DIEHARD
Administrator
NZ WARRIORS vs TITANS
Round 25: NZ WARRIORS vs TITANS
- Thread starter DIEHARD
- Start date
Titan4Life
Star Player
Both teams coming off big score line losses. I have to go against my heart for this one and say that the Warriors will win this as they are fighting for the finals. Expecting NZ by 12+ but hopefully by some slim chance the boys prove me wrong.
Hail Sezer
Moderator
I'll be going up to this game. First Titans game I've attended. Wish we were travelling better but it's gonna be good seeing the team play anyway.
In saying that, I'm expecting Warriors to win by 13+
In saying that, I'm expecting Warriors to win by 13+
Titans
1 William Zillman
2 Kalifa Faifai Loa
3 James Roberts
4 Brad Takairangi
5 Anthony Don
6 Aidan Sezer
7 Daniel Mortimer
8 Luke Bailey
9 Beau Falloon
10 Matthew White
11 Mark Minichiello
12 Paul Carter
13 Greg Bird
Interchange
14 Mark Ioane
15 Cody Nelson
16 Tom Kingston
17 Maurice Blair
19 David Mead
Coach: Neil Henry
1 William Zillman
2 Kalifa Faifai Loa
3 James Roberts
4 Brad Takairangi
5 Anthony Don
6 Aidan Sezer
7 Daniel Mortimer
8 Luke Bailey
9 Beau Falloon
10 Matthew White
11 Mark Minichiello
12 Paul Carter
13 Greg Bird
Interchange
14 Mark Ioane
15 Cody Nelson
16 Tom Kingston
17 Maurice Blair
19 David Mead
Coach: Neil Henry
TITAN PETE
Super Moderator
Warriors v Titans preview
By Corey Rosser, NZ Correspondent
NRL.com
2:06pm Wed 27th August, 2014
Warriors v Titans
Mount Smart Stadium
Sunday, 4pm (NZT)
When Andrew McFadden and Neil Henry sat down to name their sides for this Sunday’s clash at Mount Smart Stadium the urge to make wholesale changes must have been hard to deny.
The two coaches were blunt in their appraisal of their side’s performances last week following embarrassing defeats, but have made only minimal changes.
The Warriors come into it off the back of copping their biggest defeat of the season at home to a rampant Roosters side who scored eight tries in a 46-12 victory.
The Titans meanwhile were completely outclassed for all but the final 10 minutes of their game against the Dragons, slumping to their 14th defeat of the year in the way of a 34-6 loss.
The New Zealanders have only one unforced change for Round 25 with Feleti Mateo, a player once on the cusp of State of Origin selection, dropped to NSW Cup for the second time in 2014.
After suffering a dislocated shoulder inside the opening five minutes last week winger David Fusitu’a is out. That sees Ngani Laumape shift from centre to the right wing, with Dominique Peyroux named to start at centre against his former club.
The Gold Coast receive a boost with David Mead included on an extended bench, and the speedster is tipped to be a late inclusion in the centres for the trip to New Zealand.
Following back-to-back defeats the Warriors have slipped from top-four challenger to finals outsider, and must win on Sunday if they are any hope of playing past Round 26.
Prior to last weekend the Titans had impressed by pushing premiership contenders the Roosters and Sea Eagles in narrow defeats, but under new coach Neil Henry they have nothing but pride to play for over the final two weeks of the season.
Watch Out Warriors: When you miss 50 tackles in an NRL game you are never going to win. The Warriors did that last week against the Roosters and if they are to avoid a similar fate this Sunday they will probably need to halve their defensive error count.
The Titans have a backline which can do damage if you let them get on the front foot. Last week both wingers ran for well over 100 metres, and across the season every member of this week’s backline averages over 70 metres per game. If you allow the Titans space they can cause some hurt out wide, and the Warriors right-edge, which leaked three tries and a number of line breaks last week, is always a prime target.
Watch Out Titans: This year the Warriors don’t tend to back up a poor performance with another one, instead usually showing drastic improvement which results in them getting back in the winner’s circle. Only once this season have they lost by 19 points or more and followed it up with a loss in the next game, and they can expected to be fired up after last week’s embarrassment on home turf.
The away form of the Titans in 2014 has been far from reassuring, having won just twice outside of Skilled Park.
Auckland has never been a happy hunting ground for the Gold Coast either, and since their inception in 2007 they have won just two games at Mount Smart Stadium, the last of which was over four years ago.
Plays To Watch: Both Aidan Sezer and Shaun Johnson can grab a game by the scruff of the neck and take it in the direction they want. Ultra-confident players, watch for them to take the line on late in each half, and with the abysmal defence served up by both outfits last week expect these two lads to try their luck plenty with the ball in hand.
The sheer speed of the likes of James Roberts and William Zillman for the Titans, and Konrad Hurrell and Sam Tomkins for the Warriors, also means breaks early in the tackle count are never out of the question. They might not always be the high percentage options, but there are a number of players in both sides who love to take their marker on out wide with the hope of skipping through.
Where It Will Be Won: The opening 10 minutes is crucial. The Warriors have scored 80 points in the first 10 minutes of game this year, more than any other team in the NRL, while the Titans concede more than any other in that period. You can’t win a game in those opening exchanges, but you can certainly go a long way to losing one.
Both sides leaked points like they were going out of fashion last week, so the obvious focus will be on defence. We know they can score points, but the team who can limit the others’ offloads and second-phase plays will probably end up the winner.
The History: Played 15; Warriors 9, Titans 6. With seven-straight wins against this week’s opponents, the Warriors’ record against the Titans stands up as one of their best against any current NRL team. The Kiwis haven’t gone down to the Gold Coast since way back in 2010, but their meetings tend to be close encounters. The last four games have been decided by 18 points or fewer, with two of them split by two or fewer.
What Are The Odds: As bad as the Warriors have been going over the past few weeks, Sportsbet punters see them as specials at home, and launched into their opening price of $1.22. There’s also been strong support for over 45.5 points to be scored but it seems they think the Warriors will be scoring most of them. Latest Odds at Sportsbet.com.au.
Match Officials: Referee – Gavin Badger; Assistant Referee – Chris James; Touch Judges; Michael Wise and Anthony Eliott; Video Referees – Alan Shortall and Ben Galea.
The Way We See It: After what they dished up last week it is hard to endorse either side ahead of Sunday’s meeting. However the Warriors will run onto Mount Smart Stadium knowing that they are playing for their season, with a loss almost certainly spelling the end of their finals hopes. The Titans on the other hand already know they can’t make the top eight or drop into the wooden spoon zone in 2014 and have little to play for. The Kiwis will have felt the full wrath of coach McFadden this week and a significant improvement can be expected. Warriors by 10.
By Corey Rosser, NZ Correspondent
NRL.com
2:06pm Wed 27th August, 2014
Warriors v Titans
Mount Smart Stadium
Sunday, 4pm (NZT)
When Andrew McFadden and Neil Henry sat down to name their sides for this Sunday’s clash at Mount Smart Stadium the urge to make wholesale changes must have been hard to deny.
The two coaches were blunt in their appraisal of their side’s performances last week following embarrassing defeats, but have made only minimal changes.
The Warriors come into it off the back of copping their biggest defeat of the season at home to a rampant Roosters side who scored eight tries in a 46-12 victory.
The Titans meanwhile were completely outclassed for all but the final 10 minutes of their game against the Dragons, slumping to their 14th defeat of the year in the way of a 34-6 loss.
The New Zealanders have only one unforced change for Round 25 with Feleti Mateo, a player once on the cusp of State of Origin selection, dropped to NSW Cup for the second time in 2014.
After suffering a dislocated shoulder inside the opening five minutes last week winger David Fusitu’a is out. That sees Ngani Laumape shift from centre to the right wing, with Dominique Peyroux named to start at centre against his former club.
The Gold Coast receive a boost with David Mead included on an extended bench, and the speedster is tipped to be a late inclusion in the centres for the trip to New Zealand.
Following back-to-back defeats the Warriors have slipped from top-four challenger to finals outsider, and must win on Sunday if they are any hope of playing past Round 26.
Prior to last weekend the Titans had impressed by pushing premiership contenders the Roosters and Sea Eagles in narrow defeats, but under new coach Neil Henry they have nothing but pride to play for over the final two weeks of the season.
Watch Out Warriors: When you miss 50 tackles in an NRL game you are never going to win. The Warriors did that last week against the Roosters and if they are to avoid a similar fate this Sunday they will probably need to halve their defensive error count.
The Titans have a backline which can do damage if you let them get on the front foot. Last week both wingers ran for well over 100 metres, and across the season every member of this week’s backline averages over 70 metres per game. If you allow the Titans space they can cause some hurt out wide, and the Warriors right-edge, which leaked three tries and a number of line breaks last week, is always a prime target.
Watch Out Titans: This year the Warriors don’t tend to back up a poor performance with another one, instead usually showing drastic improvement which results in them getting back in the winner’s circle. Only once this season have they lost by 19 points or more and followed it up with a loss in the next game, and they can expected to be fired up after last week’s embarrassment on home turf.
The away form of the Titans in 2014 has been far from reassuring, having won just twice outside of Skilled Park.
Auckland has never been a happy hunting ground for the Gold Coast either, and since their inception in 2007 they have won just two games at Mount Smart Stadium, the last of which was over four years ago.
Plays To Watch: Both Aidan Sezer and Shaun Johnson can grab a game by the scruff of the neck and take it in the direction they want. Ultra-confident players, watch for them to take the line on late in each half, and with the abysmal defence served up by both outfits last week expect these two lads to try their luck plenty with the ball in hand.
The sheer speed of the likes of James Roberts and William Zillman for the Titans, and Konrad Hurrell and Sam Tomkins for the Warriors, also means breaks early in the tackle count are never out of the question. They might not always be the high percentage options, but there are a number of players in both sides who love to take their marker on out wide with the hope of skipping through.
Where It Will Be Won: The opening 10 minutes is crucial. The Warriors have scored 80 points in the first 10 minutes of game this year, more than any other team in the NRL, while the Titans concede more than any other in that period. You can’t win a game in those opening exchanges, but you can certainly go a long way to losing one.
Both sides leaked points like they were going out of fashion last week, so the obvious focus will be on defence. We know they can score points, but the team who can limit the others’ offloads and second-phase plays will probably end up the winner.
The History: Played 15; Warriors 9, Titans 6. With seven-straight wins against this week’s opponents, the Warriors’ record against the Titans stands up as one of their best against any current NRL team. The Kiwis haven’t gone down to the Gold Coast since way back in 2010, but their meetings tend to be close encounters. The last four games have been decided by 18 points or fewer, with two of them split by two or fewer.
What Are The Odds: As bad as the Warriors have been going over the past few weeks, Sportsbet punters see them as specials at home, and launched into their opening price of $1.22. There’s also been strong support for over 45.5 points to be scored but it seems they think the Warriors will be scoring most of them. Latest Odds at Sportsbet.com.au.
Match Officials: Referee – Gavin Badger; Assistant Referee – Chris James; Touch Judges; Michael Wise and Anthony Eliott; Video Referees – Alan Shortall and Ben Galea.
The Way We See It: After what they dished up last week it is hard to endorse either side ahead of Sunday’s meeting. However the Warriors will run onto Mount Smart Stadium knowing that they are playing for their season, with a loss almost certainly spelling the end of their finals hopes. The Titans on the other hand already know they can’t make the top eight or drop into the wooden spoon zone in 2014 and have little to play for. The Kiwis will have felt the full wrath of coach McFadden this week and a significant improvement can be expected. Warriors by 10.
Last edited by a moderator:
teke
Coach
First time I've heard anyone think Peyrouxs play will be entertaining
C-Whiz
Coach
I'd take a 10 point game.
DIEHARD
Administrator
I have very little confifence after Sunday's game. It was just a heartless effort and would have done little to encourage potential Sponsors.
I agree that it looks like we are already on holidays. But these remaining games are valuable as we lead into pre-season.
I agree that it looks like we are already on holidays. But these remaining games are valuable as we lead into pre-season.
DIEHARD
Administrator
The Gold Coast Titans will fight for their pride against the New Zealand Warriors
The Titans head to Auckland tomorrow to prepare to face the desperate Warriors on Sunday in a Round 25 match that has polar opposite outcomes for each team.
The New Zealand side is still in finals contention but must beat the Titans to keep that dream alive.
The Titans, who have lost 12 of their past 14 games, are counting down the days until their end-of-season holiday with the result of the match bearing no effect on their *season.
It was a similar case at Kogarah on Sunday when they were thumped 34-6 by the Dragons at WIN Jubilee Oval, a game St George *Illawarra had to win and Henry hopes his team will aim up against the inconsistent Warriors.
“They’re very disappointed with their energy and effort (against the Dragons),’’ he said.
“Manly (15-12 loss) was a tough game and took it out of us but the attitude still wasn’t there to compete. You could see that early in the game.
“We didn’t have the line speed and certainly didn’t have the mentality of holding on to the ball.
“We need to be better regardless of the troops we’ve got out. We need to turn up and have a crack.”
The Titans will train this morning with David Mead likely to run at left centre in place of Brad Takairangi.
Vice-captain William Zillman has found some form in the past fortnight after an injury-plagued season and said there was plenty to play for against the Warriors.
“Something we really want to do is finish the season well and that (Dragons loss) certainly wasn’t in our plans,” he said.
“We spoke about finishing the season well but it’s probably a lot easier said than done.’’
Titans co-captain Nate Myles had surgery on his injured shoulder on Tuesday and is expected to be on restricted duties for three months.
Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au
The Titans head to Auckland tomorrow to prepare to face the desperate Warriors on Sunday in a Round 25 match that has polar opposite outcomes for each team.
The New Zealand side is still in finals contention but must beat the Titans to keep that dream alive.
The Titans, who have lost 12 of their past 14 games, are counting down the days until their end-of-season holiday with the result of the match bearing no effect on their *season.
It was a similar case at Kogarah on Sunday when they were thumped 34-6 by the Dragons at WIN Jubilee Oval, a game St George *Illawarra had to win and Henry hopes his team will aim up against the inconsistent Warriors.
“They’re very disappointed with their energy and effort (against the Dragons),’’ he said.
“Manly (15-12 loss) was a tough game and took it out of us but the attitude still wasn’t there to compete. You could see that early in the game.
“We didn’t have the line speed and certainly didn’t have the mentality of holding on to the ball.
“We need to be better regardless of the troops we’ve got out. We need to turn up and have a crack.”
The Titans will train this morning with David Mead likely to run at left centre in place of Brad Takairangi.
Vice-captain William Zillman has found some form in the past fortnight after an injury-plagued season and said there was plenty to play for against the Warriors.
“Something we really want to do is finish the season well and that (Dragons loss) certainly wasn’t in our plans,” he said.
“We spoke about finishing the season well but it’s probably a lot easier said than done.’’
Titans co-captain Nate Myles had surgery on his injured shoulder on Tuesday and is expected to be on restricted duties for three months.
Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au
TITAN PETE
Super Moderator
Off-contract Bailey latest Titans casualty
By Tony Webeck, Chief Queensland Correspondent
NRL.com
4:00pm Thu 28th August, 2014
Foundation Titan Luke Bailey remains unsure whether next week will be his 151st and final appearance for the club after being ruled out of Sunday's clash with the Warriors with a neck injury.
In the latest blow to forward stocks already reeling due to the absence of Nate Myles, Dave Taylor, Luke Douglas, Ashley Harrison, Ryan James and Ben Ridge, Bailey will be in a race against time to be fit for the Round 26 clash with the Bulldogs at Cbus Super Stadium, a game that will farewell fellow foundation player Mark Minichiello.
Electric centre James Roberts sent a further scare through the camp when he left training prematurely on Thursday morning suffering from back spasms but he will make the trip to New Zealand and is expected to play.
In a much-needed boost to the squad David Mead returns to the side from a hamstring injury and will take Brad Takairangi's place at left centre, handed the unenviable assignment of containing Warriors wrecking-ball Konrad Hurrell. Takairangi will move into the back row.
With a decision still to be made on the Titans' head coach for 2015 and beyond, after eight seasons at the Titans Bailey's future remains very much in limbo and will not be resolved until the appointment of John Cartwright's successor.
Interim coach Neil Henry was confident that Bailey's injury would recover in time to be available for next week but with the team to fly out for New Zealand on Friday said he couldn't be risked this week.
"It's responded already to treatment but to sit on a plane for a few hours and travel and play, it's not going to be right this weekend. We're very confident he'll be right for the Bulldogs game," Henry said.
"We're a bit of a bits-and-pieces team at the moment but there's no excuse once you get out there. Bails's neck's not right, he won't play and we really are a bit light on. I think we're down to 20 or 21 players in the squad that are available to play this weekend but there's no excuse for lack of effort or lack of intensity on the field."
The Titans have already had to ask for second-tier salary cap exemptions in order for Tom Kingston to take his place in the team while fellow back-rower Cody Nelson has agreed to a two-year deal with the Eels.
Despite the lack of senior players in the squad this weekend, Henry said it was up to individuals to display greater levels of intensity than that which they showed against the Dragons last Sunday.
"It's an individual responsibility to be up for a game of footy. It's not up to someone else to motivate you," Henry said.
"There is some leadership out there in the older players, 'Birdy' (Greg Bird) as captain and 'Mini'. Aidan Sezer's getting more experience as he's going on, he should take control there with Daniel Mortimer and 'Zilly' (William Zillman) at the back has played a lot of first grade.
"We've got enough guys out there that have played enough NRL to turn up and put on a good performance.
"They're coming off back-to-back losses and they need to win to stay in the finals hunt so we know they're going to be very determined for a win at home after last weekend's performance."
By Tony Webeck, Chief Queensland Correspondent
NRL.com
4:00pm Thu 28th August, 2014
Foundation Titan Luke Bailey remains unsure whether next week will be his 151st and final appearance for the club after being ruled out of Sunday's clash with the Warriors with a neck injury.
In the latest blow to forward stocks already reeling due to the absence of Nate Myles, Dave Taylor, Luke Douglas, Ashley Harrison, Ryan James and Ben Ridge, Bailey will be in a race against time to be fit for the Round 26 clash with the Bulldogs at Cbus Super Stadium, a game that will farewell fellow foundation player Mark Minichiello.
Electric centre James Roberts sent a further scare through the camp when he left training prematurely on Thursday morning suffering from back spasms but he will make the trip to New Zealand and is expected to play.
In a much-needed boost to the squad David Mead returns to the side from a hamstring injury and will take Brad Takairangi's place at left centre, handed the unenviable assignment of containing Warriors wrecking-ball Konrad Hurrell. Takairangi will move into the back row.
With a decision still to be made on the Titans' head coach for 2015 and beyond, after eight seasons at the Titans Bailey's future remains very much in limbo and will not be resolved until the appointment of John Cartwright's successor.
Interim coach Neil Henry was confident that Bailey's injury would recover in time to be available for next week but with the team to fly out for New Zealand on Friday said he couldn't be risked this week.
"It's responded already to treatment but to sit on a plane for a few hours and travel and play, it's not going to be right this weekend. We're very confident he'll be right for the Bulldogs game," Henry said.
"We're a bit of a bits-and-pieces team at the moment but there's no excuse once you get out there. Bails's neck's not right, he won't play and we really are a bit light on. I think we're down to 20 or 21 players in the squad that are available to play this weekend but there's no excuse for lack of effort or lack of intensity on the field."
The Titans have already had to ask for second-tier salary cap exemptions in order for Tom Kingston to take his place in the team while fellow back-rower Cody Nelson has agreed to a two-year deal with the Eels.
Despite the lack of senior players in the squad this weekend, Henry said it was up to individuals to display greater levels of intensity than that which they showed against the Dragons last Sunday.
"It's an individual responsibility to be up for a game of footy. It's not up to someone else to motivate you," Henry said.
"There is some leadership out there in the older players, 'Birdy' (Greg Bird) as captain and 'Mini'. Aidan Sezer's getting more experience as he's going on, he should take control there with Daniel Mortimer and 'Zilly' (William Zillman) at the back has played a lot of first grade.
"We've got enough guys out there that have played enough NRL to turn up and put on a good performance.
"They're coming off back-to-back losses and they need to win to stay in the finals hunt so we know they're going to be very determined for a win at home after last weekend's performance."
teke
Coach
Game Prediction ----> [URL=http://s7.photobucket.com/user/teke/media/vwarriors11a.gif.html]
[/URL]
[/URL]Hail Sezer
Moderator
My mate went along to watch us train today. Apparently we are looking very sloppy and unenthusiastic. Dropping lots of ball...not looking sharp by any means.
Might be a long day tomorrow.
Might be a long day tomorrow.
ozynorts
Star Player
I have yet to see Sezer take a game by the scruff of anything.
Zillman, sheer speed? Does this guy watch our games????
Toads
Captain
If the last few games are anything to go by. The Warriors Fans will probably feel ripped off even if they win..
DIEHARD
Administrator
Manu Vatuvei: Beauty of the beast
Manu Vatuvei should have been scared.
His heroes were bottom of the table, injury ravaged and punch-drunk after an embarrassingly meek surrender to Manly in their last game. The consensus was that a repeat would see the coach's head on a spike and the rest of the Warriors updating their CVs. It all made this away trip to the South Sydney Rabbitohs a particularly bad time to be making your debut.
The 18-year-old giant also knew he was in for some extra special attention - every newbie is tested for cracks - and if everything turned bad his blond Sideshow Bob afro, huge frame and gold-toothed grin would give him nowhere to hide.
With kick-off minutes away, the team folded into a huddle and promised to do everything they could to support their newest team mate: "They said they wanted it to be a day I'd never forget," recalls Vatuvei.
As much as he was trying to keep his emotions in check, there was no ignoring how much was at stake. Mum and dad were watching. "That's what made me nervous and scared."
Out on the field, he enjoyed a brief moment of anticipation before the reality of the game at this level struck home. He was out on his feet by the time the referee blew time. The Warriors had won 26-12 and the debutant celebrated by banging out the club's victory chant with legends like Stacey Jones.
It was by no means a fairy tale start. He'd been tryless while South Sydney scored twice down his wing, but he'd toughed it out before taking a high ball, spinning in the tackle and launching a play that ended 55m later in a Warriors try. He was happy, coach Daniel Anderson was happy, and more importantly, his parents were ecstatic.
If he wasn't yet "The Beast" he'd shown enough to earn re-selection.
That was all of 10 years ago. Now, with their final home game of 2014 tomorrow against the Titans and another tilt at the club's elusive first NRL title still a possibility, Vatuvei is as elemental to Warriors' fans as the chill wind that often sweeps over Mt Smart.
He's still only 28 - if his knees can hold together he's got plenty of tries left in him yet.
And if he has anything to do with it they'll all be scored for the Warriors, because if family is his motivation, loyalty and stability are Vatuvei's bedrock. It's a simple formula that has produced stellar results - he is one of the top 20 try-scorers in NRL's 106-year history, is one of only two NRL players to score 10 or more tries in nine consecutive seasons, was named the inaugural international winger of the year in 2008, and has been the Warriors top try-scorer for the past seven seasons.
What might be even more impressive is the stuff he hasn't done. For a sport often let down by the behaviour of its too-rich-too-young stars, Vatuvei has never put a foot wrong. You'll never see his name in a story about late night shenanigans and his first judicial penalty for an onfield indiscretion was as recent as June, a month after the NRL's Women in League gave him their annual Favourite Son Award which "acknowledges a player who acts as a role model for mothers and families; someone who continues to impress us on the field, however their off-field characteristics embody what it is we love about rugby league".
The recipient is a player whose "integrity and reputation make the game more appealing to women; someone who encourages mothers to involve their families in rugby league".
Vatuvei fits the bill; his club have even nominated him for the Ken Stephen Medal which recognises the NRL player who has made the most outstanding contribution to his community.
New Zealand Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei at Mount Smart Stadium. Photo / Jason Oxenham
As a kid growing up in Otara, athletics was Vatuvei's first sport. Sprinting, long jump and the odd field event - he shone at them all, until his family's influence saw him become "a hard-out rugby fan." Which isn't surprising, family is easily the biggest part of his life and he is adamant he owes everything to the work and sacrifice of his parents. Woe betide any opponent who dares use them in an onfield sledge.
His father, Siosifa Vatuvei, emigrated from Tonga in the early 70s and worked to buy a home and then fly his wife and three children over. Manu, the fourth of five kids, was born here in 1986.
He says their upbringing was average for the area, meaning his parents were strict, everyone did their bit to help, and with his father a minister in the Free Church of Tonga, every Sunday saw them trooping off to whatever hall the congregation could find. "Back then," he says, "church was just something I went to for the sake of it, a day-to-day thing for myself. I wasn't really connected to it." That's long since changed, as can be seen in his try celebrations, and like his father, he now takes his own family to the Life South Church in Mangere. His father also demanded nothing but Tongan be spoken at home to preserve their island connection.
Vatuvei's first code swap came at nine after a friend convinced him to drop rugby and join the Otara Scorpions league club. Vatuvei was already taller than most other boys, and his parents began taking his birth certificate along to pre-empt the usual age queries. By the time he was 12 he'd moved to the Otahuhu Leopards and was going to his first games at Mt Smart. "I loved it, the crowd and all that, the noise, and seeing the guys playing, they were my heroes. The thought that I'd end up there myself? Nah."
At 14, he was selected for a zonal representative side and caught the eye of 25-test Kiwi representative and Warriors coach-to-be Tony Kemp.
"Well, you couldn't miss him, he towered over the other kids, but the thing I remember most are his tries. He'd run 100m, put the ball down, then you'd think he'd broken his leg by the way he carried on. He'd limp back to halfway, then go the bench and sit down for a bit. Then he'd come back on and score another 100m try. I think he just needed a bit of a rest."
All the same, Vatuvei was considering a return to rugby when the deputy principal at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate got wind of it and talked him into playing for his team. A few months later he was bursting into his father's work place to share some joyful tears over an invitation to join the Warriors' development squad. Now he was facing players bigger
and more confident than he was. "It felt really scary . . . there was no under-20 or junior team so you could warm up to it, these were guys way older than me, in their 20s, who were playing (top level club competition) Bartercard Cup. It was tough, much tougher than I expected, but it was great for me. They were really warm to me, the usual for the Warriors. I felt really grateful, but I had to earn my stripes."
Vatuvei's dad would drive him to every training, often with both of his brothers in tow, and the family would hit the gym while he went off with the team.
"They'd all be there with his dad on the bike in his jeans and jandals," says Kemp. "He was funny, pretty fresh, and not a word of English. It was typically Polynesian, a beautiful family environment, and it made Manu the man he is today, a real gentleman."
Vatuvei was going on 17 when he was offered his first contract. "That first cheque, it wasn't much but I was really happy." Maybe it was the extra confidence of having a bit of cash, but it was around then that Vatuvei finally asked out Jennifer Ka, the girl he'd been admiring from afar for about five years. They've now been together for 11 years, have three girls, and married in 2010.
This was a time for growth, partying and pushing boundaries, good times he says he got away with because he was still "a nobody; no-one knew who I was. I could just enjoy myself".
His first appearance in the Warriors strip came in 2003 when he was selected for a pre-season warm up game against St George in Hamilton. Then in September he was selected for the Junior Kiwis to play against an Australian schoolboys side featuring Benji Marshall. Each step saw his training regime ratchet up a notch and he admits there were times it got so hard he considered dropping out. Again his father stepped in and started driving him to training earlier so he could put in some extra cardio work on the bike - a team effort that paid off when an injury created the ideal hole for a 1.89m, 110kg teenager to fill against the Rabbitohs on May 23, 2004.
Despite making only a handful of appearances that season, it was an offhand comment from Kemp that earned Vatuvei his now famous nickname "The Beast". Kemp mentioned to Herald reporter Peter Jessup how much Vatuvei reminded him of Kiwi legend Kevin "The Beast" Iro and the comparison became a headline that became a nickname that stuck.
Aside from his obvious bulk, Vatuvei was also the fastest in the Warriors squad and had Iro's mighty fend, but "unfortunately," Kemp told Jessup, "he has his hands as well".
Vatuvei wasn't shy about his goals - he's big on goals - he wanted to be better than Jonah Lomu, play as many games for the Warriors as possible and "score some tries on TV". By 2005 he'd made enough progress to be called into the New Zealand tri-nations side to face England and Australia. Did anyone scare him? "They all did, the (State of) Origin heroes, the club heroes, the guys in our team, I was intimidated by everyone. You just have to deal with it, trust in your skills and remember who you're playing for."
Vatuvei went on to score two tries in the Kiwis' unprecedented 24-0 win over Australia in the final. He has a film of the match, but has never watched it through - he just likes the end when he can see himself celebrating.
In 2006 he missed the birth of his first daughter, Makayla, as he was playing in Wellington. That didn't sit well at all; he revels in his role as provider and protector. He even told his partner to put her career as a personal trainer on pause to focus on family life, and later rejected her suggestion of a water birth for their second girl, Savannah.
Unfortunately he has never had similar control over his image as a player. No matter how many tries he scores, there are some who see his handling lapses as a liability and those voices grew rabid when Vatuvei cost the Warriors a game against Parramatta in 2007. On reflection, he sees that he had become complacent and forgone the extra training sessions that had worked for him in the past. But the scale and persistence of the criticism was humiliating and after a week on the bench it was an angry Beast who retook the field. His comeback became a powerful - if often forgotten - statement; his tries got the team into the finals and in their return match against the Eels he scored the first hat-trick of his NRL career.
The critics then roared back following a 2011 qualifying finals loss featuring a succession of Vatuvei fumbles - until it became known that he'd spent the preceding night in hospital watching over two very sick daughters. He will always put his family first, as he did in 2010 when a contract extension made the then 24-year-old the highest paid player on the club's roster. The first thing he did was buy his mum a new home in old Papatoetoe: "That was one of the goals I gave myself at the start and it's something I'm really proud of, but it's still not as much of a sacrifice as they've done for me."
Family is a highly charged concept for the big winger and it's not for show that he carries the family name along with those of his wife and children (now including 1-year-old Eva) on the strapping on his left wrist; he wears them as tattoos as well. He used to write "Brother" on the strapping for his other arm, in reference to his teammates, but since talking with his pastor he has this year changed it to Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
It's a line that not only applies to footy and family - he's getting increasingly involved in community work and is putting his free time into promoting Kidz First and the home insulation campaign. The Vatuveis still live in the area he grew up in and he's aware how few people there share the lifestyle and income that league has given him.
But he also knows his playing salary won't be there forever - he might be 28 but his body feels much older - and he makes no secret of his desire to eventually join the police like other Warriors, such as Tone Tatupu, before him. Vatuvei sees it as another way of giving back but it's also a dream stemming from a childhood love of superheroes and superpowers. It was either the police, the army or the SAS, and it only took one SAS training session to show him the folly of that idea.
With an additional two-year extension to his Warriors contract it appears this one-woman man will also be a one-club player with a career mirroring his team's rollercoaster highs and lows, including the loss of his close friend and fellow player Sonny Fa'i in 2009. He says there were times when he could easily have walked away, but for the club's hardcore supporters. "I don't think they know how grateful I've been for their support. It matters and it tells me who the actual fans are; they're not the ones you only hear from when you've had a good game and everything's going well, they're the ones who hold me up when it gets bad. And I'd say to them, you don't understand how much that means to me and how much it motivates me to keep going."
With two more games to go for the Warriors to have a chance at their first NRL title, let's hope the roar of the fans is loud and long.
Manu Vatuvei should have been scared.
His heroes were bottom of the table, injury ravaged and punch-drunk after an embarrassingly meek surrender to Manly in their last game. The consensus was that a repeat would see the coach's head on a spike and the rest of the Warriors updating their CVs. It all made this away trip to the South Sydney Rabbitohs a particularly bad time to be making your debut.
The 18-year-old giant also knew he was in for some extra special attention - every newbie is tested for cracks - and if everything turned bad his blond Sideshow Bob afro, huge frame and gold-toothed grin would give him nowhere to hide.
With kick-off minutes away, the team folded into a huddle and promised to do everything they could to support their newest team mate: "They said they wanted it to be a day I'd never forget," recalls Vatuvei.
As much as he was trying to keep his emotions in check, there was no ignoring how much was at stake. Mum and dad were watching. "That's what made me nervous and scared."
Out on the field, he enjoyed a brief moment of anticipation before the reality of the game at this level struck home. He was out on his feet by the time the referee blew time. The Warriors had won 26-12 and the debutant celebrated by banging out the club's victory chant with legends like Stacey Jones.
It was by no means a fairy tale start. He'd been tryless while South Sydney scored twice down his wing, but he'd toughed it out before taking a high ball, spinning in the tackle and launching a play that ended 55m later in a Warriors try. He was happy, coach Daniel Anderson was happy, and more importantly, his parents were ecstatic.
If he wasn't yet "The Beast" he'd shown enough to earn re-selection.
That was all of 10 years ago. Now, with their final home game of 2014 tomorrow against the Titans and another tilt at the club's elusive first NRL title still a possibility, Vatuvei is as elemental to Warriors' fans as the chill wind that often sweeps over Mt Smart.
He's still only 28 - if his knees can hold together he's got plenty of tries left in him yet.
And if he has anything to do with it they'll all be scored for the Warriors, because if family is his motivation, loyalty and stability are Vatuvei's bedrock. It's a simple formula that has produced stellar results - he is one of the top 20 try-scorers in NRL's 106-year history, is one of only two NRL players to score 10 or more tries in nine consecutive seasons, was named the inaugural international winger of the year in 2008, and has been the Warriors top try-scorer for the past seven seasons.
What might be even more impressive is the stuff he hasn't done. For a sport often let down by the behaviour of its too-rich-too-young stars, Vatuvei has never put a foot wrong. You'll never see his name in a story about late night shenanigans and his first judicial penalty for an onfield indiscretion was as recent as June, a month after the NRL's Women in League gave him their annual Favourite Son Award which "acknowledges a player who acts as a role model for mothers and families; someone who continues to impress us on the field, however their off-field characteristics embody what it is we love about rugby league".
The recipient is a player whose "integrity and reputation make the game more appealing to women; someone who encourages mothers to involve their families in rugby league".
Vatuvei fits the bill; his club have even nominated him for the Ken Stephen Medal which recognises the NRL player who has made the most outstanding contribution to his community.
New Zealand Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei at Mount Smart Stadium. Photo / Jason Oxenham
As a kid growing up in Otara, athletics was Vatuvei's first sport. Sprinting, long jump and the odd field event - he shone at them all, until his family's influence saw him become "a hard-out rugby fan." Which isn't surprising, family is easily the biggest part of his life and he is adamant he owes everything to the work and sacrifice of his parents. Woe betide any opponent who dares use them in an onfield sledge.
His father, Siosifa Vatuvei, emigrated from Tonga in the early 70s and worked to buy a home and then fly his wife and three children over. Manu, the fourth of five kids, was born here in 1986.
He says their upbringing was average for the area, meaning his parents were strict, everyone did their bit to help, and with his father a minister in the Free Church of Tonga, every Sunday saw them trooping off to whatever hall the congregation could find. "Back then," he says, "church was just something I went to for the sake of it, a day-to-day thing for myself. I wasn't really connected to it." That's long since changed, as can be seen in his try celebrations, and like his father, he now takes his own family to the Life South Church in Mangere. His father also demanded nothing but Tongan be spoken at home to preserve their island connection.
Vatuvei's first code swap came at nine after a friend convinced him to drop rugby and join the Otara Scorpions league club. Vatuvei was already taller than most other boys, and his parents began taking his birth certificate along to pre-empt the usual age queries. By the time he was 12 he'd moved to the Otahuhu Leopards and was going to his first games at Mt Smart. "I loved it, the crowd and all that, the noise, and seeing the guys playing, they were my heroes. The thought that I'd end up there myself? Nah."
At 14, he was selected for a zonal representative side and caught the eye of 25-test Kiwi representative and Warriors coach-to-be Tony Kemp.
"Well, you couldn't miss him, he towered over the other kids, but the thing I remember most are his tries. He'd run 100m, put the ball down, then you'd think he'd broken his leg by the way he carried on. He'd limp back to halfway, then go the bench and sit down for a bit. Then he'd come back on and score another 100m try. I think he just needed a bit of a rest."
All the same, Vatuvei was considering a return to rugby when the deputy principal at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate got wind of it and talked him into playing for his team. A few months later he was bursting into his father's work place to share some joyful tears over an invitation to join the Warriors' development squad. Now he was facing players bigger
and more confident than he was. "It felt really scary . . . there was no under-20 or junior team so you could warm up to it, these were guys way older than me, in their 20s, who were playing (top level club competition) Bartercard Cup. It was tough, much tougher than I expected, but it was great for me. They were really warm to me, the usual for the Warriors. I felt really grateful, but I had to earn my stripes."
Vatuvei's dad would drive him to every training, often with both of his brothers in tow, and the family would hit the gym while he went off with the team.
"They'd all be there with his dad on the bike in his jeans and jandals," says Kemp. "He was funny, pretty fresh, and not a word of English. It was typically Polynesian, a beautiful family environment, and it made Manu the man he is today, a real gentleman."
Vatuvei was going on 17 when he was offered his first contract. "That first cheque, it wasn't much but I was really happy." Maybe it was the extra confidence of having a bit of cash, but it was around then that Vatuvei finally asked out Jennifer Ka, the girl he'd been admiring from afar for about five years. They've now been together for 11 years, have three girls, and married in 2010.
This was a time for growth, partying and pushing boundaries, good times he says he got away with because he was still "a nobody; no-one knew who I was. I could just enjoy myself".
His first appearance in the Warriors strip came in 2003 when he was selected for a pre-season warm up game against St George in Hamilton. Then in September he was selected for the Junior Kiwis to play against an Australian schoolboys side featuring Benji Marshall. Each step saw his training regime ratchet up a notch and he admits there were times it got so hard he considered dropping out. Again his father stepped in and started driving him to training earlier so he could put in some extra cardio work on the bike - a team effort that paid off when an injury created the ideal hole for a 1.89m, 110kg teenager to fill against the Rabbitohs on May 23, 2004.
Despite making only a handful of appearances that season, it was an offhand comment from Kemp that earned Vatuvei his now famous nickname "The Beast". Kemp mentioned to Herald reporter Peter Jessup how much Vatuvei reminded him of Kiwi legend Kevin "The Beast" Iro and the comparison became a headline that became a nickname that stuck.
Aside from his obvious bulk, Vatuvei was also the fastest in the Warriors squad and had Iro's mighty fend, but "unfortunately," Kemp told Jessup, "he has his hands as well".
Vatuvei wasn't shy about his goals - he's big on goals - he wanted to be better than Jonah Lomu, play as many games for the Warriors as possible and "score some tries on TV". By 2005 he'd made enough progress to be called into the New Zealand tri-nations side to face England and Australia. Did anyone scare him? "They all did, the (State of) Origin heroes, the club heroes, the guys in our team, I was intimidated by everyone. You just have to deal with it, trust in your skills and remember who you're playing for."
Vatuvei went on to score two tries in the Kiwis' unprecedented 24-0 win over Australia in the final. He has a film of the match, but has never watched it through - he just likes the end when he can see himself celebrating.
In 2006 he missed the birth of his first daughter, Makayla, as he was playing in Wellington. That didn't sit well at all; he revels in his role as provider and protector. He even told his partner to put her career as a personal trainer on pause to focus on family life, and later rejected her suggestion of a water birth for their second girl, Savannah.
Unfortunately he has never had similar control over his image as a player. No matter how many tries he scores, there are some who see his handling lapses as a liability and those voices grew rabid when Vatuvei cost the Warriors a game against Parramatta in 2007. On reflection, he sees that he had become complacent and forgone the extra training sessions that had worked for him in the past. But the scale and persistence of the criticism was humiliating and after a week on the bench it was an angry Beast who retook the field. His comeback became a powerful - if often forgotten - statement; his tries got the team into the finals and in their return match against the Eels he scored the first hat-trick of his NRL career.
The critics then roared back following a 2011 qualifying finals loss featuring a succession of Vatuvei fumbles - until it became known that he'd spent the preceding night in hospital watching over two very sick daughters. He will always put his family first, as he did in 2010 when a contract extension made the then 24-year-old the highest paid player on the club's roster. The first thing he did was buy his mum a new home in old Papatoetoe: "That was one of the goals I gave myself at the start and it's something I'm really proud of, but it's still not as much of a sacrifice as they've done for me."
Family is a highly charged concept for the big winger and it's not for show that he carries the family name along with those of his wife and children (now including 1-year-old Eva) on the strapping on his left wrist; he wears them as tattoos as well. He used to write "Brother" on the strapping for his other arm, in reference to his teammates, but since talking with his pastor he has this year changed it to Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
It's a line that not only applies to footy and family - he's getting increasingly involved in community work and is putting his free time into promoting Kidz First and the home insulation campaign. The Vatuveis still live in the area he grew up in and he's aware how few people there share the lifestyle and income that league has given him.
But he also knows his playing salary won't be there forever - he might be 28 but his body feels much older - and he makes no secret of his desire to eventually join the police like other Warriors, such as Tone Tatupu, before him. Vatuvei sees it as another way of giving back but it's also a dream stemming from a childhood love of superheroes and superpowers. It was either the police, the army or the SAS, and it only took one SAS training session to show him the folly of that idea.
With an additional two-year extension to his Warriors contract it appears this one-woman man will also be a one-club player with a career mirroring his team's rollercoaster highs and lows, including the loss of his close friend and fellow player Sonny Fa'i in 2009. He says there were times when he could easily have walked away, but for the club's hardcore supporters. "I don't think they know how grateful I've been for their support. It matters and it tells me who the actual fans are; they're not the ones you only hear from when you've had a good game and everything's going well, they're the ones who hold me up when it gets bad. And I'd say to them, you don't understand how much that means to me and how much it motivates me to keep going."
With two more games to go for the Warriors to have a chance at their first NRL title, let's hope the roar of the fans is loud and long.
DIEHARD
Administrator
NRL: Soul-searching gives Warriors focus
Veteran Warriors five-eighth Thomas Leuluai believes a week of soul searching has scotched any complacency before tomorrow's crucial match against the Gold Coast Titans.
Leuluai said a poor attitude and lack of commitment, rather than any flawed tactics or game plan, were key factors in last Sunday's thrashing by the Sydney Roosters.
Correcting those areas would go a long way to ensuring they produce an improved performance to help keep their finals hopes alive.
"It's been pretty hard this week, we've been doing a lot of video on ourselves and a lot of soul searching and looking at ourselves with a little bit of honesty and it's been a tough week," explained Leuluai.
"It is attitude more than any specific area. When you get dominated like that everything looks bad but it all starts with just being physically dominated by the other pack and out-enthused in different areas. We're not looking in too deep, we've obviously got to be thorough with it but there are some areas of the game we just weren't good enough in.
"Our contact and defence, especially in that second-half, was pretty much non-existent. Around those points a lot of things look really bad but on the flip side if you fix that you can fix a few things all in one."
While it was easy to blame poor mental application for one poor game, Leuluai was unable to explain the team's gradual decline over the preceding three matches against the Sharks, Raiders and Knights.
"That's something that a lot of people at the club are scratching their head at. Teams go through it and have slumps but us, we sort of fell off there and I think if we knew the answer I don't think we'd be in this situation, so it's something we just have to keep working on."
The 29-year-old was critical of his own performance and refused to accept his recent positional shifts had affected his ability to re-establish a firm combination with halfback Shaun Johnson. Since returning from a groin injury off the bench in their round 19 clash against the Broncos, circumstances dictated that he fill the No 7 jersey in three matches against Manly, Canberra and Cronulla, before moving into hooking role against Newcastle and standoff against the Roosters.
"It wasn't the best game on the weekend for myself but in saying that it was a tough day really, I suppose for any half, when your forward pack's getting dominated like that. I'm not looking at it too greatly but there are areas in my game where I know I need to improve."
Aside from the must-win scenario they now find themselves in, tomorrow's contest carries extra weight for the Warriors, with the club hosting its annual Old Boys' Day. Leuluai says it is essential the side produce an effort befitting such a special occasion and one their predecessors can be proud of. "Hopefully we can put in a good performance for them."
Putting away the Titans will be no easy task but Leuluai insists the Warriors need only worry about meeting their own expectations.
"They've got nothing to lose and can be pretty unpredictable so for us we've got a pretty narrow focus and just have to apply ourselves well."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport
Veteran Warriors five-eighth Thomas Leuluai believes a week of soul searching has scotched any complacency before tomorrow's crucial match against the Gold Coast Titans.
Leuluai said a poor attitude and lack of commitment, rather than any flawed tactics or game plan, were key factors in last Sunday's thrashing by the Sydney Roosters.
Correcting those areas would go a long way to ensuring they produce an improved performance to help keep their finals hopes alive.
"It's been pretty hard this week, we've been doing a lot of video on ourselves and a lot of soul searching and looking at ourselves with a little bit of honesty and it's been a tough week," explained Leuluai.
"It is attitude more than any specific area. When you get dominated like that everything looks bad but it all starts with just being physically dominated by the other pack and out-enthused in different areas. We're not looking in too deep, we've obviously got to be thorough with it but there are some areas of the game we just weren't good enough in.
"Our contact and defence, especially in that second-half, was pretty much non-existent. Around those points a lot of things look really bad but on the flip side if you fix that you can fix a few things all in one."
While it was easy to blame poor mental application for one poor game, Leuluai was unable to explain the team's gradual decline over the preceding three matches against the Sharks, Raiders and Knights.
"That's something that a lot of people at the club are scratching their head at. Teams go through it and have slumps but us, we sort of fell off there and I think if we knew the answer I don't think we'd be in this situation, so it's something we just have to keep working on."
The 29-year-old was critical of his own performance and refused to accept his recent positional shifts had affected his ability to re-establish a firm combination with halfback Shaun Johnson. Since returning from a groin injury off the bench in their round 19 clash against the Broncos, circumstances dictated that he fill the No 7 jersey in three matches against Manly, Canberra and Cronulla, before moving into hooking role against Newcastle and standoff against the Roosters.
"It wasn't the best game on the weekend for myself but in saying that it was a tough day really, I suppose for any half, when your forward pack's getting dominated like that. I'm not looking at it too greatly but there are areas in my game where I know I need to improve."
Aside from the must-win scenario they now find themselves in, tomorrow's contest carries extra weight for the Warriors, with the club hosting its annual Old Boys' Day. Leuluai says it is essential the side produce an effort befitting such a special occasion and one their predecessors can be proud of. "Hopefully we can put in a good performance for them."
Putting away the Titans will be no easy task but Leuluai insists the Warriors need only worry about meeting their own expectations.
"They've got nothing to lose and can be pretty unpredictable so for us we've got a pretty narrow focus and just have to apply ourselves well."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport
DIEHARD
Administrator
Lillyman points to pack for struggling side's form slump
Prop Jacob Lillyman admits the Warriors' forwards have to take responsibility for the side's form drop.
The Queensland State of Origin front-rower says the pack need to lift their individual and collective efforts when they come up against the Gold Coast Titans tomorrow.
The 30-year-old has been one of the side's most consistent performers this season and was one of the few players who could be content with what he produced in last week's outing against the Roosters. In 48 minutes Lillyman contributed 19 runs for 145 metres and made 20 tackles to lead the way for his underwhelming teammates.
"I think we've been pretty good most of the year but a couple of weeks there where we weren't at our best so we'll just have to try and aim up and try and get the job done this week. They're always tough, the Titans. They always turn up and it's always a real physical battle and we've just got to be ready for that."
Coach Andrew McFadden agreed his forwards had struggled to match the Roosters' big men and said that had a flow-on effect of stifling the side's playmakers Shaun Johnson and Thomas Leuluai.
"Your halves don't have much of an opportunity unless you really win that battle in the middle so I'm definitely going to challenge our forwards this weekend," McFadden said.
Lillyman admitted it had been hard to see the team's fortunes change in a matter of weeks.
"It's been very frustrating. But we're not out of it yet and we've just got to maintain that positive frame of mind and try and just focus on winning this game."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/
Prop Jacob Lillyman admits the Warriors' forwards have to take responsibility for the side's form drop.
The Queensland State of Origin front-rower says the pack need to lift their individual and collective efforts when they come up against the Gold Coast Titans tomorrow.
The 30-year-old has been one of the side's most consistent performers this season and was one of the few players who could be content with what he produced in last week's outing against the Roosters. In 48 minutes Lillyman contributed 19 runs for 145 metres and made 20 tackles to lead the way for his underwhelming teammates.
"I think we've been pretty good most of the year but a couple of weeks there where we weren't at our best so we'll just have to try and aim up and try and get the job done this week. They're always tough, the Titans. They always turn up and it's always a real physical battle and we've just got to be ready for that."
Coach Andrew McFadden agreed his forwards had struggled to match the Roosters' big men and said that had a flow-on effect of stifling the side's playmakers Shaun Johnson and Thomas Leuluai.
"Your halves don't have much of an opportunity unless you really win that battle in the middle so I'm definitely going to challenge our forwards this weekend," McFadden said.
Lillyman admitted it had been hard to see the team's fortunes change in a matter of weeks.
"It's been very frustrating. But we're not out of it yet and we've just got to maintain that positive frame of mind and try and just focus on winning this game."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/
DIEHARD
Administrator
Titans Kiwi front-rower growing as a professional
Mark Ioane returns to the scene of his NRL debut on Sunday with a greater appreciation of the demands placed on a professional footballer.
A member of the Warriors inaugural under-20s' Toyota Cup-winning squad in 2010, Ioane started his first grade career at Mt Smart on the Gold Coast Titans' previous visit to Auckland in April last year, and since then his appearances have been frustratingly infrequent.
He played seven games in his maiden season and has only managed a marginal improvement in 2014 as the relatively under-sized front rower has to bide his time behind an experienced propping rotation featuring former and current Kangaroos internationals Luke Bailey and Nate Myles.
Luke Douglas and Matt White also boast 351 NRL games between them, leaving the Auckland-born 23-year-old as a stop gap measure.
He fulfils that role against the Warriors due to Myles's season-ending shoulder injury and former Cronulla Shark Douglas sitting out the remainder of the Titans disappointing campaign due to a suspension imposed by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.
His responsibility then increased yesterday when 269-game veteran Bailey was unable to travel due to a neck injury.
Ioane had to wait until White was suspended to step up from Queensland Cup duty with the Burleigh Bears in round eight, he faced the Warriors during the visitors' 24-16 win at Cbus Stadium in May but then endured a five-round block in reserve grade before embarking on his most productive spell on the interchange bench.
''The other guys are more experienced than me I guess,'' Ioane told Fairfax Media when quizzed ahead of his 10th appearance of the season.
''I wish I'd played a lot more first grade this year but I knew coming to the club I'd be faced with a lot of experienced rep footy players.''
Ioane confronted the same scenario when he joined the Canberra Raiders in 2011, where first grade was never a realistic option for the former Junior Kiwi while David Shillington, Brett White, Dane Tilse and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs stayed fit.
Titans foundation coach John Cartwright, who was stripped of that role earlier this month, offered Ioane an opportunity and although he has still struggled to establish himself in a struggling pack, training alongside Origin and test players has been beneficial.
''I've got a lot of feedback from most of those boys, they've been helping out my game and that should make me a better player.
''I see the one per centers they do on the field and the extras off it.
''Guys come in and do an extra session so I've built that into my training schedule. I've learnt a lot since my first year and the pre-season with the boys.''
''I'm still developing as a NRL player but I'm getting used to it.''
Ioane has a year remaining on his three-season deal and with Bailey expected to retire after the final round clash with the Bulldogs he can anticipate more game time in 2015 should he continue to mature.
''He's been a massive influence on my game,'' said Ioane, putting the 34-year-old on the same pedestal as Ruben Wiki when he was at the Warriors.
''When you're a young bloke coming into the NRL you don't really know the expectations of being a professional footy player.
''That was the biggest wake up call for me, just knowing there's a lot more to footy than just playing the game."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/
Mark Ioane returns to the scene of his NRL debut on Sunday with a greater appreciation of the demands placed on a professional footballer.
A member of the Warriors inaugural under-20s' Toyota Cup-winning squad in 2010, Ioane started his first grade career at Mt Smart on the Gold Coast Titans' previous visit to Auckland in April last year, and since then his appearances have been frustratingly infrequent.
He played seven games in his maiden season and has only managed a marginal improvement in 2014 as the relatively under-sized front rower has to bide his time behind an experienced propping rotation featuring former and current Kangaroos internationals Luke Bailey and Nate Myles.
Luke Douglas and Matt White also boast 351 NRL games between them, leaving the Auckland-born 23-year-old as a stop gap measure.
He fulfils that role against the Warriors due to Myles's season-ending shoulder injury and former Cronulla Shark Douglas sitting out the remainder of the Titans disappointing campaign due to a suspension imposed by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.
His responsibility then increased yesterday when 269-game veteran Bailey was unable to travel due to a neck injury.
Ioane had to wait until White was suspended to step up from Queensland Cup duty with the Burleigh Bears in round eight, he faced the Warriors during the visitors' 24-16 win at Cbus Stadium in May but then endured a five-round block in reserve grade before embarking on his most productive spell on the interchange bench.
''The other guys are more experienced than me I guess,'' Ioane told Fairfax Media when quizzed ahead of his 10th appearance of the season.
''I wish I'd played a lot more first grade this year but I knew coming to the club I'd be faced with a lot of experienced rep footy players.''
Ioane confronted the same scenario when he joined the Canberra Raiders in 2011, where first grade was never a realistic option for the former Junior Kiwi while David Shillington, Brett White, Dane Tilse and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs stayed fit.
Titans foundation coach John Cartwright, who was stripped of that role earlier this month, offered Ioane an opportunity and although he has still struggled to establish himself in a struggling pack, training alongside Origin and test players has been beneficial.
''I've got a lot of feedback from most of those boys, they've been helping out my game and that should make me a better player.
''I see the one per centers they do on the field and the extras off it.
''Guys come in and do an extra session so I've built that into my training schedule. I've learnt a lot since my first year and the pre-season with the boys.''
''I'm still developing as a NRL player but I'm getting used to it.''
Ioane has a year remaining on his three-season deal and with Bailey expected to retire after the final round clash with the Bulldogs he can anticipate more game time in 2015 should he continue to mature.
''He's been a massive influence on my game,'' said Ioane, putting the 34-year-old on the same pedestal as Ruben Wiki when he was at the Warriors.
''When you're a young bloke coming into the NRL you don't really know the expectations of being a professional footy player.
''That was the biggest wake up call for me, just knowing there's a lot more to footy than just playing the game."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/