League: Warriors face leadership gaps

The Warriors have lost captain Steve Price for their game against the Roosters in Sydney on Sunday, after he was named in the Queensland squad, and the club will contest vice-captain Ruben Wiki's tackle charge before the judiciary.

Wiki would have been out for six weeks had he pleaded guilty to the charge of dropping his knees into the back of Broncos second-rower Corey Parker.

But he faces eight weeks suspended if he is found guilty after the three-man NRL judiciary panel hears his case today, with eight players charged after the busiest weekend for the citing commissioner so far this season.

The Warriors have named Wiki to step up to captain the side at Aussie Stadium.

Chief executive Wayne Scurrah said Wiki and a legal representative would attend the hearing in Sydney. "While respecting the NRL's judicial process, we think Ruben has been unfairly charged," Scurrah said.

The Roosters lost three players at the judiciary yesterday and will be without nine regular first-graders.

The club considered contesting the severity of the grade five dangerous throw charge against bench forward Lopini Paea for a spear tackle on Storm prop Ben Cross. In the end Paea accepted the count and so is out for nine weeks.

Wing Amos Roberts got one week for his part in the same tackle and lock Ashley Harrison was also suspended for a week on a grade one dangerous throw charge.

Aiden Kirk, 19, who is the Roosters fullback in the Jersey Flegg (under-20) competition, was yesterday signed by the Warriors for two years in a further indication that the club is preparing for the departure of Brent Webb.

And the Warriors yesterday terminated the contract of wing Misi Taulapapa, 24, after he failed to respond to warnings about alcohol use and was drinking 48 hours before Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Scurrah said Taulapapa had had three previous formal warnings.

"Behaviour of this type is neither acceptable nor professional and, in the circumstances, we sadly have no choice but to terminate Misi's contract. It is apparent to us that he has some issues with alcohol. We have offered him assistance previously and we will continue to help him with the problem." Taulapapa told 3 News last night he was disappointed with himself.

"I've been given some chances before," he said of his previous breaches of team discipline.

"It [alcohol] surely is a problem if it's happening on various occasions."

* WARRIORS V ROOSTERS
Sydney, 4.30pm Sunday

Warriors

Brent Webb
Patrick Ah Van
Tony Martin
Simon Mannering
Manu Vatuvei
Jerome Ropati
Grant Rovelli
Ruben Wiki (c)
Nathan Fien
Evarn Tuimavave
Awen Guttenbeil
Louis Anderson
Sione Faumuina

Roosters

Shaun Foley
Lelea Paea
Ryan Cross
Iosaia Soliola
Vince Mellars
Josh Lewis
Jamie Soward
Adrian Morley
Heath L'Estrange
David Shillington
Anthony Tupou
Nigel Plum
C. Fitzgibbon (c)

Interchange:

Warriors: (from) Sam Rapira, Micheal Luck, Wairangi Koopu, Lance Hohaia, Clinton Toopi.

Roosters: John Doyle, Steve Shackleton, Mickey Paea, Charles Tonga.