17 matches was to Manly at Brookvale Oval on May 20.
In beating North Queensland, the Vodafone Warriors registered their 10th win, equalling last year’s record with three matches still to play.
VODAFONE WARRIORS V MELBOURNE STORM
Olympic Park, Melbourne
7.30pm (AEST), Saturday, August 19, 2006
Referee: Tony Archer
VODAFONE WARRIORS TEAM
1
BRENT WEBB
2
PATRICK AH VAN
3
LANCE HOHAIA
4
SIMON MANNERING
5
MANU VATUVEI
6
JEROME ROPATI
7
GRANT ROVELLI
8
RUBEN WIKI (V/C)
9
GEORGE GATIS
10
STEVE PRICE (C)
11
AWEN GUTTENBEIL
12
MICHEAL LUCK
13
LOUIS ANDERSON
14
COOPER VUNA
15
EVARN TUIMAVAVE
16
EPALAHAME LAUAKI
17 SLAMMIN SAMMY
In leading the Kiwis to their Tri-Nations triumph last November he took his world record test appearances tally to 50.
And just into his second year with the Vodafone Warriors he became only the second New Zealander to play in 250 first-grade games, reaching the mark in front of his old supporters at Canberra in April.
On Saturday night he collects another honour when he plays his 264th match to equal the record for most games in the competition by a New Zealander.
Making the feat even more special is the fact he’ll achieve it in front of his former Kiwi team-mate Stephen Kearney, who holds the record and who is now the Storm’s assistant coach.
And there to celebrate it among the crowd will be Wiki’s mother Tessa who now lives in Melbourne.
“I suppose when you play as long as I have these things come along but it’s still nice to get there and to know Mum will be in the crowd watching,” said Wiki.
“But for a few trips to the judiciary I would have made it this far a little sooner.”
Despite that a one-match suspension earlier this month has actually worked in Wiki’s favour in this instance. It means he’s poised to celebrate owning the record outright in front of his home crowd when the Vodafone Warriors meet the Sydney Roosters at Mt Smart Stadium on August 27.
Only six New Zealanders have made more than 200 first-grade appearances. Apart from Kearney and Wiki, the others are Stacey Jones (238), Daryl Halligan (230), Dane Sorensen (227) and Nigel Vagana (206).
Wiki’s 264th match comes against a Melbourne side which will be seeking to win its 12th straight match to secure the minor premiership on Saturday night.
Head coach Ivan Cleary has stayed with the same 17 players used in the club’s 26-0 win against North Queensland last Saturday night. Utility Lance Hohaia will again line up in the centres, George Gatis starts at hooker and Micheal Luck in the second row (making his 98th appearance).
It was hoped centre Tony Martin (shoulder), Nathan Fien (back) and Wairangi Koopu (shoulder) could return against Melbourne but all three have again been ruled out. It means Martin won’t be able to make another trip to play against the club he won a premiership with in 1999.
The win against North Queensland was the second time this season that the Vodafone Warriors had kept an opponent scoreless, having inflicted a 66-0 defeat on South Sydney earlier. The only other times opposition teams have failed to score were in 1999 when Newcastle was beaten 42-0 and 2001 when Cronulla was shut out 30-0.
Last Saturday night they were without four highly experienced regulars in Koopu (136 games), Fien (133) and Martin (109) as well as Sione Faumuina (99).
“It was a great win against the Cowboys when you consider how many experienced players we were missing,” said Cleary.
“But it’s a daunting trip we now face to Melbourne.
“The Storm have been showing the way all season and to win 11 games on end is an outstanding achievement. We’ve had a couple of good wins but this takes us to another level against a well-coached side full of quality players.”
When the two sides met in the opening round this year, the Storm won 22-16 in Auckland and have gone on to amass 18 wins while losing just three times. Since dropping matches away to the Cowboys and the Tigers in rounds three and four, the Storm’s only defeat in the last 17 matches was to Manly at Brookvale Oval on May 20.
In beating North Queensland, the Vodafone Warriors registered their 10th win, equalling last year’s record with three matches still to play.
VODAFONE WARRIORS V MELBOURNE STORM
Olympic Park, Melbourne
7.30pm (AEST), Saturday, August 19, 2006
Referee: Tony Archer
VODAFONE WARRIORS TEAM
1
BRENT WEBB
2
PATRICK AH VAN
3
LANCE HOHAIA
4
SIMON MANNERING
5
MANU VATUVEI
6
JEROME ROPATI
7
GRANT ROVELLI
8
RUBEN WIKI (V/C)
9
GEORGE GATIS
10
STEVE PRICE (C)
11
AWEN GUTTENBEIL
12
MICHEAL LUCK
13
LOUIS ANDERSON
14
COOPER VUNA
15
EVARN TUIMAVAVE
16
EPALAHAME LAUAKI
17 SLAMMIN SAMMY
