Familiar look for team to face Tigers
Warriors coach picks unchanged starting side, with another Vatuvei milestone
An unchanged starting side should aid the Warriors in their search for consistency, when they host Wests Tigers at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday.
Veteran wing Manu Vatuvei will make his 200th NRL appearance for the home side as they look to bounce back from two error-riddled defeats to the Broncos and Storm.
For only the second time this season coach Andrew McFadden has been able to name the same backline for consecutive games while the forward pack remains constant for a sixth straight week. The only change to the line-up used in Monday’s 30-14 loss to the Storm sees Albert Vete return to the interchange bench with Dominique Peyroux listed as 18th man. Peyroux was a late addition to the bench in Melbourne but did not take the field.
The settled team list will please McFadden who felt the side’s reliance on young players and changing backline selections had contributed to their lack of cohesion and poor ball control.
“We’ve got some young guys there that have been up for a while and we’ve had a lot of rotation in our backs, over the past five games,” McFadden said. “I don’t think we’ve had the same combinations for any game so that can contribute but it really just comes down to having a bit more pride in securing the ball.
“It’s a fundamental but it’s really hurting us at the moment. We’re not that far off. We’re just making it a little hard on ourselves.”
McFadden was confident centre Konrad Hurrell would work his way into top form following a sluggish display against the Storm.
“Obviously Konrad came in and it was his first game in a few weeks. He was certainly rusty but I know the quality of player he is and he’ll get better.”
Vatuvei’s milestone will make him just the third player to appear in 200 games for the Warriors, joining Stacey Jones (261) and captain Simon Mannering (217).
‘The Beast’ is also on track for two other major milestones. With his third try of the season against Melbourne, he has 138 career tries, just two short of joining Nigel Vagana on 140 (Vagana scored his in 240 games), the most by a New Zealander in the competition. He needs seven more tries this year for the unprecedented achievement of scoring 10 or more tries in 10 consecutive seasons.
McFadden recognised Vatuvei’s contribution to the club and the leadership role he played within the side.
“Playing 200 games for one club only doesn’t happen too often and what Manu has done for us and for the game can’t be overstated. He stands for all the values we like our players to aspire to.”
Saturday night’s encounter will be the 24th since Wests Tigers entered the competition in 2000. The Warriors hold a 12-11 edge in the 23 games played so far and have won six of the 10 home games they’ve played.