League: Whatuira showing the way

Paul Whatuira - "It's a good feeling at the club. It's been a big year for us." Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Among all the excitement of the Wests Tigers' charge through the NRL finals, one player can quietly say: "Been there, done that".

Kiwis centre Paul Whatuira already has a premiership ring, won with Penrith in 2003. Proving to be one of the buys of the season, the 24-year-old believes the feeling at the Tigers is similar to that which propelled the Panthers from second-last in 2002 to premiership glory 12 months later.

"That was a good year, but that's in the past," he said. "It's a good feeling at the club. It's been a big year for us. We were pretty inconsistent through the first half of the year, but we're finishing strong."

But Whatuira isn't one for regaling his team-mates with tales of an upset grand final victory over the Sydney Roosters.

"I don't know if I need to tell them much," he said. "They did an outstanding job last weekend. They fronted up and hopefully we can expect the same [this weekend]."

His main message to young Tigers stars such as fellow New Zealanders Benji Marshall and Dene Halatau is to enjoy the opportunity.

And 200-plus-game veterans John Skandalis and Mark O'Neill don't need to be told that, as they are playing their first finals footy and know opportunities such as this don't come around often.

"Just to go out there and enjoy it I think," Whatuira advised. "It's not too often you get to play these big games and I'm sure the whole team will be ready."

Whatuira faces the toughest challenge in league at the moment as he will front up against the game's most dangerous centre, St George Illawarra's Mark Gasnier.

But he is looking forward to the grand final qualifier on Saturday night and the task of marking Gasnier.

"He's rated the No 1 centre in the competition, so it's a good challenge for myself," Whatuira said. "He's an outstanding player, so we definitely know what we're up against."

And the New Zealand international might be seeing a lot more of Gasnier if, as expected, both receive a call-up to play for their countries in next month's Tri-Nations series.

One year into a three-year contract with Wests, Whatuira said the atmosphere at the club could convince him to remain a Tiger for life.

"I'd love to, but I'm signed up for only another two years, and we'll have to see what happens after that," he said. "In saying that, I'm worried about now."

Marshall will have to play through the pain barrier. He flinched at contact training yesterday when his tender right shoulder was tested, heightening the possibility he will opt for surgery rather than playing in the Tri-Nations campaign.

Meanwhile, Parramatta hooker Mark Riddell says the chance to give inspirational backrower Nathan Hindmarsh another shot at grand final glory is extra incentive to beat North Queensland.

Hindmarsh, who Riddell dubbed the heart and soul of the club, has been ruled out of Sunday's preliminary final against the Cowboys after tearing the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against Brisbane three weeks ago.

The Eels are confident the test backrower will be fit for the grand final the following week, but to get there they must first dispose of the Cowboys at Stadium Australia.

"I said a few weeks ago, Hindy is the heart of this side and if anyone needed any extra incentive, I think it would be to get Hindy into the grand final," Riddell said yesterday.

"It's a grand final qualifier and everyone will be up for the game."

Hindmarsh, one of five remaining Eels from the side upset by Newcastle in the 2001 decider, has averaged a phenomenal 34.8 tackles and 100.5m per game this season.

But Riddell said statistics did not show the full extent of his value to the team.

"I think we lose a little bit, he tidies up a lot of work for us."

* Dragons v Tigers - Aussie Stadium, 9.45pm Saturday

Dragons

Clint Greenshields
Colin Best
Mark Gasnier
Matt Cooper
Wes Naiqama
Trent Barrett (c)
Ben Hornby
Luke Bailey
Dean Young
Jason Ryles
Ben Creagh
Lance Thompson
Shaun Timmins

Tigers

Brett Hodgson
Daniel Fitzhenry
Shane Elford
Paul Whatuira
Pat Richards
Benji Marshall
Scott Prince (c)
A. Laffranchi
Robert Farah
John Skandalis
Ben Galea
Mark O'Neill
Dene Halatau

Interchange:

Dragons: (from) Michael Henderson, Justin Poore, Corey Payne, Michael Ennis, Ashton Sims

Tigers: Liam Fulton, Chris Heighington, Bryce Gibbs, Todd Payten

* Eels v Cowboys - Stadium Australia, Sunday 6pm

Eels

Wade McKinnon
Luke Burt
Ben Smith
Timana Tahu
Eric Grothe
John Morris
Tim Smith
Nathan Cayless
Mark Riddell
Paul Stringer
Daniel Wagon
Glenn Morrison
Chad Robinson

Cowboys

Matthew Bowen
Ty Williams
Josh Hannay
Paul Bowman
Matt Sing
J. Thurston
Brett Firman
Paul Rauhihi
Aaron Payne
Shane Tronc
Steven Southern
Luke O'Donnell
Travis Norton

Interchange:

Eels: (from) PJ Marsh, Dean Widders, Michael Vella, Adam Peek, Luke O'Dwyer, Fuifui Moimoi, Aaron Cannings

Cowboys: (from) David Faiumu, Jacob Lillyman, Justin Smith, Mitchell Sargent, Rod Jensen

- AAP