Panthers v Warriors
CUA Stadium, 9.30pm tonight
He can't be accused of being part of the problem, but whether Evarn Tuimavave ends up being part of the solution at the Warriors is yet to be determined.
The third-longest serving player at the club, Tuimavave tonight makes his 100th appearance in a Warriors jersey, against the Panthers at CUA Stadium. It is, however, just his first, first-grade game of the season.
Expected to be a key figure after the retirement of Ruben Wiki, a neck injury suffered when he found himself "stuck under a pile of blokes" during a pre-season session condemned the ball-playing prop to a season of frustration.
As if being sidelined wasn't enough, Tuimavave also had to stew on the knowledge that he was supposed to be playing for his future at his hometown club. Told by coach Ivan Cleary that a contract extension depended on his form, Tuimavave expected to undergo an extensive audition. But the neck injury, followed by a knee complaint picked up trying to regain match fitness with the Auckland Vulcans, has seen his window of opportunity shrink dramatically.
"I've got six games to prove myself," he admitted.
Not long, but longer than he initially dared hope after being diagnosed with a bulging disk.
"They pretty much said to me it was a season-ending injury. They gave me a three-month window for my neck to settle down. After two months it hadn't got any better. The next appointment with the specialist would have been to make a surgery date.
"I had my last scans and went to see the specialist for the surgery date and he said, 'you can play'. I said, 'you're kidding'. It blew me away."
The further delay caused by his knee injury has been frustrating for both Tuimavave and the club.
"We've all been waiting for him to play," director of football John Hart said. "It is great to see him back getting his 100th game and over the next few weeks we'll obviously be monitoring his performance. He is playing for a contract and he knows that."
Cleary is hopeful Tuimavave's skill can help provide a missing element in his side's attack but whether he receives a contract extension could come down to more than just form. The situation is complicated by the fact that Tuimavave is represented by Jim Banaghan, an agent with whom the Warriors have become increasingly reluctant to deal.
At one stage, Banaghan represented many of the squad but that has been whittled down to just Tuimavave and Micheal Luck. Banaghan's influence has been cited as a factor in the failure to re-sign both Nathan Fien and promising young prop Leeson Ah Mau.
All that matters little to Tuimavave, who is just happy to have the chance to play. "It has been one of the better weeks of the year," he said.
"I've been bouncing around with a smile on my face all week. It means heaps. It is the club I grew up watching and wanted to play for. I never thought I'd play 100 games. I got to 50 and thought that was pretty cool. To get to 100 and join a group of pretty special players is a huge honour."
At just 25 and with his best years probably still ahead of him, he should have plenty of suitors should the Warriors show him the door.
"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve but I won't reveal them. But I'd love to stay at the club that has been my home for so long."
PANTHERS v WARRIORS:
Panthers
Jarrod Sammut
Junior Tia-Kilifi
Michael Jennings
Brad Tighe
Michael Gordon
Wade Graham
Luke Walsh
Frank Puletua
Paul Aiton
Matthew Bell
T. Waterhouse (c)
Gavin Cooper
Nathan Smith
Interchange: Adam Woolnough, Tim Grant, Joseph Paulo, Maurice Blair, Shane Elford, Frank Pritchard.
Warriors
Wade McKinnon
Kevin Locke
Jerome Ropati
Joel Moon
Manu Vatuvei
Isaac John
Stacey Jones
Sam Rapira
Ian Henderson
Russell Packer
Simon Mannering
Jacob Lillyman
Micheal Luck (c)
Interchange: Lance Hohaia, Evarn Tuimavave, Lewis Brown, Ben Matulino.
