Rugby League: Vagana puts body on line against Eels

By PETER JESSUP

Brisbane's Wayne Bennett has long argued the value of players who have reached the benchmark of 100 games in the Australian rugby league premiership.

He lists three main reasons: the toughness required to last that long; the skill to force the coach to keep picking them; and, most importantly, the experience to dig their side out of holes.

Bennett is arguably the doyen of NRL coaches - four recent premiership titles and 314 games for 213 wins and 95 losses, a winning percentage of 68. Plus his side are leading the competition again.

So the value to the Warriors of having Big Joe Vagana reach the mark cannot be understated.

His old St Paul's College team-mate Stacey Jones proved it last weekend when he came back from a four-month break and showed the maturity to handle a ton of pressure, an avalanche of tacklers and still spark the team to victory.

Big Joe was dropped to the bench for two games of the eight this year after losses when the all-important go-forward was not there. But his statistics for the season are among the most impressive in the NRL.

They include 102 hit-ups, 682m gained at an average of 6.7, and 85 tackles. Last week, in a winning team, the figures were 173m, 18 hit-ups at an average 9.6m and 12 tackles.

The figures come courtesy of the Warriors' and Herald's stats man Geoff Ackland, who also spends hours videoing the players at training and in games so the coaching staff can review specifics, and the players can be shown what is wrong and how they can improve.

Ackland reckons the reason tacklers have so much trouble with Vagana is the sheer size of his hips and thighs.

"They can't link arms around his middle and slide down."

Opposition coaches have to put three and four tacklers on Vagana to bring him to ground. And when he lands chest-down, fast-working elbows and knees allow the quick play-the-balls that keep the opposition rolling backwards.

And that is the game Warriors coach Mark Graham has been wanting his props to play - smash the opposition, leave them too exhausted to attack, intimidate them.

It will get a good workout at Parramatta tonight, with the Eels not short of firepower either, despite the loss of Kiwi Nathan Cayless for six weeks with a broken thumb.

Their representative prop Michael Vella is rated as well as Vagana.

Big Joe, who has just turned 25, is 188cm and weighs around 106kg. Vella, aged 21, is 190cm and weighs 103kg.

How much part does body shape play? Leading metre-maker Shane Webcke is 183cm, 112kg.

Dean Schifilliti comes in at hooker and as captain for the Eels. He said yesterday that he had not led a side for three years but was honoured and looking forward to it.

He mentioned the size of the Warriors' pack and the quality of the halves, John Simon and Jones, as their best assets, and predicted a tough game.

Meanwhile, the Warriors have asked NRL judiciary commissioner Jim Hall for a "please explain," citing their record as the team with most sinbinnings, most sendings-off and most citings and suspensions.

Chief executive Trevor McKewen said they were clearly not the worst-disciplined team, and had not been under Frank Endacott either, so deserved a fairer go.

Hall has been asked to visit Auckland for the Warriors' next home game, against the Sharks on Easter Monday.

Eels: Brett Hodgson, Clinton Schifcofske, Daniel Wagon, Stuart Kelly, Eric Grothe, Jason Smith, Ben Kusto, Michael Vella, Dean Schifilitti (c), David Westley, Andrew Ryan, Nathan Hindmarsh, Jim Dymock; interchange Denis Moran, Michael Hodgson, Troy Wozniak, Jason Moodie, Luke Burt (one to be omitted).

Warriors: Cliff Beverley, Lee Oudenryn, David Myles, Nigel Vagana, Odell Manuel, John Simon (c), Stacey Jones, Joe Vagana, Robert Mears, Jerry Seuseu, Logan Swann, Ali Lauiti'iti, Jason Death; interchange Henry Faafili, Tony Tuimavave, Matt Spence, Mark Tookey.

Ref: Paul Simpkins.