Warriors fullback Kevin Locke came through unscathed in his first full match in more than two months when he lined up for the Auckland Vulcans in their New South Wales Cup clash against a powerful Newcastle combination yesterday.
In a heartening return for Warriors head coach Brian McClennan, Locke didn't appear to be troubled by the leg and sternum injuries which have plagued his season so far.
While the Vulcans lost 18-32 in Newcastle, Locke was a key contributor. His second-half try enabled the side to draw to within six points of the Knights at 18-24 before they added a penalty and a converted try to seal their 14-point victory. Locke also had the goalkicking duties, nailing all three conversion attempts.
He started the 2012 season by playing in the Warriors' first four matches but left the field with a corked leg late in the encounter with Gold Coast on March 24.
While it was hoped he would recover quickly he wasn't able to return until the Anzac Day date with Melbourne, only to have his comeback ended in the opening minutes by a sternum injury. Until yesterday, that was the only football he had been able to play since March 24.
