Richie Barnett: Warriors' infringing won't impact on Kiwis

Ryan Hoffman of the Warriors leads his team off the field during the round seven NRL match between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the New Zealand Warrior. Photo / Getty Images.

Misbehaving Warriors players Manu Vatuvei, Ben Matulino and Bodene Thompson haven't helped their chances of being selected in the Kiwis side for next week's transtasman test but the door hasn't been closed on them either.

The trio, along with Sam Lisone, Albert Vete and Konrad Hurrell, were stood down from Sunday's team to face the Dragons following the club's 42-0 Anzac Day defeat to the Storm in Melbourne. The six players had a late night on Tuesday and a couple were late to a team meeting the following morning.

Kiwis convener of selectors Richie Barnett says he doesn't think the infringing will impact on the players' chances of being picked to play Australia in Newcastle next Friday night.

"We are a different organisation," Barnett told the NZ Herald. "Of course, if it were anything more serious we would consider it. I haven't spoken to the other selectors or Mooks [coach Stephen Kearney] but I don't think it is a big one.

"I don't know what they did. Did they drink? Were they pissed? I'm really not sure but it didn't look good for the club.

"Sometimes they have to go out but they have just got to monitor what they do and the timing of it. In that respect, if they were told not to go out, then that is average and if they were drinking a lot then that is even worse.

"Manu is a non-drinker but he made a pretty bad judgement call as a leader of those younger guys. He has been dealt with and, in my opinion, we move on."

Barnett says the issue is something for the Warriors to sort through.

"My concern is now that they have gone against the grain of the club. [Warriors managing director] Jim Doyle has stamped down pretty hard. I respect Jim immensely and I think he has laid down the challenge and said to the players, 'these are the standards we set and if you don't meet them we are going to make some pretty big calls'.

Barnett and his fellow selectors will have to pick a side missing a number of first-choice personnel. Fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Dean Whare, Simon Mannering and Tuimoala Lolohea will miss the game with injury and five-eighth Kieran Foran is taking a break from the sport after the breakdown of his relationship.

"Kieran Foran is the biggest one you could envisage at the moment," Barnett says. "We are concerned and hopefully he gets right. We have to deal with the pieces and we have to try to select the side that replaces that man because he has been a fixture in the side for a while now and he is pivotal for Shaun Johnson."

Barnett says there is a lot more depth available to the Kiwis these days and they will still field a competitive side.