NRL: Matulino loves to be in front

Ben Matulino is now realising his early potential. Photo / Getty Images

Ben Matulino strongly objected to playing in the front row when it was first suggested because it's normally a position, in his eyes, for the slowest players on the park.

But he quickly established himself as one of the best in the NRL.

The 23-year-old is maturing into a very good player. He's already amassed 91 NRL games, as well as 11 tests for the Kiwis, proving he's a durable individual for his age. He's also one of the Warriors' most consistent in a season blighted by inconsistencies.

He has not let his standards slip when others around him have struggled and is averaging an impressive 114.2m and 20 tackles a game. Significantly, Matulino has committed only two errors and missed only six tackles in his five games and he will be a key figure when the Warriors take on a Raiders outfit hit by injuries today.

It is not yet time to panic because the Warriors' record of two wins and three losses is identical to the one they held at the same time last year - and they went on to make the grand final - but they were poor against the Roosters last weekend. The 110 points they have leaked on defence is behind only the Eels (155) and Wests Tigers (121).

Matulino was arguably the only player to show some aggression against the Roosters last weekend - although not in the slightly manic way Jared Waerea-Hargreaves attacked his work - and has adjusted seamlessly to his transition in 2010 from the second row to front row. "I love it," he said. "When Ivan [Cleary] first told me I was playing prop I said, 'nah, it's not me'. I definitely didn't want to do that. They are known as the slowest people on the field but the game is changing and I don't think I see myself going back to that."

Modern props are largely tall and athletic and, at 1.93m and 107kg, Matulino fits the mould perfectly. He's dispensed with the puppy fat former coach Cleary felt he needed to shed - Matulino once had a love affair with junk food - and has matured into a tough and gifted front rower.

He had always shown potential - he was the NZRL's 2007 Young Player of the Year and followed that up by being named the Warriors' Rookie of the Year in 2008.

"When I came up [from Wellington and joined the Warriors] I was all about big hits but I thought about it and I don't want to just be the guy who does the big hits," he said. "I would probably be a bench player the rest of my life, so I changed my game and try to contribute to the team a lot more.

"I think it comes down to working for each other. We have a strong culture here. Personally, I don't feel like an older player. I feel like I have played the same amount of games as Sione [Lousi] and Ukuma [Ta'ai] because we all came into the club at the same time."

Jacob Lillyman arrived at about the same time, too, and has seen Matulino's development: "He's hit the stage of his career where he's through the rookie years, even though he's still young, and has worked out what it takes to be consistent."

Lillyman, who has missed the season so far with an arm injury, says Matulino is more than a one-trick pony.

"There's a lot to Benny. He's not just a take-it-one-of-the-ruck, smash-it-up player, although he can do that. He's got good footwork and he picks his runs well. He's a smart player and he's probably one of the best if not the best front rower in the comp at the moment."