McKinnon back, Rapira out
Fullback Wade McKinnon is back but Kiwi prop Sam Rapira is out for the New Zealand Warriors' eighth-round NRL encounter with the St George Illawarra Dragons at WIN Stadium in Wollongong on Sunday.
A hamstring injury kept McKinnon out of the club's last two matches against the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne but he was named today to come back into the starting line-up.
However, World Cup-winning front rower Rapira has been ruled out for three weeks with a chest injury he aggravated in the golden point 14-14 draw with the Storm.
It ends an unbroken run of 66 NRL appearances stretching back to Rapira's debut season in 2006. After making four appearances earlier that season, he played each of the last six matches of the year, all 26 in 2007, 27 in 2008 and the first seven games this season.
"It's a shame for Sam and for us because he has been outstanding so far," said coach Ivan Cleary.
"He has been one of most reliable players for us over a long period and he also had a fantastic World Cup tournament for the Kiwis.
"If that's a negative, it's a positive to have Wade back at fullback. He was close to being right against the Storm but it wasn't worth risking him in the end. There's a long way still to go this season."
That change sees utility Lance Hohaia named among six players on the interchange bench after filling in at fullback against the Roosters and the Storm.
With Rapira out Royal is named to partner captain Steve Price in the front row. In the end Royal started last week after originally being named on the bench.
Sunday's match will be centre Jerome Ropati's 99th first-grade match since his debut in 2003. That leaves him on target to play his 100th match in the Vodafone Warriors' next home game against the Cowboys on May 17. He's set to become the 14th player to appear in 100 NRL games for the club.
Winger Manu Vatuvei is also within reach of a milestone. His two tries against the Storm lifted his career tally to an impressive 49 in just 79 matches; only three players have scored 50 tries for the Vodafone Warriors - Stacey Jones (76 in 244 matches), Francis Meli (60 in 110 matches) and Clinton Toopi (57 in 129 matches).
Vatuvei has four tries in four games so far this year and 20 in his last 21 NRL matches.
The full Warriors starting team is:
1. Wade McKinnon, 2. Denan Kemp, 3. Simon Mannering, 4. Jerome Ropati, 5. Manu Vatuvei, 6. Joel Moon, 7. Stacey Jones, 8. Jesse Royal, 9. Ian Henderson, 10. Steve Price (captain), 11. Ben Matulino, 12. Jacob Lillyman, 13. Micheal Luck.
The interchange, with two to be omitted, is: 14. Nathan Fien, 15. Russell Packer, 16. Lewis Brown, 17. Patrick Ah Van, 18. Lance Hohaia, 21. Aidan Kirk.
