NRL: Berrigan factor adds spice to Eels clash

Shaun Berrigan looked sharp in the trials but his real test will be when the knocks come. Photo / Getty Images

Shaun Berrigan has been there and done it. The question is - at 32 with 12 seasons of top-grade football behind him - can he still do it?

If he can, the Warriors' late swoop for the former Queensland and Australia super-utility will have been a great piece of business.

In a match filled with intriguing subplots - Stephen Kearney's first game in charge of the Eels, Feleti Mateo's first game for the Warriors, and a big league crowd returning to rugby's hallowed ground - how Berrigan shapes up might just be the most interesting.

Given his weighty CV, plenty is expected of Berrigan. Perhaps too much.

In his first season with Hull, Berrigan wowed Super League and swept the board at the club's awards night.

But by midway through his third northern season injuries had taken their toll and he lost the club's hooking jersey to youngster Danny Houghton.

After that he was used mainly off the bench or as a stop-gap measure in the halves. The return on his big salary came into question, with the club happy enough to grant him a release from his final year.

A club on the lookout for cover at hooker and centre, the Warriors were a good fit for Berrigan. He made a strong early impression in training and looked sharp in the trials, but even Berrigan was surprised at his immediate spot in the match-day squad as back-up to Aaron Heremaia.

"I was stoked to actually get into the 17 to be honest," he said. "I came here late in January and there are guys here who played all of last year. I never expected to be in the 17. I just played the best I could in the trials and Ivan has picked me. But it's up to me just to keep my spot in the team. There is a lot of heat on us from guys who played really well in the trials who missed out."

The player putting the heat on Berrigan is young talent Alehana Mara. The Wellington product looked the goods in a three-match cameo towards the end of last season before injury shut him down for the year.

With Mara in the wings there appears little downside to Berrigan's signing - at least this season. But Mara is on a low-grade contract outside of the club's top 25 players. If he receives a better offer and leaves, it would change the equation.

The real test for Berrigan will come midway through the season, when the Auckland winter bites and the knocks start to pile up. Players pushing 33 are rare in the NRL. For now, he is in top shape.

"I feel good," he said. "I haven't missed a training session and I haven't needed to see the physio yet, touch wood. I'll keep training hard and looking after myself and hopefully I'll get through the season well."

If he does, the Warriors have an option on him for 2012.

Coach Ivan Cleary is certainly a big fan. A model pro in the Cleary mould, Berrigan fitted in seamlessly despite his late arrival. Although not a big talker, he will have an on-field leadership role.

"I've always been the type of person who doesn't talk it up, just try to lead by example," he said.

Times have changed since Berrigan last took on the Warriors on a regular basis in a Broncos shirt.

"In the old days round the Broncs everyone used to hate playing the Warriors because they were a big, physical side," Berrigan said. "They used to be an unfit team but these boys here across the park have got themselves in great shape, so it is going to be exciting."