League: Beast to be unleashed

Manu Vatuvei. Photo / Getty Images

Manu Vatuvei was scared to jump on the scales. He was anxious about what they might say after a couple of weeks off.

The 24-year-old has always battled with his weight - he finds it harder than getting through opposition defenders - and came back at the start of the year from an eight-week break to discover it had ballooned from 112kg to a massive 120kg.

He soon breathed a sigh of relief, however, when he saw he hadn't put any weight on this time despite little training and a 'relaxed' approach to eating.

The Kiwis will need Vatuvei in top shape in the upcoming Four Nations. He is widely regarded as the best winger in world rugby league. He is on an astonishing run of form that has returned 49 tries in 55 NRL games over the last three years. He also chimed in with four tries for New Zealand at the 2008 World Cup, all in one game against England - a record for New Zealand at a World Cup.

Vatuvei was missing for last year's Four Nations with a knee injury and it was revealing that the Kiwis failed to qualify for the final. He also missed this year's Anzac test, meaning he has played only one international in nearly two years.

There were concerns Vatuvei might be out of this year's competition in New Zealand and Australia with another knee niggle and, while it's not guaranteed he will get through the campaign, he should be available.

"As selectors, we're assuming he will be," says Tony Iro, who doubles as both Warriors and Kiwis assistant.

"A couple of weeks ago we were told that he might need a clean-up afterwards but we don't believe it will be anything that will stop him from playing."

Vatuvei was optimistic he would be all right.

"My knee is all good now," he says. "It was playing up at the end of the season but the rest has helped a lot.

"I haven't had it checked out properly but I haven't had a problem since coming back to training [last Saturday]. There's nothing I am particularly worried about - I hope I don't [need surgery]."

If he does come through the next few days' training with the rest of the Warriors in the wider train-on squad, Vatuvei is a certainty to make the 23-man Kiwis squad announced on Tuesday.

A feature of this year's group is the greater depth available to coach Stephen Kearney, even though a number of players like Frank Pritchard, Steve Matai, Sam Rapira and Kieran Foran have already pulled out.

Front row and second row are the most hotly-contested positions and there are even options to partner captain Benji Marshall in the halves, despite Foran's absence.

The game plan is bound to follow Kearney's template - based largely on the way the Melbourne Storm operate - but will also involve utilising Vatuvei. They would be crazy not to.

"I was pretty happy with my form this season," says Vatuvei, who picked up the Warriors Player of the Year award.

"I have grown up as a player. I have matured now and know what I have to do for the team. I'm a senior player now and also trying to be more consistent.

"Scoring 20 tries in 19 games was a great achievement for me and now I just have to improve on that next year.

"It would be good if I played [in the Four Nations] like I did in the NRL and picked up from where I left off.

"Hopefully things go well for me and nothing serious goes wrong with my body.

"It's been tough not playing for the Kiwis for so long because I always want to wear the black jersey. Playing at home is going to be a huge advantage for us and it's not something we do too often."