General Rd 20 - Warriors Vs Knights - Big Konnie Is Back!

[KingBubz]

First-year NRL star Konrad Hurrell is back in the line-up for the Vodafone Warriors’ 20th-round NRL match against the Newcastle Knights at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday night (kick-off 7.30pm local time).
Hurrell (20), who has just signed a contract extension to the end of the 2015 NRL season, missed last Friday night’s 8-10 loss to Brisbane with a foot injury but has been named to make his return against the Wayne Bennett-coach Knights.
With 12 tries in 12 matches so far this season, he takes up his spot at right centre once again with his stand-in Lewis Brown included on a five-man bench.
The rest of the starting line-up is the same as the one used against the Broncos while Brown joins Sione Lousi, Jacob Lillyman, Steve Rapira and Omar Slaimankhel on the bench.
“We’re naturally please to have Konnie available again and it’ll be great for him to play in front of our home crowd just a few days after being signed up on a new contract,” said Vodafone Warriors head coach Brian McClennan.
“While it’s good to have him back our focus is one the need to keep improving. We’ve done well for long period in a lot of games lately but dropping the two points against the Broncos last week was really tough to take.”
With seven matches to play, the Vodafone Warriors sit two points out of eighth place on 20 points but only six points covers eight teams ranked from third to 10th.
A feature of Saturday’s night game day programme sponsored by TNT will be the launching of the Dream Chaser Foundation – A Chace Topperwien Charity named after the three-year-old Whakatane boy who died last month from a rare form of leukaemia.
The Vodafone Warriors have been running an auction on trademe.co.nz to raise funds for the charity. To see the lots click on the link: https://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=4278262
TNT has pledged cash for points in support of the foundation when both the Vodafone Junior Warriors and the Vodafone Warriors play the Knights. TNT will donate $100 for every try, $50 for every goal and $25 for every field goal scored by the club’s two teams (the NYC match kicks off at 5.15pm).
There’ll also be a gold coin collection at the ground when the gates open at 4.45pm.
Owners Eric Watson and Owen Glenn, who have returned to New Zealand this week, will be among the crowd on Saturday night.

VODAFONE WARRIORS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
7.30pm, Saturday, July 21

VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 KEVIN LOCKE
2 BILL TUPOU
3 BEN HENRY
4 KONRAD HURRELL
5 MANU VATUVEI
6 JAMES MALONEY
7 SHAUN JOHNSON
8 RUSSELL PACKER
9 NATHAN FRIEND
10 BEN MATULINO
11 FELETI MATEO
12 SIMON MANNERING (c)
13 ELIJAH TAYLOR
Interchange:
14 LEWIS BROWN
15 SIONE LOUSI
16 JACOB LILLYMAN
17 STEVE RAPIRA
18 OMAR SLAIMANKHEL
HEAD COACH: BRIAN McCLENNAN

https://www.warriors.co.nz/news-display/Hurrell-back-in-harness-for-Vodafone-Warriors/59488

 

[Magic Stick]

How long to Sam Rapira and The Luck Truck is back

 

[Hitman82]

I'd like to see this team run out:

1 KEVIN LOCKE​

2 BILL TUPOU​

3 MANU VATUVEI​

4 KONRAD HURRELL​

5 OMAR SLAIMANKHEL​

6 JAMES MALONEY​

7 SHAUN JOHNSON​

8 RUSSELL PACKER​

9 NATHAN FRIEND​

10 BEN MATULINO​

11 FELETI MATEO​

12 SIMON MANNERING (c)​

13 ELIJAH TAYLOR​

​

Interchange:​

​

14 BEN HENRY​

15 SIONE LOUSI​

16 JACOB LILLYMAN​

17 STEVE RAPIRA​

Sorry Brown. I simply prefer Ben Henry, and I'd like to see him get a run off the bench in the second row, and as injury cover for the centres obviously. This line up has good cover for fullback, wing and centre if need be. Also, Brown continues to anger me with cheap handling errors and jersey grabs in defense. I thought it was just a hooker / centre issue for him - I was wrong.

​

 

[Dankokoro 2.0]

Boom shakalaka! that's a sexy looking team..

 

[Magic Stick]

jersey grabs in defense. I thought it was just a hooker / centre issues for him - I was wrong.

​

Steve The Myth Rapira is a jersey grabber aswell. If they dont run straight at him he is farked, he even got bunted by Te'o when he did try a hit on

 

[jsmooove]

I'd like to see this team run out:

1 KEVIN LOCKE​

2 BILL TUPOU​

3 MANU VATUVEI​

4 KONRAD HURRELL​

5 OMAR SLAIMANKHEL​

6 JAMES MALONEY​

7 SHAUN JOHNSON​

8 RUSSELL PACKER​

9 NATHAN FRIEND​

10 BEN MATULINO​

11 FELETI MATEO​

12 SIMON MANNERING (c)​

13 ELIJAH TAYLOR​

​

Interchange:​

​

14 BEN HENRY​

15 SIONE LOUSI​

16 JACOB LILLYMAN​

17 STEVE RAPIRA​

Sorry Brown. I simply prefer Ben Henry, and I'd like to see him get a run off the bench in the second row, and as injury cover for the centres obviously. This line up has good cover for fullback, wing and centre if need be. Also, Brown continues to anger me with cheap handling errors and jersey grabs in defense. I thought it was just a hooker / centre issues for him - I was wrong.

​

I prefer that backline TBH. I think having a good center would benefit Omar.

 

[Hitman82]

Steve The Myth Rapira is a jersey grabber aswell. If they dont run straight at him he is farked, he even got bunted by Te'o when he did try a hit on

I must admit, it was pretty much a toss up between Brown and Rapira. Rapira got lucky simply because he is apparently a bench prop, and Ben Henry would get eaten alive in the middle.
I'm also yet to see evidence of these "huge" hits and "mongrel" he is renowned for. I might rename Steve "The Manticore" in lieu of his mysterious reputation, which seems to be built around the retelling of events which may or may not have occurred in the distant past.

EDIT: I am being slightly brain dead as usual. Presumably Lousi and Lillyman are our bench props, so why is Rapira even in the team? Brown is the better second rower, even though I don't really rate him on this season's efforts. He's a good dummy half runner who can occasionally pass to his left - that's it.

 

[olek_skillgannon]

knights are on the rise..should be one hel of a game saturday..wet weather,warriors by 12..dry conditions wariors by 20

 

[Magic Stick]

knights are on the rise..should be one hel of a game saturday..wet weather,warriors by 12..dry conditions wariors by 20

Danger game...Lose this and thats our season down the Wharepaku....Warriors by 7

 

[eX | Machina]

I'd like to see this team run out:

1 KEVIN LOCKE​

2 BILL TUPOU​

3 MANU VATUVEI​

4 KONRAD HURRELL​

5 OMAR SLAIMANKHEL​

6 JAMES MALONEY​

7 SHAUN JOHNSON​

8 RUSSELL PACKER​

9 NATHAN FRIEND​

10 BEN MATULINO​

11 FELETI MATEO​

12 LEWIS BROWN​

13 ELIJAH TAYLOR SIMON MANNERING (c)​

​

Interchange:​

​

14 BEN HENRY​

15 SIONE LOUSI​

16 JACOB LILLYMAN​

17 STEVE RAPIRA​

Sorry Brown. I simply prefer Ben Henry, and I'd like to see him get a run off the bench in the second row, and as injury cover for the centres obviously. This line up has good cover for fullback, wing and centre if need be. Also, Brown continues to anger me with cheap handling errors and jersey grabs in defense. I thought it was just a hooker / centre issue for him - I was wrong.

​

I do like your team. Based on form though I'd be punting Taylor. Lewie Brown makes a few half breaks every game.

 

[Hitman82]

I do like your team. Based on form though I'd be punting Taylor. Lewie Brown makes a few half breaks every game.

I'd also be down with that option. Taylor is another of our uninspiring young second rowers, though he did make a few dominant tackles against the Broncos.

Does any player have a worse "intent : realisation" ratio in regards to rushing out of the line at extreme speed to try and put a huge hit on, then missing the target by about two metres?

 

[eX | Machina]

Does any player have a worse "intent : realisation" ratio in regards to rushing out of the line at extreme speed to try and put a huge hit on, then missing the target by about two metres?

LOL yeah I'm pretty sure he's never hit his target!!

 

[MarkW]

I'd also be down with that option. Taylor is another of our uninspiring young second rowers, though he did make a few dominant tackles against the Broncos.

Does any player have a worse "intent : realisation" ratio in regards to rushing out of the line at extreme speed to try and put a huge hit on, then missing the target by about two metres?

Does anyone else get irritated by his completely obvious decoy running on attack? Maybe that's what the coach is telling him to do, but it looks plain ludicrous and fools absolutely no-one... or maybe that's the point.

 

[Gee]

Danger game...Lose this and thats our season down the Wharepaku....Warriors by 7

Yep , We can't afford to lose any more home games. Hope the Boys are up for a big one.

 

[Miket12]

Yep , We can't afford to lose any more home games. Hope the Boys are up for a big one.

I expect that we should take this one out by over 20 points - but judging by my tipping last weekend, what would I know!

 

[Inruin]

I do like your team. Based on form though I'd be punting Taylor. Lewie Brown makes a few half breaks every game.

sorry, i'm not sold on manu in the centres. and i'm in two minds with taylor. he has made more tackles than anyone else in our squad this season to date, which allows others to focus on attack. i'd have lewis brown on the bench over steve rapira, manu on the bench as impact 2nd rower and henry in the centres.

 

[Sup42]

Great news Hurrell is back.

With the Knights coming off a Manly win and being on the edge of the eight this is a really dangerous game.

Talk of us being favorites is rubbish , the knights are inconsistent , we are inconsistent , they are on a high , we should be really after acheiving eighty minute footy on friday....equates to a very even contest.

I'm pleased about this , the last thing we needed was an easy beat club after the Broncs game , this match up if we win will be truly worth something.

Looking forward to Steve the underrated Rapira clocking up another form building game.

Looking forward to the experimental coach Bluey giving Manu a run in the centers again ( if he doesn't try it we will never know....if it Works and Omar turns good.....we will have a much stronger outside back lin than we have had since the Anderson days )

Can't wait , i hope its a close eighty minute slug fest whatever the result....more so than a comprehensive win at home.

 

[Inruin]

Hey boys and girls, It’s a Mt Smart MARDI GRAS!!!! Big Willy, Gay Guy and the Knights in their flamboyant red and navy blue outfits are coming to town. The only way this could be any better would be if Matt Chechin was in charge of this parade. It will be popular though, a big crowd is expected.

A huge effort from the boys, without getting the two points, against the Broncos showed that we can foot it with the big boys. Previous to that, we took care of the understrength Cowboys and the Titans 13+. The pleasing thing has been the defence, especially in the second half of all those games, conceding just 8 points in total in the last three second half performances.

For the Knights the Wayne Bennett factor hasn’t really come to fruition so far this season but they did have a very convincing win at home over the depleted Manly Sea Eagles last start. That was after a hammering from the Bunnies and an unconvincing win over a very poor Eels side in the weeks prior.

Who to watch out for…Nathan friend. Enough said. Our forward pack should be too much for the Knights assuming the hard slog in the rain against the Broncos hasn’t left us drained. Big Manu and Konrad in the backline should attract plenty of attention, and the improved kicking game from Shaun Johnson and Baloney should ensure good field position.

For the Knights, Jarrod Mullen has been great the last few games. He is the Knights main playmaker and possibly the forgotten man by NSW. Akuila Uate is unstoppable at times and since being dropped by Ricky for Origin Game 3 has scored 6 tries. The match up with him and Manu will be worth watching. Both players will be tested and Omar should feel at home with a number of bombs likely in this match. Others to keep an eye on are Big Willy and Danny Buderus - Oldies but Goodies.

The result? The importance of this game is huge for both sides. However, the Knights, to me, don’t look as good or as committed when they are on the road and away from their home crowd and Mr Tinkler. They have an impossible run home to make the 8 and in my opinion are playing for pride and nuisance value only.

The Warriors will be fired up after their narrow loss to the Broncos and should dominate through the forwards. Hopefully our edge can defend against a pretty good Knights backline who do like to throw the ball around. Let's see if the weather gods give us a fine night.

Warriors need this one to stay in touch with the 8 and keep the gap with the chasing pack. Lose and I’m afraid it’s all over for this season.

Warriors by 1-12

Score 28-18

First Try Scorer – Maaannnnnuuuuuuuuuuu

MOM – Nathan Friend

 

[Waiting For Premiership]

Yep , We can't afford to lose any more home games. Hope the Boys are up for a big one.

Looking at the way the table stands we REALLY have to win one away game also, don't think 28 points is going to cut it this year, we need 30 points or more.. 7 games left WE NEED to win 5.. Also if Newcastle lose then there finished for the season, this is going to be mighty fu# king tough on Sat night. Newcastle by 8

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

It is do or die tiem, yet again. We have a habit of spending the last 2 months of the comp fighting for our lives, but it brings the best out of us. Lasy year we build exceptionally well at the pointy end of the season and continued to grow (Broncos game not withstanding) to reach the big show.

We will win every game we need to and lose any that are not imperitive and we will go deep into finals footy again.

Just the feeling that is starting to build.

Before the weekends game, I had picked either we beat them and continue on, or they would hammer us and show we have nothing this year. A close loss showed we are just a touch off cutting it with the big boys. We finally got 80 minutes of football out of the boys. We will get about 70 minutes of decent play this week and win by 16.