KEY POINTS:
Giant winger Manu Vatuvei has been ruled out of the New Zealand Warriors' National Rugby League match against South Sydney in Auckland on Friday night.
Vatuvei, who has spent the past six weeks on the sidelines with a leg injury, was named in the Warriors' starting 13 yesterday, but later failed a fitness test.
Coach Ivan Cleary said today that Vatuvei probably could have turned out against the Rabbitohs, but it was thought best not to risk him and instead aim for a return next week.
"He's just not quite right," he said.
"He's been out for this long so I think it's prudent that, when he comes back, we've got no doubts at all."
Cleary said a decision on a replacement had not yet been made.
Vatuvei scored seven tries in the first seven matches of the season but suffered what turned out to be a spiral fracture of his left fibula against Gold Coast in late April.
The injury made him unavailable for the transtasman centenary test match in Sydney last month.
- NZPA
