Herbert’s happy reunion
At a glance
Warriors winger Patrick Herbert has been handed the ultimate motivation ahead of Saturday’s season restart against the St George Illawarra Dragons.
For the first time since the Warriors left Auckland on a chartered flight bound for Tamworth on May 3, Herbert has been able to hold his three-month son, True.
Herbert flew home from Australia following the Warriors firstround loss to the Newcastle Knights to be with partner Kirri who had recently given birth to their son.
He missed the round two loss to the Canberra Raiders to beat the border closures to regain entry into New Zealand.
On Monday night the trio was able to reunite as a family when Kirri and True were able to visit and spend the night at the Warriors Gosford base.
‘‘I’m one of the lucky ones. My partner flew over when we flew over. She’s done her isolation and she came to visit yesterday,’’ Herbert said yesterday.
Herbert’s good fortune has continued with him being named to start on the wing for Saturday’s clash with the Dragons.
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has made a string of both forced and unforced changes with the biggest talking point being Kodi Nikorima being preferred to Chanel Harris-Tavita in the halves.
Harris-Tavita has been named on an extended bench.
Gerard Beale returns from a long injury layoff to start at centre in place of David Fusitu’a who is in Australia but was never a chance to play in round three because of his late arrival due to personal reasons.
Kearney has resisted the urge to throw new signing Jack Murchie straight in with the former Raiders forward named on the extended bench.
Hooker Nathaniel Roache was not considered as he continues to work towards a return to full fitness from and a long term knee injury suffered last season.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Patrick Herbert, Pita Hiku, Gerard Beale, Ken Maumalo, Kodi Nikorima, Blake Green, Lachlan Burr, Wayde Egan, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Isaiah Papali’i, Tohu Harris, Adam Blair. Karl Lawton, King Vuniyayawa, Agnatius Passi, Eliesa Katoa, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Josh Curran, Adam Pompey, Jack Murchie.
The arrival of Herbert’s family was the first time anyone in the Warriors travelling party of staff and players has been able to welcome family members into camp.
‘‘He’s done a lot for three months, I think he’s lived half his life in isolation,’’ Herbert said.
But for Herbert, being reunited with family did add a new dynamic to what was meant to be a late start for the Warriors yesterday.
‘‘It was meant to be our sleep-in
Warriors:
Interchange (from):
today and I was up at six o’clock.’’
Kirri and True flew to Australia just after the Warriors headed back across the Tasman and spent their isolation in Wollongong. They will move into the Warriors base following Saturday’s game against Herbert’s former club at Central Coast Stadium.
‘‘It’s good to see my little family again,’’ Herbert said.
‘‘It gave me a burst of hope and made me feel me more complete and gave me another drive to go to training and do what’s best for me and my little family.’’
It remains unknown when other Warriors players will be joined by their New Zealand based families.
‘‘Our families will always be our motivation. We’re a real family orientated club,’’ Herbert said.
The club remained motivated by the fact most of the players have had to leave their families behind in Auckland.
‘‘We’ve packed up our things and left our families over there and we don’t want to make it all for nothing,’’ Herbert said.