League: Halatau in hot seat for Kiwis hooking role

Dene Halatau will have gone six weeks without a game by the Tri-Nations opener. Matt King / Getty Images

Wests Tigers boss Tim Sheens, the longest-serving first grade coach in the NRL and a four-time premiership winner, has given Dene Halatau a healthy tick as the Kiwis hooker, with one major proviso - fitness.

Halatau, the Wests utility, will go into the Tri-Nations next week as the Kiwis' No 1 dummy half, with a smorgasbord of backups including interchange utility prospect Jerome Ropati, standoff Nigel Vagana, and fullback Brent Webb primed to jump into the role during matches.

It has turned into the trouble spot for Kiwi coach Brian McClennan; unless the cavalry arrives in the form of Warrior Nathan Fien recovering from a back injury, McClennan will have to squeeze every last drop of ability and energy out of makeshift options in the vital dummy half role.

Motu Tony, the other hooking prospect although a fullback for Hull, was also named in the 24-man Kiwi squad yesterday but his club duties could keep him out of the opening two tests at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday next week, and in Melbourne a week later.

Centre Shontayne Hape, whose Bradford Bulls play Hull in a preliminary Super League final this weekend, is in the same availability position as Tony. With Hape missing initially and Paul Whatuira injured, the Kiwis have three test newcomers - Simon Mannering, Iosia Soliola and Steve Matai - in centre contention.

The physical demands of hooker and centre mean neither Hape nor Tony is likely to be rushed back into the starters following their English exertions and the flight home. St Helens prop Jason Cayless, whose club is in the Super League final, will also be out of early Tri-Nations reckoning.

For now, all attention is on the No 9 jersey, with Halatau - a centre-turned-lock who backs up rising hooker Robbie Farah at Wests - the man in the hot seat because Cowboys hooker David Faiumu is also injured and Warrior Lance Hohaia missed out.

The highly regarded Halatau, who missed the Anzac test because of shoulder surgery, will not have played for six weeks by the time of the Tri-Nations opener against Australia, who might have Shaun Berrigan at acting half.

Berrigan has been in top form for the champion Broncos, although he lacks the subtlety of Melbourne's Cameron Smith, who is in the Kangaroo squad but under an injury cloud.

The Wests Tigers use Halatau to cover Farah, and he can also be seen scooting out of dummy half after Farah has made a run. McClennan will encourage Halatau and his back-ups to keep life simple because of their inexperience, which will mean either hitting runners quickly with flat passes or else instantly darting ahead.

It will be vital for the Kiwis that they get top-notch organisation and efficiency out of their dummy halves rather than risking breakdowns and wasting energy there.

After Wests missed the top eight playoffs, Sheens decided to get his squad straight back into strength training and Halatau - knowing he was in the Kiwis hooking frame - has worked on his fitness as well.

Coaching legend Sheens told the Herald: "He has had experience at this level and he really understands the position now. Having played for the Kiwis and in a grand final he has become a much better player over the past 12 to 18 months.

"I'm sure he will do very well. He has speed and strength and he'll certainly give them plenty of defence.

"He'll need to work hard on his fitness though. It's a position where you can blow out very quickly. He has been training very hard."

McClennan put out long range warning signals this year, fearing hooker might prove a trouble spot.

"I rang Tim Sheens four or five months ago and they've been working on Dene's dummy half work in training in case we did have trouble and it's fortunate we did that," said McClennan.

"Dene Halatau will be our No 1 hooker ... he's actually played there a bit more than people realise."

On the hooking inexperience, McClennan said: "It just means we won't have that creative hold-up-the-markers type hooker. We've just got to be a bit direct and we might use Brent Webb in there a bit more."

The Kiwi newcomers are Storm prop Adam Blair, Warriors forward Epalahame Lauaki, plus Mannering (Warriors), Matai (Manly) and Soliola (Sydney Roosters). Soliola was first selected for the Kiwis' Tri-Nations squad last year but had to withdraw due to a knee injury.

Awen Guttenbeil, who was not named in the original train-on squad, has been recalled. Sonny Bill Williams and Benji Marshall are among the top Kiwis unavailable through injury.

Kiwis squad

Roy Asotasi (Bulldogs), Adam Blair (Melbourne), Jason Cayless (St Helens), Nathan Cayless (Parramatta), David Fa'alogo (South Sydney), Awen Guttenbeil (NZ Warriors), Dene Halatau (Wests Tigers), Shontayne Hape (Bradford), Stacey Jones (Catalans), David Kidwell (Melbourne), Epalahame Lauaki (Warriors), Simon Mannering (Warriors), Steve Matai (Manly), Frank Pritchard (Penrith), Tony Puletua (Penrith), Jerome Ropati (Warriors), Iosia Soliola (Sydney Roosters), David Solomona (Wakefield), Motu Tony (Hull), Tame Tupou (Brisbane), Manu Vatuvei (Warriors), Nigel Vagana (Cronulla), Brent Webb (Warriors), Ruben Wiki (Warriors, captain).

Tri-Nations

October 14: Kiwis v Australia, Mt Smart Stadium
October 21: Kiwis v Australia, Melbourne
October 28: Kiwis v Great Britain, Christchurch
November 4: Australia v Great Britain, Sydney
November 11: Kiwis v Great Britain, Wellington
November 18: Australia v Great Britain, Brisbane
November 25: Final, Sydney