Rugby League: Vatuvei to join rare NRL breed

Manu Vatuvei's three-year contract with the Warriors will take him through to 2018. Photo / Getty Images

New contract with Warriors set to make giant wing among league’s longest serving.

Manu Vatuvei has re-signed with the Warriors - and the terms of his deal are set to make him one of the longest serving NRL players of all time.

The Herald understands that Vatuvei has agreed to a new three-year contract, which will keep him at Mt Smart until the end of the 2018 season.

That will mean Vatuvei will accumulate at least 15 seasons at the same club, a feat few others have managed in the history of the NRL. If the 29-year-old completes the next three years, he will join some of the most illustrious names in the sport.

Andrew Ettinghausen tops the list, having spent 18 years at the Sharks after he made his debut in 1983 as an 18-year-old schoolboy.

The incomparable Darren Lockyer amassed 17 seasons at the Broncos while Jason Croker was a fixture at the Raiders for 16 years between 1991 and 2006. Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta) is the only other player to spend at least 15 years in the same team and Vatuvei could eventually surpass famous one-club names like Cliff Lyons (Manly, 14 seasons), Anthony Minichiello (Roosters, 14), Hazem El Masri (Bulldogs, 14) and Steve Menzies (Sea Eagles, 13).

It's a tribute to his remarkable longevity since he made his first grade debut as an 18-year-old in May 2004. With 201 matches under his belt, he is also on track to overtake Stacey Jones' record 261 games for the Warriors.

The new contract could be seen as a gamble by the Warriors. Sure, Vatuvei has showed no signs of slowing down - and remains as effective as ever, with six tries already this year and an average of 139m per game. But no one knows when that moment could come, when the demands of wing play become too much. But on the other hand the Warriors had little choice. Vatuvei remains of huge value on and off the field, and the respect he has within the sport was illustrated during his 200th game celebrations.

Meanwhile, Konrad Hurrell has paid for some mixed form by being dropped to the NSW Cup side for Saturday's Anzac Day match against the Titans at Mt Smart Stadium.

The centre struggled with injury early in the season and, while he did some good things in the 28-24 loss to the Cowboys, made errors that put his side under pressure.

David Fusitu'a, who has played most of his NRL career on the wing and who has been in good form for the NSW Cup side, will start at centre in his place.

Back rower Raymond Faitala-Mariner will also become the Warriors' 200th NRL player while veteran prop Sam Rapira will have his first outing of his 10th and final season. The pair have both been named on the bench and come in for Albert Vete and Dominique Peyroux.

"I had to make the changes," coach Andrew McFadden said. "With Konrad, he's been working really hard but I feel it has affected his performances. He has been doing some good things and there are some things he needs to work on. He's aware of that. And David Fusitu'a's form in the NSW Cup side has been too good to ignore. He's well and truly earned his spot there.

"No one is safe. We want performances on the field so we need competition [for spots] to guarantee that. When people slip up, I need to make changes. The players are aware of that and that drives performance.

"Errors are really hurting us at the moment and I need to keep the players accountable to that."

The club's first Anzac Day match at home launches a programme of five games in five cities on a day New Zealanders and Australians unite to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli.