I think the Warriors will do the same as they did last year.
You would also like to think the Rabbitohs will finally fire. But are there half's going to be good enough. I do rate Sandow but think they are lacking there.
You have got to think the The storm and St George will be up there. With the Tigers and even the Roosters.
My pick to win it would have to be the Tigers. Being that Benji does not get injured.
Warriors to finish 6th and the Sharks to finish bottom again.
What do you guys all think?
The Mighty Warriors - Fever League Fred
Team for the Eels game. No Locke or Inu. Not surprising, Inu didn't impress me in any of the pre-season trials. Heremaia is lucky to be there as well, based on his pre-season form. Strong looking team though, which is odd cos we're starting with more or less what we had last season apart from The Fish and Mateo (and Berrigan and Baby Rapira on the bench)
1. Lance Hohaia
2. Glen Fisiiahi
3. Joel Moon
4. Jerome Ropati
5. Manu Vatuvei
6. James Maloney
7. Brett Seymour
8. Sam Rapira
9. Aaron Heremaia
10. Russell Packer
11. Simon Mannering (capt)
12. Feleti Mateo
13. Michael Luck.
Interchange: Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman, Lewis Brown, Shaun Berrigan, Steve Rapira (one to be omitted).
GO THE FISH!
Jag2011-03-08 09:45:57
When you think about the guys that arent in that 18 it is a seriously good side. Isaac John, Shaun Johnston, Kevin Locke, Krisnan Inu, Alehana Mara, Ukuma Taai, Sione Lousi, Bill Tupou.
I dont fancy playing the Vulcans much!
Why isn't Locke playing?
Interesting to see Fisihaii there or how ever u spell it. I think he could be a very good player for them this year
Interesting to see Fisihaii there or how ever u spell it. I think he could be a very good player for them this year
Fisiiahi looked better in the trials, imo. Also from what I saw last season (and in the trials), I think he's a better option at fullback than Locke, in case Ivan wants to change things around and stick Hohaia at hooker during games. Jag2011-03-08 13:39:13
Locke is only problem is he is so small. But then again so is Hohaia. I like Locke because of the speed that he has.
Can't wait for the game
27k tickets sold
Can't wait for the game
27k tickets sold
The Fish is quicker than Locke
You have proof or u just think he is
Alan Mac said so on the radio today. Alan Mac is the bible on all things.
Am extremely gutted. Had tickets to a box with a mate but have to go to PolyFest Kapa Haka practice. F*ck me.
Ill take them 
When you think about the guys that arent in that 18 it is a seriously good side. Isaac John, Shaun Johnston, Kevin Locke, Krisnan Inu, Alehana Mara, Ukuma Taai, Sione Lousi, Bill Tupou.
I dont fancy playing the Vulcans much!
Vulcans team for this weekend:
1 Johnny Aranga
2 Kevin Locke
3 Shaun Metcalf
4 Krisnan Inu
5 Bill Tupou
6 Isaac John
7 Pita Godinet
8 Jeremy Latimore
9 Darin Kingi
10 James Gavet
11 Ukuma Ta�ai
12 Matt Robinson
13 Elijah Taylor
14 Alehana Mara
15 Mataupu Poching
16 Sema Mataora
17 Anthony Gelling
18 Saulala Houma
Holy bejesus. Anyone know whats happening with Shaun Johnston? Sooner or later they are going to have to give him a shot at first grade I would have thought.
Holy bejesus. Anyone know whats happening with Shaun Johnston? Sooner or later they are going to have to give him a shot at first grade I would have thought.
He's injured.
Fair enough then. Thoughts on him Jag and how you get him involved in First Grade? I would think that eventually you have to let one of him or John go unless Maloney and Seymour will want to much money after winning us a Premiership this year....
It's a tough one. He's definitely a prospect. I think it's a bit of Catch 22, he doesn't have the experience to get a start, but he won't gt the experience unless he gets a start.
WARRIORS fans will today be asking why their $300,000 star signing is this weekend making his regular season debut for the club at Leichhardt Oval in the NSW Cup.
The Warriors were also struggling to explain why smiling assassin Krisnan Inu - one of the highest-profile club hoppers in the off-season - was yesterday demoted to play for the Auckland Vulcans against Wentworthville on Saturday.
It came as Warriors coach Ivan Cleary alluded to an incident behind closed doors that is understood to have had a negative bearing on the 23-year-old New Zealand international's chances of winning a spot in the Warriors' top 17.
"He knows what he did and that will stay between us," Cleary said yesterday.
The Warriors mentor refused to comment on the club's team selection process, but did defend his decision to promote rising star Glen Fisiiahi at Inu and Kevin Locke's expense.
Twenty-year-old NRL debutant Fisiiahi was named to play outside Joel Moon on the wing after out-performing Inu and Locke in the club's pre-season trials.
"Glen Fisiiahi is in the team because he deserves to be," Cleary said.
"There was certainly plenty of competition for the right wing, as there was for positions right across the park. But Glen deserves his chance for this game."
Inu's manager Isaac Moses said his star client was disappointed to have been left out of the Warriors' starting side, but said Inu remained upbeat about his chances of returning to the top grade.
Moses also denied there was any rift between Inu and Cleary.
"I had lunch with him on Saturday and he said he loves it over there," he said. "He knows there's things he needs to work on but he's enjoying New Zealand, enjoying working with Ivan. He's working hard to get into the team."
Joining Fisiiahi in their first appearances for their new club are experienced new signings Feleti Mateo and Shaun Berrigan, with Mateo named in the second row against his former teammates, while ex-Brisbane utility Berrigan has been picked on the interchange bench.<!-- / message -->
Jag2011-03-09 11:55:41
Problem for him is that he's well down the pecking order at the moment and we're reasonably well off in the halves. I think Seymour will go after this season, and possibly Maloney (although, off the top of my head I can't remember when Jimmy's present contract runs out) so that might do his chances some good, if we can hold on to him that long. Be a shame if we lost him, him and John (and Godinet) are useful players. I actually prefer John to Seymour, to be honest.
As for Mr Inu! Found this on my travels. Interesting!
WARRIORS fans will today be asking why their $300,000 star signing is this weekend making his regular season debut for the club at Leichhardt Oval in the NSW Cup.
The Warriors were also struggling to explain why smiling assassin Krisnan Inu - one of the highest-profile club hoppers in the off-season - was yesterday demoted to play for the Auckland Vulcans against Wentworthville on Saturday.
It came as Warriors coach Ivan Cleary alluded to an incident behind closed doors that is understood to have had a negative bearing on the 23-year-old New Zealand international's chances of winning a spot in the Warriors' top 17.
"He knows what he did and that will stay between us," Cleary said yesterday.
The Warriors mentor refused to comment on the club's team selection process, but did defend his decision to promote rising star Glen Fisiiahi at Inu and Kevin Locke's expense.
Twenty-year-old NRL debutant Fisiiahi was named to play outside Joel Moon on the wing after out-performing Inu and Locke in the club's pre-season trials.
"Glen Fisiiahi is in the team because he deserves to be," Cleary said.
"There was certainly plenty of competition for the right wing, as there was for positions right across the park. But Glen deserves his chance for this game."
Inu's manager Isaac Moses said his star client was disappointed to have been left out of the Warriors' starting side, but said Inu remained upbeat about his chances of returning to the top grade.
Moses also denied there was any rift between Inu and Cleary.
"I had lunch with him on Saturday and he said he loves it over there," he said. "He knows there's things he needs to work on but he's enjoying New Zealand, enjoying working with Ivan. He's working hard to get into the team."
Joining Fisiiahi in their first appearances for their new club are experienced new signings Feleti Mateo and Shaun Berrigan, with Mateo named in the second row against his former teammates, while ex-Brisbane utility Berrigan has been picked on the interchange bench.
hmm i wonder what he did...
Bit surprising with Inu, but oh well. My favourite player is Joel Moon, rapt to see him in a starting spot. If our halves step up we are real title shots
Really Joel Moon?
I don't rate him definitely not in the centers any way.
I don't rate him definitely not in the centers any way.
Moon's a good player. Underrated, took every chance he got last year and deserved to be treated better than he was. Joel and J-Ro should be first choice at centre, imo. Inu's best hope is to get a spot on the wing but there's a fair bit of competition there now. Healthy position for us to be in.
Think you will find Moon will become a stand out this season.In the past he has been shoved around between the centres and standoff,with Tait gone i for one hope he steps up.Still not sure why they wasted money on Inu.
Think you will find Moon will become a stand out this season.In the past he has been shoved around between the centres and standoff,with Tait gone i for one hope he steps up.Still not sure why they wasted money on Inu.
Oh sh*t, we agree on something.
Hope that he does well..... but for now I still don't rate him
NHpeter2011-03-09 23:08:01
Went to the charity match today, only a 5,000 person turn out which was really poor. But those that were there were good. Good game, bit of fun and good to see those old players out there in action.
The timing of that League Legends was piss-poor, it is a terriffic idea but why not hold it in Auckland on a weekend when the Warriors are playing in Aussie.
As it stands, they're asking the league community in AKL to go to a game on Thurs night and then another one on Sat night.
Great concept, but just feel the timing was off...
As it stands, they're asking the league community in AKL to go to a game on Thurs night and then another one on Sat night.
Great concept, but just feel the timing was off...
They'll get 30+ easy, I reckon.
Hopefully. 19K was the last I heard and I think that was late last week, so I'd be looking at 30K.
Gus doesn't rate the warriors
He is Australian so go figure
For the League fans there's quite a good podcast out on iTunes called 'Not the Footy Show'. Runs for about an hour each week, so far they've had a preview show of the season, and then a preview show on Rnd 1.
What a opening game
great finish, should be a good season to watch
Got my tickets for tonight's game. Pretty crappy seats. Shouldn't have left it so late this time
They can't be opening up the whole stadium. As we have to sit in the corner and there was like no seats left any where
Minute silence fail 
Looks like the same old warriors to me.
Poor ball handling,stupid penalties late in the count,and soft tries.
Poor ball handling,stupid penalties late in the count,and soft tries.
Vatuvei off after 14 mins 
, wasnt a great tackle by the Eels winger
[Edit: torn medial ligament, out for 6-8 weeks]
Ryan's Rovers2011-03-12 20:34:32
, wasnt a great tackle by the Eels winger[Edit: torn medial ligament, out for 6-8 weeks]
Ryan's Rovers2011-03-12 20:34:32
manu out for 6-8 weeks-thats guys got damn bad luck
That was a pretty ugly play that caused that. he's gone low with no arms aiming for the knee. I'd like to hear the wails of anguish from Eels fans if someone went in like that on Hayne.