www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
Fien was again named at five-eighth for the home clash with Melbourne on Sunday - a position that has been earmarked next season for Brisbane's Joel Moon, who makes way in the Broncos side to host Cronulla on Friday night for the return of Justin Hodges from suspension.
Apparently I'm apathetic, but I couldn't care less.
"Being a Partick Thistle fan sets you apart. It means youre a free thinker. It also means your team has no money." Tim Luckhurst, The Independent, 4th December 2003
Reports in New Zealand yesterday said that Hanover Finance, which Watson owns with Mark Hotchin, was to freeze about $NZ500 million ($390 million) of investors' money and start working on a restructuring plan.
It triggered fears about the impact it might have on the Warriors, but Scurrah told the Herald last night: "We've been well briefed on it and it is business as normal. It's a very small part of Eric's business interests. The club is in a stable financial position."
Experienced utility Nathan Fien has been granted permission by the New Zealand Warriors to approach other clubs before coming off contract at the end of the 2009 National Rugby League (NRL) season.
Fien, who has made 86 appearances for the Warriors since joining the club in 2005, said he wanted to investigate continuing his career at another club.
"I'm really happy in Auckland and so is my family but this is the way football business goes," he said yesterday.
"I've been told I'm not a part of the plans at the Warriors after 2009.
"With that in mind, I've asked whether I can have a look at the market and that if something comes up, the club would look at a release."
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said Fien, who turns 29 on August 1, remained part of the club's planned NRL roster next year.
"Nathan has given the club fantastic service," he said.
"But we've let him know well in advance that, at this stage, he doesn't feature in our plans for 2010 and beyond.
"We thought it was only fair to give him an honest view of how we see things as early as possible so it gives him plenty of time to secure a long-term future."
Scurrah said the club wanted Fien to see out his contract.
Fien will again line up for the Warriors at standoff against Melbourne in Auckland on Sunday, a game that will take his NRL career tally to 178 appearances.
Apparently I'm apathetic, but I couldn't care less.
"Being a Partick Thistle fan sets you apart. It means youre a free thinker. It also means your team has no money." Tim Luckhurst, The Independent, 4th December 2003
In signing Joel Moon they have earmarked him for number 6, properly saw the writing on the wall for Fien, his age 29, maybe counted against him. However he has been a good performer for the warriors during his time at the club.
In my opinion, the warriors missed out on a great signing last year when Michael Monoghan (not sure this is correct spelling) came off contract with Manly, one of the most underrated players in the NRL, he could have been an excellent half-back for the warriors.
Warriors doctors say Manu Vatuvei is making steady progress from a foot injury and could be back as early as next weekend
Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei could return to the NRL as early as next weekend.
Vatuvei's been sidelined for a month after re-aggravating a foot injury in the loss to Manly in round 15.
Warriors team doctor John Mayhew says Vatuvei is making steady progress and could be in contention in the near future. He says after a couple weeks of rest Vatuvei is now on a week-by-week scenario.
Dr Mayhew says fullback Wade McKinnon still has a possibility of playing this season, although they are wary of rushing him back too early.
From Radio Sport,Im not a fan of shifting hohaia to 7. they need to leave 6 and 7 as is in run in i think. If McKinnon comes back then hohaia comes onto bench and ropati goes from it. Tough on Jerome as i think he could be a very good player but unless one of fai or tate lose form completely he wont be going back to centres and hohaia is a good utility
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
Got home from Mt Smart soaked, freezing and very happy. Good performance and not a bad crowd considering how s**t the weather was. Apparently I'm apathetic, but I couldn't care less.
"Being a Partick Thistle fan sets you apart. It means youre a free thinker. It also means your team has no money." Tim Luckhurst, The Independent, 4th December 2003
Vodafone Warriors coach Ivan Cleary has again been able to name a settled line-up for Saturday night�s round 21 NRL encounter with South Sydney at ANZ Stadium.
It�s the fourth week running that the Vodafone Warriors have announced the same 17 players as they look to extend their run of four successive victories.
This weekend�s match will be their second straight away assignment at ANZ Stadium, after their 40-22 win against the Bulldogs there on July 19.
Sunday�s 8-6 win against defending premiers the Melbourne Storm has levelled up the Vodafone Warriors� overall 2008 record at nine wins and nine losses, giving them a share of eight spot on 22 points just behind Penrith (23), St George Illawarra (24) and Brisbane (25).
When they met the Rabbitohs in Auckland on June 6, they led 16-0 early on but lost 28-35.
�It was really disappointing the way we lost that game,� said Cleary.
�We�ve made a lot of progress since that night and we needed to but the Rabbitohs are still a side that can expose you. We saw that in the way they played in the weeks after beating us.
�Nothing changes. We have to prepare as well for this game as any other. Beating the Storm was a boost for us but now we have to back it up this week.�
The win against Melbourne was built on a defensive effort that showed just 13 missed tackles in the entire match while the Storm missed 32.
Loose forward Micheal Luck and hooker Ian Henderson made 56 tackles each while second rower Simon Mannering (39), Ruben Wiki (33) and Steve Price (31) all topped 30. Mannering and Wiki had no missed tackles or ineffective tackles.
Luck (26) has moved ahead of Gold Coast�s Nathan Friend as the NRL�s top tackler. He has 730 in 18 games, an average of 40.6 a match. Last year he headed the season�s tackle stats with 959. Luck will play his 69th match on end for the club on Saturday night.
Sonny Fai has scored a try in each of the four games he has played since starting in the centres; he has been the first try scorer in each of the Vodafone Warriors� last three games.
By kicking two penalties against the Storm, fullback Lance Hohaia reached 250 points in his first-grade career.
VODAFONE WARRIORS V SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
ANZ Stadium, Homebush
7.30pm, Saturday, August 2
VODAFONE WARRIORS
COACH: IVAN CLEARY
The Warriors may be boosted by the return of try-scoring machine Manu Vatuvei against Souths tonight.
The big man flew out with the squad as 18th man yesterday and was listed "a chance to play" after weeks recovering from a leg fracture as the Warriors go into a game they should face with a win-at-all-costs attitude. Wade McKinnon also travelled with then team but it was not known whether he was a chance to play.
Three for me, and two for them.
Queenslander 3x a year.
Coach Ivan Cleary hopes to recall gamebreaker Wade McKinnon against Brisbane on Saturday as the New Zealand Warriors regroup from last night's ugly National Rugby League (NRL) speed bump.
With a spot inside the top-eight beckoning, the error-ridden Warriors lost 16-18 to Souths at Sydney's ANZ Stadium to end a four-match winning streak.
Handling errors by the Warriors led to the Rabbitohs' first two tries, while the visitors butchered three touchdowns of their own when Sonny Fai (fifth minute), Jerome Ropati (31st) and Evarn Tuimavave (70th) all dropped the ball with the line open.
"We let ourselves down. . . particularly at this stage of the season, two points is very valuable and we just didn't give it a good shot which really hurts me and the other 16 boys sitting in the dressing room," captain Steve Price said.
Victory would have elevated the Warriors into the top eight, as rivals Penrith, Gold Coast and St George-Illawarra also lost, but instead they remain in the logjam on the fringes of the eight.
Three wins from their last five matches should be enough to book a playoffs spot but it's a tricky run in against Brisbane (home), Cronulla (home), St George-Illawarra (away), Penrith (home) and Parramatta (away).
Cleary yesterday recalled giant winger Manu Vatuvei (leg fracture) in Sydney for his first match in six weeks, and hinted the Warriors could face the Broncos at full strength for the first time this year as fullback McKinnon eyes a return from a long-term knee injury.
"He's pretty close but he's still got to get through some things at training," Cleary said.
"As long as there's no setbacks, fingers crossed he'll be back on the field soon. He's a chance next week."
That leaves Cleary with a selection headache because fullback Lance Hohaia was one of the Warriors' best against Souths, scoring two tries and setting up the other for Ropati in a stunning 90m movement.
Hohaia's first try was another long-range Warriors special as Fai sent Vatuvei on a 40m gallop through several tacklers to leave the fullback a 25m dash which tied the scores 12-12 at halftime.
A jubilant David Kidwell broke the deadlock with a converted try from a Chris Sandow grubber, then Hohaia hit the goalpost in trying to convert his second try six minutes later.
Kiwis veteran Kidwell was recalled by Souths coach Jason Taylor after a three-week absence, having turned his season around after Taylor stripped him of the co-captaincy for disciplinary reasons.
Tuimavave had the winning of the game in his hands but dropped a Sam Rapira offload 5m out, then tough Souths defence denied the Warriors, who hammered their line in the dying minutes.
It was Souths' second consecutive win over the Warriors, who had won their previous 12 matches, and left captain Roy Asotasi's 14th-placed side with a mathematical playoffs hope.
Both the Warriors coach and captain were at a loss to explain the turnaround from the 8-6 win over defending champions Melbourne last weekend.
"We were nowhere near the same standard as what we were last week, or even the six weeks before that," Price said.
"We defended really well but you can't afford to give any first-grade team opportunities in your own half, and we just gave them too many easy opportunities."
Winger Aidan Kirk suffered a hamstring injury and Cleary rated him doubtful for next weekend.
- NZPA
Vodafone Warriors fullback Wade McKinnon will make his comeback from knee surgery in Saturday night�s round 22 clash against Brisbane at Mt Smart Stadium.
The 27-year-old had a knee reconstruction after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage in his right knee in the club�s preseason trial against Newcastle on February 15.
Two months ago team doctor John Mayhew indicated McKinnon was recovering well and was expected to be able to play before the end of this 2008 campaign.
That came to fruition today when coach Ivan Cleary named him in the No 1 jersey to take on Brisbane in his first game of the season and the 100th of his career.
�It�s a tribute to Wade and our medical staff that he�s in a position to come back into the side now,� he said.
�He�s done everything required of him and we�re pleased he�s made it back for what is another really important game for us against one of the competition�s best sides.
�At the same time, we�ve been thrilled with the job Lance (Hohaia) has done taking on the fullback�s job until now. He�s been our fix it man.�
McKinnon said he�s excited he�s able to play some NRL football in 2008.
�I really appreciate the work the medical guys have done and I can�t wait to get back into it,� he said.
�It�s been difficult at times working my way back from the operation but everyone has been helping me.
�It�s a huge game for us as a club taking on the Broncos. It always is when you play them and I�m really looking forward to being out there with the boys again.�
This will be his 23rd appearance for the Vodafone Warriors after 26 matches for South Sydney in 2002-03 and 51 games for Parramatta in 2004-06.
With McKinnon returning, Hohaia moves to the interchange bench while Michael Witt is also recalled. After playing for the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup, Witt has been brought back at standoff with Nathan Fien taking over at halfback from Grant Rovelli.
Cleary has also made some other changes. Malo Solomona is back on the right wing for Aidan Kirk � who�s out of contention with a hamstring injury � while Jerome Ropati starts at left centre ahead of Sonny Fai. Epalahame Lauaki, who has also been with the Vulcans for the last few weeks, takes Evarn Tuimavave�s spot on the bench.
Off-season signing Brent Tate will play against his old club for the first time.
This is the second season running that the Vodafone Warriors have played the Broncos just once (both times in Auckland).
When the two teams met in round two last year, the Vodafone Warriors beat the then defending premiers 24-14 while Brisbane won both encounters between the two sides in 2006.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v BRISBANE BRONCOS
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
7.30pm, Saturday, August 9
Smith, who joined Wigan two months ago, could be released to allow the English club to chase sacked Canberra half Todd Carney.
Smith effectively represents the last halfback option for the Warriors.
Warriors 42-20 penrith
Win next versus eels and results go are our way and they are in the top 8
the send-off was pretty harsh