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Home / Sport / League / Warriors

League: Warriors forced to call on young wing

By Peter Jessup
NZ Herald·
24 Jun, 2008 05:00 PM3 mins to read

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Malo Solomona will make his NRL debut against the Tigers on Sunday. Photo / Greg Bowker

Malo Solomona will make his NRL debut against the Tigers on Sunday. Photo / Greg Bowker

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KEY POINTS:

There are three personnel changes to the Warriors side to start against Wests Tigers this weekend, with Malo Solomona the fourth youngster to make his NRL debut this season.

Left wing Manu Vatuvei limped off three-quarters of the way through the game against Manly after spending six weeks
sidelined with a fracture of his left fibula and now has soreness in the same area, though it is not believed to be a repeat break.

Solomona, just turned 21 and another product of the Richmond club that has produced many players of that surname, has had his own injury problems this season that have curtailed his appearances for the feeder side the Vulcans.

He has plenty of gas but the question mark is over his size, 182cm and 84kg. The Tigers will kick to him.

The Warriors again lose captain Steve Price and centre Brent Tate to the Queensland State of Origin side. Simon Mannering moves back to centre so they lose nothing there on defence but Tate's attacking incision will be missed.

Ben Matulino moves up from the bench for his third NRL game and under-20s star Sonny Fai comes back to the interchange for his ninth. Sam Rapira gets Price's front row spot.

The game at the historic Leichhardt Oval will be Ruben Wiki's 300th match in the Australian premiership (225 Raiders, 75 Warriors) and he is just the 10th player to reach that milestone and the first New Zealander. It is not a mark under threat often, just Price and Bronco Darren Lockyer of all current players also within range.

"It's a tremendous tribute to him that he has lasted 16 seasons in a competition as demanding, especially playing the game with the intensity he does," Cleary said.

The Warriors will be looking to dominate up front so as to deny the Tigers dancing five-eighth Benji Marshall any space to showcase his talents.

The Tigers have struggled with a long injury list, particularly to their frontrowers.

Corey Payne and Beau Ryan who are named for Sunday have both had a lengthy time out with shoulder problems.

Listed on a five-man bench is giant 23-year-old Daine Laurie who, at 198cm and 112kg, made a big impact playing 45 minutes in his debut last weekend.

The Warriors simply must win in order to keep their top-eight playoff hopes alive. They have the bye next weekend and a four-point lift would be even more important confidence-wise than it would look on the competition ladder.

Warriors
Lance Hohaia, Aidan Kirk, Jerome Ropati, Simon Mannering, Malo Solomona, Michael Witt, Nathan Fien, Ruben Wiki, Ian Henderson, Sam Rapira, Ben Matulino, Logan Swann, Micheal Luck (captain).

Interchange: Patrick Ah Van, Evarn Tuimavave, Epalahame Lauaki, Sonny Fai.

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