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Fri May 29 2009, 7:30PM AEST GMT+10Fri: St George Illawarra Dragons 38 d. Penrith Panthers 10 at
WIN Stadium, Wollongong (NSW)Crowd: 10,623
Sat May 30 2009, 7:30PM AEST GMT+10Sat: Parramatta Eels 10 l. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 13 at
Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta, Sydney (NSW)Crowd: 7,014
Sun May 31 2009, 4:00PM NZST GMT+12Sun: New Zealand Warriors 14 d. Wests Tigers 0 at
Mt Smart Stadium, Penrose, Auckland (NZ)Crowd: 15,635
Sun May 31 2009, 3:00PM AEST GMT+10Sun: Newcastle Knights 22 d. Bulldogs 14 at
Energy Australia Stadium, New Lambton, Newcastle (NSW)Crowd: 18,322
Mon June 1 2009, 7:00PM AEST GMT+10Mon: South Sydney Rabbitohs 18 l. Canberra Raiders 34 at
ANZ Stadium (Sydney), Homebush Bay, Sydney (NSW)Crowd: 9,805
Brisbane Broncos bye North Queensland Cowboys bye Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles bye Sydney Roosters bye Melbourne Storm bye Gold Coast Titans bye
Sun May 31, 2009
The Warriors are in deep trouble as the halfway mark of the competition approaches, after scrounging only one win from their past eight games.
The top eight drifted further out of reach last Sunday when the Kiwi outfit was trounced 38-12 at Canberra Stadium.
It has been a sudden fall from grace for Ivan Cleary and his team who were touted as one of the premiership favourites after their withering start to the season. But to put things in perspective, the club was in an even worse position at the same time in 2008 before they charged home and claimed the scalps of minor premiers Melbourne and the Sydney Roosters in two finals matches.
Cleary wielded the axe when selecting this week's team, relegating winger Denan Kemp and hooker Ian Henderson after having already cut utility Nathan Fien.
Rookie Kevin Locke, Aaron Heremaia and Lewis Brown will all be given an opportunity this week against the Tigers, who will again be without hooker Robbie Farah.
Wests Tigers' confidence has suffered over the past three weeks with narrow losses to the Bulldogs, Rabbitohs and the Broncos and their record against the Warriors is not flattering.
Look to a Wests Tigers try as First Scoring Play ($2-40) and a Warriors/Tigers result in Half/Full Double betting ($8).
Best chances for First Tryscorer include Jerome Ropati ($13), Manu Vatuvei ($9) and Wade McKinnon ($13) or Taniela Tuiaki ($9), Beau Ryan ($11) or Tim Moltzen ($15) for Wests Tigers.
Sunday May 31, 2009
New Zealand Warriors vs Wests Tigers at Mt Smart Stadium, Penrose, Auckland (NZ)
New Zealand Warriors
1 Wade McKinnon, 2 Kevin Locke, 3 Patrick Ah Van, 4 Jerome Ropati, 5 Manu Vatuvei, 6 Joel Moon, 7 Stacey Jones, 8 Sam Rapira, 9 Aaron Heremaia, 10 Jesse Royal, 11 Simon Mannering, 12 Jacob Lillyman, 13 Micheal Luck [c]. Subs: 14 Lance Hohaia, 15 Russell Packer, 16 Lewis Brown, 17 Ben Matulino.
Wests Tigers
Tim Moltzen, Taniela Tuiaki, Peni Tagive, Dene Halatau, Beau Ryan, Blake Ayshford, Benji Marshall [c], Bryce Gibbs, John Morris, Todd Payten, Gareth Ellis, Chris Heighington, Corey Payne. Subs: Rhys Hanbury, Rocky Trimarchi, John Skandalis, Daine Laurie, Danny Galea (one to be omitted).
Date: Sun May 31 2009, 4:00PM NZST GMT+12 [Sun May 31 2009, 2:00PM AEST GMT+10]
[Sun May 31 2009, 4:00AM GMT]
Referee: Gavin Badger, Brett Suttor
Predictions:
Matthew O'Neill: Wests Tigers by 16
Dennis Righetti: Warriors by 6
Paul Booth: Warriors by 6
OVERALL:
Total Games: 15
New Zealand Warriors wins: 8. [Pts: 315]
Wests Tigers wins: 7. [Pts: 311]
Draws: 0
Biggest wins:
New Zealand Warriors: 22 pts: 2006 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 11 - [View] Sat: Warriors 34 d. Tigers 12 [Crowd: 8210]
Wests Tigers: 46 pts: 2004 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 14 - [View] Sun Jun 13: Tigers 50 d. Warriors 4 [Crowd: 16221]
Biggest Crowd: 2003 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 26 - [View] Sat Sep 6: Warriors 32 d. Tigers 16 [Crowd: 20392]
Last 50 games against each other form line (most recent matches at end of line):
New Zealand Warriors: LLLLWWWLLWWWLWW
Wests Tigers: WWWWLLLWWLLLWLL
Last 10 games:
2008 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 16 - [View] Sun: Wests Tigers 26 l. New Zealand Warriors 28 [Crowd: 15027]
2007 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 19 - [View] Sun: Wests Tigers 16 l. New Zealand Warriors 28 [Crowd: 14012]
2007 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 10 - [View] Sun: New Zealand Warriors 26 l. Wests Tigers 30
2006 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 11 - [View] Sat: Warriors 34 d. Tigers 12 [Crowd: 8210]
2006 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 3 - [View] Sat: Tigers 10 l. Warriors 26 [Crowd: 14675]
2005 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 12 - [View] Sun: Warriors 21 d. Tigers 4 [Crowd: 9420]
2005 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 5 - [View] Sat: Tigers 24 d. Warriors 6 [Crowd: 18421]
2004 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 14 - [View] Sun Jun 13: Tigers 50 d. Warriors 4 [Crowd: 16221]
2003 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 26 - [View] Sat Sep 6: Warriors 32 d. Tigers 16 [Crowd: 20392]
2002 NRL Telstra Premiership - Round 26 - [View] Fri Sep 6: Warriors 28 d. Tigers 12 [Crowd: 16284]
Warriors v Wests Tigers Forum
NRL: Warriors v Wests Tigers Live Scores & Stats
NYC: Warriors v Wests Tigers Live Scores & Stats
TAB Sportsbet Website
RleagueBetting.comTue May 26, 2009
Source: www.warriors.co.nzVodafone Warriors coach Ivan Cleary has brought in Kevin Locke and Aaron Heremaia to make their NRL debuts in Sunday's 12th-round clash against Wests Tigers at Mount Smart Stadium.
Locke (20) comes in on the wing for Denan Kemp after continuing to impress at fullback for the Vodafone Junior Warriors in the NYC.
And Heremaia (26) has been promoted to start at hooker ahead of the experienced Ian Henderson. Heremaia has recently been used as the Vodafone Warriors' 18th man ? he travelled to Canberra last weekend ? and has also been in good form for the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup.
"It's a reward for both Kevin and Aaron," said Cleary.
"They've kept pushing for selection with their efforts, Kevin with our NYC side and Aaron with the Vulcans. They've worked for this chance and deserve to be given a crack at first-grade level.
"We place great importance on competition throughout the squad. If we have players who aren't quite reaching the standards we want, the chance is there for someone else to come in."
Locke was the Vodafone Junior Warriors' 2009 player of the year while Heremaia, recently re-signed by the club until possibly 2012, has the ability to play at hooker and in the halves.
Apart from bringing the newcomers in, Cleary has been forced to make a change in the front row with captain Steve Price named for Queensland for State of Origin I against New South Wales in Melbourne next Wednesday night. Jesse Royal (29) comes off the bench to replace him while utility Lewis Brown (22), used against St George Illawarra and North Queensland, is named on the bench with Lance Hohaia, Russell Packer and Ben Matulino.
With Henderson having a break this week, centre Jerome Ropati, standoff Joel Moon, prop Sam Rapira and back rowers Jacob Lillyman and Simon Mannering are the only players in line to maintain their sequence of appearing in every match this season. They will make their 11th appearances of the year on Sunday.
Locke will become Vodafone Warrior No 152 and Heremaia No 153 when they take the field on Sunday. They will be the fifth and sixth NRL debutants for the Vodafone Warriors this year following prop Leeson Ah Mau, second rowers Ukuma Ta'ai and Daniel O'Regan plus utility Lewis Brown; Ah Mau, O'Regan and Locke are all graduates from the Vodafone Junior Warriors' NYC side. Another four players - Kemp, Moon, Lillyman and Royal - have made their club debuts this year.
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
4.00pm (NZ), Sunday, May 31
Vodafone Warriors
1 Wade McKinnon
2 Kevin Locke
3 Patrick Ah Van
4 Jerome Ropati
5 Manu Vatuvei
6 Joel Moon
7 Stacey Jones
8 Sam Rapira
9 Aaron Heremaia
10 Jesse Royal
11 Simon Mannering
12 Jacob Lillyman
13 Micheal Luck [c]
Interchange:
14 Lance Hohaia
15 Russell Packer
16 Lewis Brown
17 Ben Matulino
Coach: Ivan Cleary
Round 12
New Zealand Warriors 14 d. Wests Tigers 0
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