Steve RAPIRA [
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Tue May 31, 2011
Source: www.warriors.co.nzOff-season signing Steve Rapira will make his long-awaited first-grade debut for the Vodafone Warriors after being named on the bench today for Saturday night's 13th-round NRL clash against the Sydney Roosters at Sydney Football Stadium.
After making 26 appearances for North Queensland in 2009 and 2010, the 22-year-old's first NRL match for the Vodafone Warriors has been delayed by a knee injury which sidelined him after he had appeared in all four trials in February.
In recent weeks he has returned to action with the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup, earning him selection on the interchange bench this week replacing Ukuma Ta'ai, who is out with a knee injury.
But while he finally comes into the side he'll have to wait to achieve one of his goals of playing in the NRL alongside his older brother Sam (24), who is out of action after dislocating his thumb playing for the Kiwis in the Anzac Test against Australia on May 6. Earlier this year the Rapira brothers played together for the Vodafone Warriors for the first time in the trials against Parramatta and Burleigh.
Steve Rapira joined the Cowboys after playing for the Vodafone Junior Warriors in the NYC's first season in 2008 but signed to return home last year.
"It's been a frustrating start to the season for Steve but it's a real positive for us to have him ready now with Ukuma out," said Vodafone Warriors coach Ivan Cleary.
Another injury has forced a change on the bench with utility Lance Hohaia out with a sternum complaint. Hohaia operated as the interchange dummy half in the last three wins against Gold Coast, Newcastle and South Sydney with Kevin Locke starting at fullback. Shaun Berrigan takes Hohaia's place.
Returning in his starting role in the front row is recalled Queensland Origin prop Jacob Lillyman, who was unavailable for the 12-6 win over South Sydney. With Lillyman - just re-signed to the end of 2013 - back Kiwi international Ben Matulino reverts to the bench.
Lewis Brown, who was on the interchange against the Knights and the Rabbitohs, teams up in the centres again with captain Simon Mannering. Brown will play his 50th NRL match on Saturday night while second rower Feleti Mateo will make his 100th career appearance, his 12th for the Vodafone Warriors after playing 88 times for Parramatta.
After winning their last five matches on end - and seven of their last eight - the Vodafone Warriors head into this weekend's round sitting fifth on the points table with 16 behind St George Illawarra (22) plus Melbourne, Manly and North Queensland, all on 18. Their 7-4 win-loss record is one of the best starts to a season in the club's history.
If the Vodafone Warriors beat the Roosters this weekend, they'll equal the club's second-best winning run of six set in 1995. The record is eight wins in 2002.
Five players - Brown, Mateo, Matulino, Mannering and Micheal Luck - have appeared in each of the Vodafone Warriors' 11 matches so far.
NZ WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Sydney Football Stadium
7.30pm, Saturday, June 4
Referees: Jason Robinson and Alan Shortall
1 Kevin Locke
2 Krisnan Inu
3 Lewis Brown
4 Simon Mannering [c]
5 Manu Vatuvei
6 James Maloney
7 Brett Seymour
8 Russell Packer
9 Aaron Heremaia
10 Jacob Lillyman
11 Feleti Mateo
12 Elijah Taylor
13 Micheal Luck
14 Shaun Berrigan
15 Jeremy Latimore
16 Ben Matulino
17 Steve Rapira
Coach: Ivan Cleary
Tue February 8, 2011
Source: www.warriors.co.nzBrothers Sam and Steve Rapira are set to play together for the Vodafone Warriors for the first time after being selected in the club's 22-man squad for Saturday's NRL trial against the Parramatta Eels at Rotorua's International Stadium.
Sam (23) and Steve (22) have previously played together for the Junior Kiwis in 2005 and also teamed up on numerous occasions for the Waicoa Bay in the old Bartercard Cup.
But they've never played together for the Vodafone Warriors despite being together at the club before Steve had two years with the North Queensland Cowboys in 2009 and 2010.
The closest they came was in an NRL trial against Newcastle at North Harbour Stadium in 2008 when Steve was named on an enlarged interchange bench but never made it onto the field.
Head coach Ivan Cleary said he expected the brothers would have time on the field together at some stage in Saturday's trial.
"It's exciting for them. They're really looking forward to it," he said.
The younger Rapira, who was in the club's first NYC side in 2008, played his first match for the NRL side in last Saturday's 22-22 draw with the Knights in Greymouth but Sam was rested for that match.
Steve said having the chance to play alongside his older brother was a key factor in returning to the club.
Three sets of brothers have played together for the Vodafone Warriors in official first-grade matches in the past. Tea and Iva Ropati did so during Iva's seven-game first-grade career in 1996-1997 as did Vinnie and Louis Anderson in 2004 (before Vinnie headed to England). Current NYC manager and 132-game Vodafone Warriors veteran Jerry Seuseu had his brother Anthony alongside him in his only NRL game against Brisbane in 2001.
Ironically the Rapira brothers never ended up playing against each other in the Vodafone Warriors' two regular season matches when Steve was with the Cowboys in 2009 and 2010.
Sam Rapira, now entering his sixth NRL season, is one of several of the Vodafone Warriors' established NRL players named to make their first trial appearances of the year on Saturday. Joining him are winger Manu Vatuvei, centre Jerome Ropati, standoff James Maloney, hooker Aaron Heremaia and front rowers Ben Matulino and Russell Packer.
"We've got four matches to look at different players and combinations and this week helps more in that regard," said Cleary.
"While last week's game was very much about the occasion, there were aspects of the performance which weren't so pleasing, especially the way we finished the game."
With the exception of Feleti Mateo and Joel Moon (on All Stars duty in Australia), the Vodafone Warriors will again take a full squad on the road as they did in Greymouth last week. They arrive in Rotorua on Friday, holding a public training session at the International Stadium at 5.00pm followed by a signing session. A group of players will also be involved in a kids' carnival at Puketewhero Park from 10.00am-12.00pm on Saturday.
Apart from Mateo and Moon other frontline players not named to play against the Eels are captain Simon Mannering, fullback Lance Hohaia, halfback Brett Seymour and utility Shaun Berrigan.
NRL players backing up after last week's outing are Kevin Locke, Krisnan Inu (lining up against his old club), Alehana Mara, Jacob Lillyman, Jeremy Latimore, Lewis Brown, Steve Rapira, Ukuma Ta'ai, Sione Lousi and Micheal Luck - again the captain - as well as younger players Glen Fisiiahi, Elijah Taylor, Pita Godinet, Matt Robinson and Vodafone Junior Warriors captain Ben Henry.
The trial will be Parramatta's first of the season and also a debut outing as head coach for Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney. They'll be without captain Nathan Hindmarsh, who's with the NRL All Stars for their clash against the Indigenous All Stars in Robina on Saturday night.
After the Rotorua trial, the Vodafone Warriors take on Queensland Cup side Burleigh in Whangarei (February 19) and Manly at North Harbour Stadium in Albany (February 26) to complete their trials programme.
The NYC premiership-winning Vodafone Junior Warriors will be on the same bill as their NRL counterparts this Saturday, playing the curtain raiser against the Wellington Schoolboys. They began their campaign with a 32-20 win against the Wellington Orcas last Sunday, a match which attracted a crowd of 3000 at Porirua Park.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v PARRAMATTA EELS
International Stadium, Rotorua
5.00pm, Saturday, February 12
Lewis Brown
Glen Fisiiahi
Pita Godinet
Ben Henry
Aaron Heremaia
Krisnan Inu
Jeremy Latimore
Jacob Lillyman
Kevin Locke
Sione Lousi
Micheal Luck [c]
James Maloney
Alehana Mara
Ben Matulino
Russell Packer
Sam Rapira
Steve Rapira
Matt Robinson
Jerome Ropati
Ukuma Ta'ai
Elijah Taylor
Manu Vatuvei
Coach: Ivan Cleary
======================================================================================================
 2011 NRL Telstra Premiership
New Zealand Warriors
4 games; [View] Round 13 [04 Jun 11] L 6-13 v Roosters (A). [BE]
[View] Round 14 [12 Jun 11] L 22-26 v Wests Tigers (H). [BE]
[View] Round 15 [18 Jun 11] L 10-30 v Cowboys (A). [SR]
[View] Round 16 [26 Jun 11] L 8-16 v Storm (H). [SR]
======================================================================================================
2010 NRL Telstra Premiership
North Queensland Cowboys
9 games; [View] Round 1 [12 Mar 10] L 24-30 v Broncos (A). [BE]
[View] Round 2 [20 Mar 10] W 28-20 v Panthers (H). [SR]
[View] Round 3 [26 Mar 10] L 8-33 v Dragons (A). [BE]
[View] Round 4 [03 Apr 10] W 32-18 v Titans (H). [SR]
[View] Round 5 [10 Apr 10] L 16-23 v Tigers (H). [SR]
[View] Round 6 [17 Apr 10] L 18-36 v Knights (A). [LK]
[View] Round 7 [23 Apr 10] L 18-24 v Eels (H). [LK]
[View] Round 8 [01 May 10] L 6-34 v Storm (H). [LK]
[View] Round 14 [12 Jun 10] W 16-8 v Raiders (H). [PR]
======================================================================================================
2009 NRL Telstra Premiership
North Queensland Cowboys
16 games; 1 tries, 4 points.
[View] Round 5 [11 Apr 09] L 10-14 v Titans (H). [BE]
[View] Round 6 [19 Apr 09] W 34-10 v Sharks (A). [BE]
[View] Round 7 [25 Apr 09] W 26-12 v Sea Eagles (H). [BE]
[View] Round 8 [01 May 09] L 18-28 v Eels (A). [BE]
[View] Round 13 [06 Jun 09] W 46-12 v Rabbitohs (H). [BE]
[View] Round 14 [14 Jun 09] L 18-32 v Dragons (A). [BE]
[View] Round 15 [20 Jun 09] W 24-22 v Roosters (H). [BE]
[View] Round 16 [26 Jun 09] L 18-30 v Bulldogs (A). [BE]
[View] Round 17 [04 Jul 09] W 24-4 v Sharks (H). [BE]
[View] Round 19 [18 Jul 09] L 14-34 v Tigers (A). [BE]
[View] Round 20 [25 Jul 09] L 20-28 v Panthers (H). [BE]
[View] Round 21 [31 Jul 09] W 34-18 v Titans (A). [BE] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 22 [07 Aug 09] L 8-20 v Storm (A). [BE]
[View] Round 23 [14 Aug 09] L 12-22 v Bulldogs (H). [BE]
[View] Round 25 [28 Aug 09] L 10-16 v Broncos (H). [LK]
[View] Round 26 [06 Sep 09] W 32-16 v Roosters (A). [LK]
======================================================================================================
2008 Toyota National Youth Competition
New Zealand Warriors
10 games; 3 tries, 12 points.
[View] Round 20 [27 Jul 08] W 36-12 v Storm (H). [BE]
[View] Round 21 [02 Aug 08] W 26-20 v Rabbitohs (A). [BE]
[View] Round 22 [09 Aug 08] L 12-32 v Broncos (H). [BE]
[View] Round 23 [16 Aug 08] W 35-6 v Sharks (H). [BE]
[View] Round 24 [24 Aug 08] W 32-8 v Dragons (A). [BE]
[View] Round 25 [31 Aug 08] L 28-30 v Panthers (H). [LK] 8 Pts; 2t
[View] Round 26 [06 Sep 08] D 24-24 v Eels (A). [BE]
[View] Finals Week 1 [14 Sep 08] W 47-20 v Dragons (H). [LK]
[View] Finals Week 2 [19 Sep 08] W 38-4 v Panthers. [BE]
[View] Finals Week 3 [27 Sep 08] L 26-28 v Broncos. [BE] 4 Pts; 1t
======================================================================================================
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Rapira, Steve
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