NRL: Warrior hotshot dumped

Kevin Locke has been axed from the Warriors after a string of subdued performances. Photo / Getty Images

Star Warriors prospect Kevin Locke has been axed for the trip to face Melbourne Storm on Sunday night.

Last year's boom talent and the face of the year's pre-season marketing campaign, the 21-year-old winger has been dropped after following up a string of subdued performances with a shocker against the Panthers at Mount Smart on Sunday.

Locke has scored three tries in six outings this season but has also committed a team-high 10 errors, while the searing linebreaks that announced him as a player to watch last season have largely dried up.

The former Northcote junior will instead play for feeder club Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Premier League.

Not typically one to publicly chastise his players, coach Ivan Cleary was clearly less than impressed with Locke's effort against the Panthers, when he was consistently outjumped attempting to defend kicks and missed a tackle on opposite Brad Tighe that led to a long-range try.

"We all have high expectations of him but it's fair to say he's still learning to adapt to the demands of playing in the NRL on a weekly basis, which is a real challenge for all young players," Cleary said.

"We see this very much as part of his development."

Cleary, who named Brent Tate to start in Locke's place, downplayed the significance of the move.

"While we're not playing Nobby [Locke] against the Storm this weekend, he has a big part to play in this club's future," Cleary said.

However, coming at a time when star winger Manu Vatuvei is already sidelined as part of an injury crisis that has claimed a host of key players, there can be little doubt Locke's stock has fallen dramatically.

Joel Moon will start at right centre, while Jerome Ropati returns to the starting line-up at left centre where he will partner rookie wing Bill Tupou.

Loose forward Micheal Luck returns to captain the side after sitting out two matches with a finger injury, and prop Russell Packer returns in place of Jeremy Latimore, who is omitted from the squad for the first time this season.

Back rower Ukuma Ta'ai has been included on the bench after avoiding suspension for a grade one dangerous tackle with an early guilty plea.

Luck's return to face a Storm side stung by consecutive defeats was a huge boost, Cleary said.

"Lucky is such a key player in our mix with the work rate, passion and enthusiasm he provides," he said. "He hasn't missed too many games in his time with us but it has a major effect when he does."

That effect was clear enough on Sunday when the Warriors turned in a shocking defensive effort against the Panthers. "The Storm are a huge test at any time with the class they have throughout their line-up and now they'll be more difficult than ever having lost two matches on end," Cleary said.

"We have our own issues, though. We were well below expectations against Penrith last Sunday in what was a hugely disappointing performance for us in front of our home crowd."

Key Storm centre Greg Inglis is rated with a 50-50 chance of playing after scans cleared him of major injury. Inglis was named in the Melbourne line-up to face less than 24 hours after being forced to get around on crutches after twisting his ankle in the Storm's 18-16 loss to Manly at Etihad Stadium.

Test prop Brett White is in line to play his first game of the year following off-season shoulder surgery. White has been added to an extended bench.

Former Warrior and Kiwis centre Clinton Toopi is back in the NRL, named in the Gold Coast Titans lineup to play Manly on Monday.

He is in for the injured Mat Rogers, returning to the NRL four years after leaving the Warriors for whom he played 129 games.

"It means so much," Toopi, 29, said. "There's been a lot of doubts since last year and since I got here it's been a bit of a tough road. But to sort of come over that hump and now line up against Manly ... it still hasn't fully sunk in yet to be totally honest."

Referees Ben Cummins and Gerard Sutton have been stood down from this weekend's matches after sin-binning the wrong player last weekend.

Cummins and Sutton were held to account for a poor performance in Parramatta's 22-8 win over Souths on Sunday, when Eels skipper Nathan Cayless was erroneously sin-binned after a string of penalties in the second half. Replays showed that Daniel Mortimer had committed the indiscretion.

Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, 8.00pm, Sunday

WARRIORS
Wade McKinnon
Brent Tate
Joel Moon
Jerome Ropati
Bill Tupou
Lance Hohaia
James Maloney
Sam Rapira
Aaron Heremaia
Jesse Royal
Lewis Brown
Jacob Lillyman
Micheal Luck (c)

Interchange: Ian Henderson, Russell Packer, Ukuma Ta'ai, Ben Matulino.

STORM
Billy Slater
Luke MacDougall
Dane Nielsen
Greg Inglis
Anthony Quinn
Brett Finch
Cooper Cronk
Aiden Tolman
Cameron Smith (c)
Jeff Lima
Adam Blair
Ryan Hoffman
Ryan Hinchcliffe

Interchange (from): Todd Lowrie, Kevin Proctor, Ryan Tandy, Bryan Norrie, Hep Cahill, Brett White.