League: Warriors promote teen prop

Sam Rapira

Fullback Brent Webb returns from injury while rookie prop Sam Rapira wins promotion on merit for the Warriors' NRL trip to Penrith this weekend.

Webb was a last-minute withdrawal because of a hip problem from the 20-12 home loss to Parramatta two weekends ago.

Together with loose forward Sione Famuina, he will make his 99th first-grade appearance on Saturday night.

Rapira, 19, has been included on the bench for his fifth NRL appearance.

In his four matches so far, he has come into the 17 as replacement for skipper Steve Price who was on State of Origin duty and once as a late call-up for Awen Guttenbeil.

Coach Ivan Cleary said yesterday that Rapira was selected on merit ahead of Evarn Tuimavave, who has played in every game this season.

"Evarn hasn't quite been at the level we've seen from him for much of the season and Sam has impressed us each time we've used him ... " he said

Last week, Rapira signed an upgraded contract that will keep him at the Warriors until the end of 2009.

With the Warriors suffering close losses to the Bulldogs and the Eels before their bye last weekend, Cleary wants an improvement in his players' execution.

He said the effort shown over the past two months was outstanding.

"The players have been consistent in that area but against the Eels it was our execution which wasn't on the mark," he said. "We need it to be against the Panthers. We haven't won there since 2002, but if we can get back to the level we were at a few weeks ago we'll give ourselves a chance."

Penrith are without centres Luke Lewis and Danny Galea because of knee and shoulder injuries respectively, but Cleary didn't believe they would be significantly weakened.

Playmaker Craig Gower, who was missing when the Panthers lost at Mt Smart Stadium four rounds ago, was back "and they've still got a decent set of forwards".

* Panthers v Warriors, Penrith, 7.30pm Saturday

Panthers

Rhys Wesser, Michael Gordon, Mark O'Halloran, Lee Hookey, Luke Rooney, Preston Campbell, Craig Gower, Joel Clinton, Luke Priddis, Craig Stapleton, Matthew Cross, Tony Puletua (c), Frank Pritchard

Reserves:Frank Puletua, Bryan Norrie, Matthew Bell, Luke Swain.

Warriors

Brent Webb, Patrick Ah Van, Tony Martin, S. Mannering, Manu Vatuvei, Jerome Ropati, Grant Rovelli, Ruben Wiki, Nathan Fien, Steve Price (c), Awen Guttenbeil, Louis Anderson, Sione Faumuina

Reserves: George Gatis, Sam Rapira, Wairangi Koopu, Micheal Luck.

- NZPA