NRL: Tupou's three-try spectacle may not be enough

Bill Tupou. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Bill Tupou had to wait 10 matches to score his first NRL try. Now the young winger has another nervous wait as coach Ivan Cleary weighs up whether to retain him after his breakthrough hat-trick performance against the Sharks on Saturday night.

Tupou broke his try duck in spectacular fashion with three tries in 20 minutes as the Sharks wilted but, with Kevin Locke expected to return to action this week, Tupou may yet find himself frozen out for Sunday's match against the Newcastle Knights.

It's a familiar scenario for Tupou, who was dropped for Locke after helping the club to a stunning victory over Penrith in round 18 - although that decision was influenced by a hand injury.

"Hopefully this game showed what I can do and I'll get another shot," Tupou said.

"I'll just train hard and hopefully Ivan and Tony [Iro] pick me."

Locke's defensive struggles against the Rabbitohs in his last outing make the decision less than clear cut.

Cleary will have to weigh up that off-day against the match-winning brilliance Locke displayed against the Roosters in Christchurch.

"I'm not too sure, to be honest," said Cleary. "Kevin has still got to prove his fitness yet, but there are a few curly ones coming up."

Whoever gets the nod will not have to worry about marking Knights' flyer Akuila Uate, that task to fall to Manu Vatuvei.

Whether he plays this week ornot, Tupou was chuffed to finallyscore his first NRL try.

"The boys have been hassling me so it was just a relief," he said. "I was happy-as."

Last week Cleary predicted the tries would soon flow for Tupou, although yesterday he admitted the source of that correct call had been assistant coach Iro.

"Tony has been telling me that as soon as he gets his first there will be an avalanche, so he's got to take credit for that one," Cleary said.

"Bill has been a try scorer his whole life in any sort of football he hasplayed. He is probably not usedto having to wait so long for a try soit is good to see him get a few."

Tupou's hat-trick came with the game in hand, with the Warriors having already eased to a 20-6 second-half lead. His first and third tries were simple enough affairs, but the second was a quality finish as he wrong-footed and powered through two defenders.

"Now that he doesn't have to worry about breaking the duck," said Cleary, "he can play a bit more naturally."