League: Wiki relishes facing Australia in Tri-Nations

By PETER JESSUP

Kiwis captain Ruben Wiki was practically dancing yesterday on the injured ankle that threatened to keep him out of last weekend's NRL finals, while declaring himself a certain starter for the test match against Australia in four weeks.

He struggled a bit in the playoff against the Roosters last weekend, he said, but it was just one week after he left the field with an injury the medics first thought was a break then diagnosed as a torn ligament.

"I got through on adrenaline," he said. "How did it look?"

It looked good, Ruben, I'm glad I'm not a tackle target.

"I'll be at 100 per cent by then," he said of the Tri-Nations opener.

Suspended out of the last transtasman contest in April and reduced to a mentor role, Wiki is keen to show he was worth backing as captain and to scotch any suggestion that his Kiwi side cannot match the Kangaroos.

His is the attitude selectors would kill for: He's willing to do anything for the jersey. That will carry over to others - they won't want to let him down.

Wiki carries tremendous mana into the Tri-Nations series, not just with the New Zealanders. Both the Kangaroos and Lions will be wary of what his mere presence can do to lift the black and whites.

The test at North Harbour Stadium on October 16 will be Wiki's 40th since his international debut in 1994 - only Stephen Kearney (45) and world record-holder Gary Freeman (46) have played more.

The Kiwis are three-from-four on the Albany ground.

If there's one thing Wiki's looking forward to as much as turning over the Australians it's playing with the new brigade of Kiwis. He rates Sonny Bill Williams as "another Mark Graham - with a bit extra".

"He can make something out of nothing. He makes impact as soon as he comes into a game. When he played in April he showed the Aussies he wasn't afraid of them, and he's going to be around for a while."

The balance of the Kiwi team will be upset by the fact they do not have a specialist hooker nor a five-eighth. But Wiki is unconcerned. "With the talent available, whoever they choose it will be an awesome team."

He dismissed suggestions the Kiwis were hampered by the withdrawal of players for end-of-season surgery or because they described themselves as out of form, and the talk of a rift with coach Daniel Anderson.

There were plenty of good players in the NRL who would crawl over broken glass to get a Kiwi jersey, Wiki said. "Pick them."

He thought the train-on squad and the players who would come from the NRL finals teams as they were eliminated would provide a balance of youth and experience.

He said having played at centre, prop, second row and lock for the Kiwis, "they can pick me on the wing, I don't care".

But lock seems likely, where his damaging tackling will be paramount.

Wiki visited Auckland this week to film TV promos for the test and to be at the NZRL's announcement of the train-on squad.

The new Warrior will remain in Canberra, training with the few Raiders still in town after their season-ending loss to the Roosters, until personal matters such as selling the house are taken care of and plans to shift to Auckland in December completed.

Wiki was signed at the Warriors before Monty Betham said he was stepping down as skipper, but he is not concerned whether he is made captain or not.

"They want leadership from me - I don't need to be captain to provide that. Steve [Price] does a great job [for the Bulldogs]. It doesn't worry me."

But he is looking forward to a new challenge after 11 years at the Raiders.

He dismissed any suggestion it was a retirement fund he was after: "I feel like a kid with a new toy. I'm looking forward to the challenge." And he was sure he could see out the three years of his term, by which time he'll be nudging 35.

"I've been lucky with injuries apart from the broken arms [two, several season ago]. I know I have to do more to look after myself."

He doesn't drink at all in season. "I had a couple on Mad Monday and felt it. I was home in bed by 10 o'clock."



Ruben Wiki


Born: 21 January 1973

Otahuhu College, Otahuhu Leopards junior

1.86m, 106kg former centre turned secondrower

NRL debut: R13 June 1993 for Canberra

225 games for the Raiders

18 games 2004

Average 16 hit-ups and 25 tackles per game plus two off-loads

Error rate: 0.4 per game career average

40 tests since debut 1994