Warriors prop still learning his trade
IN a season where the positives were few and far between, Albert Vete’s emergence as a starting NRL front-rower somewhat slipped under the radar as the Warriors finished another campaign out of the finals.
But in what can only be a promising sign heading into 2017, the former schoolboy rugby union star says he is only now beginning to feel comfortable in the 13-man game.
‘‘I do have a fair idea of what my roll is as a front-rower but I still feel like I’m still developing and still learning,’’ Vete said.
‘‘Obviously having a rugby background has been a bit different and has been pretty difficult to make that transition but I feel like I’ve got the hang of things at the moment.’’
There may be a couple more weeks until we welcome in the new year but, for the most part, the Warriors are done with 2016 and have been for some time.
It’s not that the pain of another failed campaign has been forgotten, but more than six weeks into pre-season under new coach Stephen Kearney, the focus is all about what lies ahead rather than looking back.
For some individual players, at least, last season was not a complete write-off and Vete is one of those who can be relatively pleased with his progress.
The 23-year-old admittedly had a slow start to the year and learned a big lesson as one of the six players stood down over the prescription drugs and energy drinks saga.
But he bounced back to start the club’s last 11 games, keeping test prop Ben Matulino on the interchange bench and taking his overall tally to 36 appearances.
Having only made his NRL debut in 2015, Vete is now a crucial cog in the club’s forwards rotation, so much so that it is easy to forget that he only started playing league three years earlier.
Vete grew up in union and captained Saint Kentigern College to victory in the Auckland first XV competition before being lured to the Warriors’ NYC programme.
A hard-running enforcer who only knows one way, he is now working on the little things in the hope of becoming a more complete player.
‘‘It’s now just about fine-tuning and seeing when to put in most of my energy and when to be conservative because I’ve got to get ready to defend.’’
One of several players offcontract at the end of next season, 2017 shapes as an important year for Vete. With his best still ahead of him, the Warriors are unlikely to allow another club to swoop in and capitalise on their development.
But Vete is taking nothing for granted, particularly after becoming a father for the first time GETTY IMAGES earlier this year.
‘‘We’re only contracted for a certain amount of time so when it does come up it’s definitely on your mind,’’ he said.
‘‘Especially now I’ve got a young family, so looking out for them will be my priority – wherever that is, if it’s here at the club or somewhere else. ‘‘
Vete has considered going back to rugby and may do so further down the track.
But he is loving his time at the Warriors and is focused on impressing the new coach.
Unlike many of his teammates, Vete had never met Kearney prior to him replacing Andrew McFadden.
But the former Kiwis boss made an impact right from the very first team meeting.
‘‘To be honest I was nervous, I think a lot of the players were,’’ Vete said.
‘‘He was pretty fiery but I sort of expected that.
‘‘I thought that whoever was going to come in as head coach that they definitely needed to lay down the law in terms of what his expectations are for us and maybe what the perceptions of our team are at the moment.’’ MANLY have not waited long to part ways with Kevin Locke after Queensland Cup outfit Sunshine Coast Falcons revealed the former Warriors flyer has joined them on a one-year deal.
Locke began preseason training with Sea Eagles last month in the hope of winning a place in Trent Barrett’s squad for the trial matches next February.
But Falcons coach Craig Ingebrigtsen has told the Noosa News that Manly did not believe his body is up to the rigours of an NRL campaign.
And Ingebrigtsen was only to happy to welcome a player of Locke’s calibre into his squad.
‘‘He’s got great footwork, he’s got great top-end speed and the thing we like about him is that he’s a genuine footballer,’’ Ingebrigtsen said.
‘‘You don’t get a player knock on your door, who has played eight test matches, very often, so everything has come together really nicely for us.’’
An immensely gifted fullback, Locke spent five years at the Warriors, playing a pivotal role in the club’s grand final run in 2011 and also played eight tests for the Kiwis between 2011 and 2013.
The 27-year-old left Auckland in 2014 for English club Salford, where his career took a turn for the worse.
Locke spent an unhappy year with the Red Devils, where he accused the franchise of unpaid wages and endured injuries and personal issues before joining Wakefield.
His injury-ravaged threemonth stint with the Wildcats ended after five games, while he was also suspended by the club for being involved in a car crash with former Parramatta playmaker Tim Smith.
Locke signed with the National Rugby Championship’s Western Sydney Rams in June but did not feature in the club’s 2016 campaign.
When he linked with Manly in November, Locke admitted it was his last shot at making a return to the NRL but Ingebrigtsen remains confident he can resurrect his first grade career.
‘‘They [Manly] said if he had a full pre-season he may get there and they said talent wise he’s outstanding but they don’t think his body is ready,’’ Ingebrigtsen told the Noosa News.
‘‘He’s a top-end player and we know he wants to be an NRL player so by June 30, if he’s playing good footy, there’s going to be (NRL) clubs trying to take him off us and that’s great."
‘ I do have a fair idea of what my roll is as a front-rower but I still feel like I’m still developing and still learning.’ WARRIORS PROP ALBERT VETE