Warriors: Heremaia looking to cement hooking berth

Aaron Heremia. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

As competition for the hooking berth hots up, Aaron Heremaia will look to give coach Ivan Cleary another reason not to drop him when the New Zealand Warriors host National Rugby League (NRL) rivals Manly here on Sunday.

Heremaia has been a standout for the Warriors, who go into the match fourth on the table after two successive wins, including a 48-16 humbling of Brisbane last weekend.

With regular rake Ian Henderson sidelined with a knee injury over the first three rounds, Heremaia has taken his chance with both hands, his sniping from dummy half being a particular feature.

But with Henderson returning to action this week for the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup, Heremaia knows a selection battle is looming.

"Hendo will definitely be pushing to get back into the No 9 jersey," he said.

"I just have to keep playing well and give Ivan no reason to drop me. That's my main focus at the moment. I've just got to continue to be consistent each week."

Heremaia made his NRL debut last year at the relatively mature age of 26.

He had returned to New Zealand in 2008 thinking his playing days were over, but got a call from Bernie Perenara, coach of the Vulcans, who were short on numbers.

"I said okay, I'll help out, and it just kick-started from there," he said.

"Then I got a call from Ivan to come down and train, and here we are today."

A half for most of his career, which included stints in the lower grades in Australia and with English clubs Widnes, Leigh and Halifax, Heremaia has been converted into a hooker by the Warriors.

"I'm fairly new to the position but I think I've found my spot there and that's where I see myself in the future," he said.

"You make a lot more tackles and you have a lot more of the bigger boys running at you, so I had to adjust to that, and obviously the different fitness, too."

Against the Broncos, Heremaia achieved his goal of staying on the pitch for the full 80 minutes, despite the warm Brisbane temperatures.

He was happy with his form overall and his focus was on improving all the fundamental aspects of his role, including his passing, something that had been identified as needing work.

As for his dabs from dummy-half, he said it was a case of picking his time to run, and an obvious one was when giant winger Manu Vatuvei had come infield to hit the ball up.

"He always gets a quick play-the-ball," he said.

"It's just trying to identify when there will be a quick play-the-ball and trying to run around the big boys to get some yards."

The Warriors scored eight tries in a free-flowing attacking display against the Broncos, and Heremaia set one up with clever final-tackle kick that Joel Moon latched on to.

He admitted, however, that he had had a bit of luck.

"If you ask me to put that kick in again, I probably wouldn't be able to do it," he said.

"It was an ugly kick. It sort of came of my shin, but it worked and we scored off it."

Vatuvei will be missing against the Sea Eagles, as will skipper Simon Mannering, both forced from the field against the Broncos with hamstring injuries.

Bill Tupou, 19, will make his NRL debut in Vatuvei's absence, while in-form second rower Lewis Brown returns for Mannering after having served a one-match ban for a dangerous throw.

Manly, who let slip big leads to lose their first two matches, finally got on the board last week with a 36-12 victory over Newcastle, with Kiwis centre Steve Matai grabbing two of their six tries.

- NZPA