Kirk, Aidan

Aidan KIRK [Player Stats]


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Warriors retain Kirk and announce four departures
Wed June 18, 2008
by Matthew O'Neill
Source: www.warriors.co.nz

Utility Aidan Kirk has become the latest player to re-sign with the Vodafone Warriors while long-serving back rowers Logan Swann and Wairangi Koopu are among a group of players who will finish up with the club at the end of the 2008 NRL season.

Recovery from knee surgery disrupted the 22-year-old Kirk's first season in Auckland in 2007 after joining the Vodafone Warriors on a two-year contract from the Sydney Roosters.

But he started the 2008 campaign by making his NRL debut in the first round against Melbourne on March 17.

And now, after playing on the wing in each of the Vodafone Warriors' last four games - and bagging two tries - he has been signed up for 2009 with an option for 2010.

"In the last few weeks Aidan has shown everyone what we knew he was capable of," said Vodafone Warriors coach Ivan Cleary.

"It was a long road back for him from his knee injury and it hasn't been easy but it's great to see him finally grab his chance in first-grade."

Kirk becomes the seventh Vodafone Warriors NRL player re-signed in recent weeks.

Last month captain Steve Price (2009) and fullback Wade McKinnon (2011) agreed to new deals and in April winger Manu Vatuvei committed to the Vodafone Warriors until the end of the 2011 season.

Also re-signed have been three of the club's most exciting young players - Sonny Fai (20), Russell Packer (18) and Ben Matulino (19) - who have each made their first-grade debuts out of the new under-20 NYC team this year. Matulino became the club's 142nd first-grade player just last Saturday night against Cronulla.

As well as those seven re-signings, the Vodafone Warriors have also secured in-form Brisbane winger Denan Kemp on a two-year contract at the end of this season.

While confirming Kirk's retention, Vodafone Warriors CEO Wayne Scurrah announced four other players would be leaving the club at the end of the season along with 16-year NRL veteran front rower Ruben Wiki.

The 35-year-old Wiki told the Vodafone Warriors in February that he would be making this season his last in the NRL and now Swann (33) and Koopu (28) are joining him. Swann has so far played 181 times in two stints with the club - 1997-2003 and 2007-2008 - and sits behind only Stacey Jones (238) on the Vodafone Warriors' all-time appearances list. Koopu, in his 10th season as an NRL player, ranks fourth with 158 games.

"We were delighted when Logan was able to come back to the club from England in 2007 and then have a second year this season," said Scurrah.

"He has indicated he wants to play on in the English Super League and Wairangi told us some time ago that he also wanted to be able to pursue the chance of playing in England.

"They've both given the club fantastic service over a long period and we'd love to see them doing well in England next year."

Other off-contract players being released are winger Michael Crockett and centre Ryan Shortland.

AIDAN KIRK
Born: March 16, 1986
Birthplace: Gosford, New South Wales
Position: Utility back
Height: 181cm
Weight: 90kg
Junior Club: St Edwards, New South Wales
NRL Debut: Vodafone Warriors v Melbourne, Telstra Dome, March 17, 2008
(Round 1)
Club No: 136
NRL Career: 5 appearances (2008)
NRL Points: 8 (2 tries)
Other clubs: Auckland Vulcans (New South Wales Cup) 2008, Vodafone Auckland Lions (New South Wales Premier League) 2007, Sydney
Roosters 2004-2006
Educated: St Edward's College, Gosford (New South Wales)

News Source: www.warriors.co.nz


Ropati and Kirk line up for Auckland Lions against North Sydney
Wed April 25, 2007
Source: www.warriors.co.nz

Vodafone Warriors standoff Jerome Ropati and fullback Aidan Kirk will turn out for the Vodafone Auckland Lions in their New South Wales Premier League clash against North Sydney on Saturday.

Ropati (22) returned from a long injury lay-off last weekend, playing for the Auckland Lions in their Bartercard Cup match against Harbour League.

He scored a try in a 26-22 victory and came through the match untroubled in his first hit-out of the year.

Ropati teams up in the halves with captain Steve Buckingham against the Bears.

The 21-year-old Kirk has been out of action since the 2006 NSW Premier League grand final. Playing for the beaten Newtown Jets, Kirk scored a try in the decider before being forced from the field with a serious knee injury.

His first game of the year comes after a long rehabilitation process following knee reconstruction.

He starts at fullback on Saturday, replacing former Te Atatu utility Patrick Ah Van who's out this week with a calf strain.

Other than those two changes, coach Graeme Norton has the same line-up which beat St George Illawarra 26-20 in the Vodafone Auckland Lions' last outing at Mt Smart Stadium on April 15.

With three wins from five starts and two points from last week's bye, the team is now in the competition's top four but faces a North Sydney side which has also had three wins. It shocked competition leader Newcastle last weekend.

The Bears, South Sydney's premier league outlet, can call on a number of players with first-grade experience including former Kiwi international Joe Galuvao, Beau Champion, Germaine Paulson, Scott Geddes, Stuart Webb, Shannon McPherson and Ben Rogers.

AUCKLAND LIONS v NORTH SYDNEY BEARS
North Sydney Oval, Sydney
2.30pm, Saturday, April 28, 2007

1 Aidan Kirk
2 Malo Solomona
3 Miguel Start
4 Constantine Mika
5 Cooper Vuna
6 Jerome Ropati
7 Steve Buckingham (C)
8 Russell Packer
9 Simon Head
10 Wayne Mcdade
11 Scott Jones
12 Sonny Fai
13 Fabian Soutar
14 Kimi Uasi
15 Lui Toimoana
16 Upu Poching
17 Leeson Ah Mau

18th Man: Kelvin Wright

Coach: Graeme Norton

News sent by: www.warriors.co.nz

Tue June 6, 2006
• Warriors sign Roosters utility Aiden Kirk
  

====================================================================================================== 2008 NRL Telstra Premiership New Zealand Warriors 6 games; 3 tries, 12 points. [View] Round 1 [17 Mar 08] L 18-32 v Storm (A). [FB] [View] Round 11 [25 May 08] L 12-38 v Roosters (H). [WG] 4 Pts; 1t [View] Round 12 [31 May 08] W 18-16 v Knights (A). [WG] [View] Round 13 [06 Jun 08] L 28-35 v Rabbitohs (H). [WG] 4 Pts; 1t [View] Round 14 [14 Jun 08] L 8-24 v Sharks (A). [WG] [View] Round 15 [22 Jun 08] L 14-20 v Sea Eagles (H). [WG] 4 Pts; 1t ====================================================================================================== 2006 VB NSWRL Premier League Newtown Jets 8 tries, 32 points. ======================================================================================================

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