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SYDNEY - As he eyes another test rugby league rebirth, Lance Hohaia is crossing his fingers a pesky hamstring injury does not ruin his World Cup dream.
One of Huntly's favourite sons was confirmed yesterday as the Kiwis' fullback for their tournament opener against the Kangaroos at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.
Hohaia admitted to some concern over the hamstring strain which jolted him at training last week and was deemed serious enough to see him rested from the Kiwis' 56-8 win over Tonga.
Coach Stephen Kearney was confident Hohaia, Manu Vatuvei (hamstring) and Nathan Cayless (knee) were ready for battle and one of the Warriors' stars of 2008 hoped he was right after a cautious past few days.
"It's a lot better than what it was last week. I'm pretty happy with the way it's been going. I've just got a few more things to get through and hopefully I'll be back to full training (today)," Hohaia said.
It was a hamstring twinge to Ben Roberts which saw Hohaia rushed into five-eighth the day before the Kiwis' previous test, a 12-28 defeat to the Kangaroos here in May.
Since then Hohaia's stocks have soared, thanks to standout performances in the injured Wade McKinnon's No 1 Warriors jersey in the National Rugby League.
For the man who defines the term 'utility', having zipped from halfback, to hooker, to five-eighth in his career of 120 NRL matches and 12 tests, it's another exciting chapter. His spot in the current lineup was hastened by another injury, this time to incumbent Brent Webb.
"If I looked ahead I wouldn't have thought I'd be playing fullback this season. Wade's injury gave me an opportunity, and being in one position and playing regularly has really helped my game and my confidence. I'm really happy with how the year's gone.
"Fullback's a reasonably simple position, you just catch the ball and back up the forwards as much as you can and you get to run the ball a lot, which is what I like doing.
"Playing regularly and being injury free, touch wood, all those things helped."
It seems Hohaia has been around forever, since he burst into the NRL in the Warriors' grand final year, 2002.
He played five Kiwis tests in 2002 but then injury and form fluctuations hit, and he had to wait three years for another black jersey.
At 25, the lad from the Taniwharau club at last feels settled.
"I always knew once I got myself right physically and mentally and back out on the field playing regularly and injury free, that I could play good football again.
"As a footballer I've matured over the last couple of years. I started my football pretty early and had a couple of bad injuries along the way.
"All those things impact on your life and your football performance. Over the last 12 months I'm pretty happy with how things have gone."
In keeping with the team theme this week, Hohaia is shying away from any big predictions of Kiwi success in the next month.
He's relishing another duel with Storm and Kangaroos fullback Billy Slater and isn't losing sleep over the size of the Kiwis' task to spring an opening round upset.
"They've got a side stacked full of stars and we're going to have to play our very best to compete with them. We're pretty focused on how we can play well.
"We've had a couple of good warmup games and we just want to try and keep improving each weekend. It's not worth looking too far down the track."
Kiwis
Lance Hohaia, Sam Perrett, Steve Matai, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei, Benji Marshall, Thomas Leuluai, Nathan Cayless (captain), Nathan Fien, Adam Blair, Simon Mannering, Sika Manu, Jeremy Smith.
Interchange: Dene Halatau, Greg Eastwood, Setaimata Sa, Sam Rapira.
Kangaroos
Billy Slater, Joel Monaghan, Greg Inglis, Israel Folau, Brent Tate, Darren Lockyer (captain), Jonathan Thurston, Petero Civoniceva, Cameron Smith, Steve Price, Glenn Stewart, Anthony Laffranchi, Paul Gallen.
Interchange: Brent Kite, Josh Perry, Anthony Tupou, Kurt Gidley.
- NZPA
