NRL: Rested Rapira all set for 2010

Sam Rapira. Photo / Getty Images

Before he runs out on to the field each week Sam Rapira straps a special pad to his chest.

Designed to protect his sternum, the pad is a legacy of an elbow the rugged prop copped while attempting a tackle in the 14-14 draw with the Storm in round seven last year.

The injury hurt, Rapira admitted. Hurt a lot. Hurt enough for one of the game's toughest young forwards to sit out a match for the only time in his four-season career the next week.

After that Rapira began strapping on the pad. Blows to the chest still hurt, but he didn't miss another game.

Even when the season was long lost Rapira fronted, churning out the metres and tackles to be one of the Warriors' most consistent performers, if not their best.

When the season ended Rapira, 22, finally cried no mas, ruling himself out of the Kiwis Four Nations tour. Rest was the only treatment for his injury.

The Warriors wanted Rapira fully fit heading into 2010. Given the lack of front row experience at the club it's not hard to see why.

After the towering Steve Price's 313 career matches, Rapira (86 matches) is the club's most experienced front rower.

Jacob Lillyman can play prop but most of his 86 matches have been in the back row. After Lillyman, things get pretty thin pretty fast.

Despite turning 30 in May, journeyman Jesse Royal has just 44 games to his credit. Emerging star Russell Packer has played just 26, while Jeremy Latimore made just seven appearances for former club Parramatta.

When Price is absent - a frequent occurrence these days - Rapira is unquestionably the senior prop.

"Putting it that way it feels a bit strange because I still feel like I'm one of the young guys, someone who is still learning every day," Rapira said.

"But I suppose when you do break it down there are lots of young guys like Russell [Packer] and Upu [Poching]. In that sense I suppose I am a senior [player]. "But I think all of us [props] have to be leaders because it does start from the front.

"If we go forward we can make the game easier for the whole team."

Much like new captain Simon Mannering, Rapira is straight out of the follow-me mould.

"I am not much of a talker so everything I do I try to do with the ball or in defence," he said.

Given the club's dismal results, it wasn't just physical pain Rapira had to endure last season. "The biggest thing we took out of it was not to go back there. Mentally it wasn't a good year.

"The boys were trying. No one gave up, but we just weren't up with the pace of the other teams.

"This year mentally we need to be better prepared. We can't go into games hoping to win, we need to have the mentality that we are going to win.

"Everyone is just looking forward to getting on the field. It has been a pretty long off-season. We had a bit of success with our trials ... it is good to get that confidence out of them.

"From here I think we are looking pretty good."

SAM RAPIRA

Age: 22
Height: 1.84m
Weight: 105kg
NRL matches: 86
Tries: 9
Debut: v Wests Tigers, round 11 2006