Cleary primed for northern debut

Northland is a place close to Warriors coach Ivan Cleary's heart. He has a home at Waipu Cove and holidays there often, and he was pleased when the opportunity arose for the Warriors to play their third trial against Queensland Cup side the Burleigh Bears in Whangarei on Saturday.
"I really like it up north and it's a great place to come to play a game ... I'm looking forward to it," the coach said.
The game is the Warriors' first ever in Whangarei since the club was founded in 1995. The Warriors have already played two warm-up games ahead of their 17th NRL season. The first was two weeks ago in Greymouth against the Newcastle Knights, which ended in a 22-22 draw, and the second was last weekend against the Parramatta Eels in Rotorua, when the Warriors pummeled their opponents 24-4.
The games attracted crowds of 6500 and 10,000 respectively. It was a sign that interest in the team around the country was great and that having fixtures in different parts of New Zealand was good for the team and fans, Cleary said.
"I think it's a really good thing. We were fortunate all of our trials have been in New Zealand and we haven't had to cross the ditch to play. By having the games scattered around, we get to see different parts of the country and it's also good for the locals," he said.
The Warriors will play their fourth and final trial game at North Harbour Stadium on February 26 against the Manly Sea Eagles before kicking off against the Eels at Eden Park in round one of the 2011 NRL on March 12.
Cleary said he has liked what he has seen so far from his side during their build-up and he expects the team to keep improving.
"We have not gone too badly. Our second game was better - which I guess is a good sign and what we want to see. You can do all the training in the world but it's only when you start playing games that you get a decent idea of how you are going. The guys are in good shape individually and most of the boys have been playing well."
New signings Krisnan Inu and Feleti Mateo, who transferred from the Eels, along with former North Queensland Cowboy Steve Rapira and Hull player Shaun Berrigan, plus several of the Junior Warriors who have been promoted to first grade have been training well with the squad.
"The new boys are going really well - it seems like they've been part of the team forever."
While Cleary does not know too much about the team they will play on Saturday at Toll Stadium, the Warriors are familiar with Burleigh's set-up, as they train at the club's ground when they travel to the Gold Coast to play the Titans. The Bears won the Queensland Cup in 1999 and 2004, and have helped produce many NRL players including internationals Sam Perret (New Zealand) and Darius Boyd (Australia).
The game against Burleigh kicks off at 5pm, with the champion Junior Warriors taking on the 2010 Fox Memorial premiers the Otahuhu Leopards at 3pm.Tickets available from Ticket Direct (ticketdirect.co.nz or 0800 4 TICKET) and Toll Stadium reception. Grandstand: $15, Adult: $10, Child or Terraces and Embankment: $10 Adult, $5 Child.
TEAM:
Shaun Berrigan, Glen Fisiiahi, Pita Godinet, James Gavet, Ben Henry, Saulala Houma, Krisnan Inu, Isaac John, Kevin Locke, Sam Lousi, James Maloney, Alehana Mara, Ben Matulino, Upu Poching, Sam Rapira, Steve Rapira, Matt Robinson, Omar Slaimankhel, Ukuma Ta'ai, Elijah Taylor, Carlos Tuimavave, Bill Tupou.