League: Wiki sidelined for a month

New Zealand test captain Ruben Wiki will play the Anzac international on the back of a four-week suspension - if selected.

Wiki was suspended out of last year's Anzac game and will miss the four matches leading up to this year's contest in Brisbane on April 22 after pleading guilty to a high shot on Broncos forward David Stagg.

Had he chosen to fight the charge, then lost, he would have been automatically sidelined for seven weeks.

Wiki's tackle on Stagg - which the NRL charged at grade three (the worst) - was no worse than many others seen in the NRL every weekend for which players are not charged.

The Warriors man is not a dirty or malicious player.

Stagg was not injured.

Dragons forward Michael Ennis put a coat-hanger on the Melbourne Storm bench man Ryan Hoffman and got one week, primarily because he has a clean record.

A bad record for judiciary appearances means Wiki carries demerit points for previous offences - and the 66 points he has as carry-over from this "conviction" means he will miss at least one week for any future offences in the next 12 months, probably more (each 100 points is one week off).

If Wiki had fought the charge he would have missed the test, for which he will remain a likely candidate.

Wiki's expulsion keeps him out of Sunday's home game against the improved Cowboys, the following weekend against Souths at Ericsson Stadium, the Wests Tigers home game, which is in Christchurch, and the Knights in Newcastle in the week before the test.

He has been replaced by Iafeta Paleaaesina, who will play his 64th game.

Coach Tony Kemp will choose between Richard Villasanti and Karl Temata as bench prop after watching them in training this week.

The side named yesterday is otherwise unchanged from the team who battled to victory in Brisbane.

That contest should provide steel for this match, which promises the same intensity.

The Cowboys have lost captain Travis Norton, who was yesterday advised to have surgery for a biceps tear.

His replacement as lock is the seasoned Luke O'Donnell, who was their player of the year in 2004.

Kiwi Paul Rauhihi has been appointed captain.

The Cowboys come reinforced with the confidence of their first playoffs appearance, and a good one at that, in 2004 and will be tough.

They are expected to retain the same team who beat the Bulldogs 24-12 in Townsville last Friday.

* Ericsson Stadium, 2pm Sunday

NZ Warriors

Brent Webb
Todd Byrne
Tony Martin
Clinton Toopi
Francis Meli
Jerome Ropati
Stacey Jones
Iafeta Paleaaesina
Nathan Fien
Steve Price (c)
Awen Guttenbeil
Wairangi Koopu
Monty Betham

Cowboys *

Matt Bowen
Ty Williams
Josh Hannay
Paul Bowman
Matt Sing
J. Thurston
Chris Sheppard
Paul Rauhihi (c)
Aaron Payne
Carl Webb
Steve Southern
Justin Smith
Luke O'Donnell

Reserves:

Warriors (from): Tevita Latu, Karl Temata, Louis Anderson, Sione Faumuina, Richard Villasanti.

North Queensland: Leigh McWilliams, Rod Jensen, Micheal Luck, Shane Tronc.

* Likely team