Mad Butcher Club at MT SMART STADIUM, HOME of the MIGHTY VODAFONE WARRIORS 17 February 2016 Newsletter #109 No Advertisements Are Paid for in This Newsletter
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Sir Peter Leitch’s Mad Butcher Club AT MT SMART STADIUM, HOME OF THE MIGHTY VODAFONE WARRIORS 17 February 2016 Newsletter #109 No advertisements are paid for in this newsletter. Pre Season Win! Watch out Nelson, the Mad Butch- er and Vodafone Warriors are coming to town this Saturday. Manu Vatuvei takes a breather New Vodafone Warriors signing Vodafone Warriors forward Ray- during the Vodafone Warriors’ Issac Luke in action against the mond Faitala-Mariner runs in to pre-season trial win over the Gold Gold Coast Titans. score his third try. Coast Titans. Photos courtesy of www.photosport.co.nz HERE IS no other way to be- will be back in Melbourne the www.Trafalgar events.co.nz/chari- Tgin this week’s newsletter than following Friday. ty-dinner. by expressing our heartfelt sympa- thy to our friends in Christchurch. But here’s my tip – The Breakers I do know it is going to be a great What a trial it must be to suffer 2-0. night, with the Vodafone Warriors team all there, and I will be inter- through yet another big earth- Off To Whangarei quake, almost five years to the day viewing some of the players. since the 2011 quake that caused I must say I had a very pleasant It’s not too late to get tickets for such destruction and mayhem. drive on Saturday, chauffeur driv- the homecoming charity event or en by Vodafone Warriors boss Jim for the game on Saturday. We are thinking of you all. Doyle up to Whangarei. We Salute You Brendon I’m looking forward to meeting all It was a great opportunity to check the Warriors fans and the people Okay, I admit it, what I know what he has planned for the club of Nelson. about cricket is not much! But I in 2016 and I have to say I was know any man who plays 100 con- very pleased with what we talked Coach Will Send A Signal about, and I feel 2016 is going secutive cricket tests for the Black I have it on very good authority Caps deserves our admiration. to be a good year for the mighty Vodafone Warriors. that Vodafone Warriors coach If he ever wants to be my special Andrew “Cappy” McFadden will guest as a VIP at a Vodafone War- We drove up to Toll Stadium to name his strongest possible side riors match, he need only call. watch the Vodafone Warriors ver- for the game in Nelson. It will be Sure he got a duck and 10 in his sus the Gold Coast Titans trial and as close to our NRL starting line- 100th outing, and it would not it was great to catch up with all the up as possible, so if you want a have been what he dreamed of, fans, and a real plus was that it was good pointer as to how we will go and the Black Caps got soundly a beautiful night and the wonder- this season, don’t miss this week- thrashed. ful people of the north made us end’s match. very welcome. But he has another chance to go Good First Up Hit-Out Next Stop Nelson out in glory in the second test of Our new signing Issac Luke, vet- the series at Christchurch. I for This Thursday my mate Dexter eran Manu Vatuvei and comeback one certainly hope he has a big and I will be heading to Nelson second-rower Ben Henry all came finish, because he has done so for the Mike Pero Battle of Trafal- through their first appearances much to lift the profile of the team gar at Trafalgar Park on Saturday unscathed as we overcame the and the game of cricket in New night, when the Vodafone War- Gold Coast Titans 40-18. Zealand. riors will take on the St George Dragons. The trio all came off before half- Well done Brendon. time – as planned - but each made Go the Breakers That’s going to be a fantastic night a strong contribution. of rugby league in Nelson, with I take my hat off to The Breakers. Simon Mannering returning home There was much to like across the If only the Vodafone Warriors to play in front of his local – and park, especially when you consid- showed the kind of consistency loyal – fans. er we finished with a team domi- that our basketball team compet- nated by players still NYC-eligible ing in the Aussie league does. Simon was a good rugby player, or only just out of it. turning out for Nelson College’s They beat Melbourne to secure the First XV, and playing club rugby Two of them, Bunty Afoa and fourth spot in the play-offs, then for Riwaka, before being spotted Semisi Tyrell, scored four of our beat them again in a dead rubber, and convinced to try his hand at seven tries. with the final four all locked up. league. They face Melbourne on Thursday But before that, on the Thursday night in Australia, with a second night, the players have the home- game at Vector in Auckland next coming charity evening. To find Saturday. The decider, if needed, out more about that go to Continued on next page... Mad Butcher Club Newsletter Page 2 Continued from previous page... pace to score the NSW Cup team’s giving us a shot at 50. It duly came fourth try. up when Naitoa Kairau latched We looked aggressive from the onto a loose ball and grabbed a start, Raymond Faitala-Mari- The youngsters stuck to it though, second try right on fulltime. ner going across in the opening getting back-to-back tries of their minutes after a strong carry from own to Soosemea wide out and It’s A Baby Boom Manu, and getting a double soon then hooker Sheldon Pitama. after. There has been something of a But the old heads blew it out baby boom at the club. Simon Luke was having a big impact, towards the finish, getting tries to Mannering and his partner Anna with his work out of dummy half centre Daniel Liddicoat, two to have added a second son to the and with his carries up the mid- family. I am told Jack is not as big dle, Manu was showing no signs Rota, and one for hooker Jethro as his brother, but if he has Si- of taking it easy after his shoulder Friend. mon’s courage, and Anna’s looks, surgery. Academy Side On Scoring Spree he’ll be good as gold. Coach-for-the-day Andrew Web- A Vodafone Warriors Academy And prop Ben Matulino and his ster changed his starting big men side recovered from 12-0 down partner Courtney are also new – injecting Upu Poching, on-trial to pile on 11 tries in beating the parents, with the birth of a son, James Gavet and NYC-eligible Northern Swords 56-16. while wing Manu Vatuvei has add- Bunty Afoa from the bench - and ed another daughter to his family. Afoa went over soon after. The match showcased the talent He and partner Jen now have four coming through our development girls. The changes kept coming to our system – although they didn’t start combinations and the Titans well, the Swords getting two con- Our Aussie imports have been began to work their way back into verted tries inside the first eight chipping in to. Ryan Hoffman and it, but in the second half Faita- minutes. his other half Mel celebrated the la-Mariner rumbled in for his arrival of their second child, a lit- third try. But when the Academy got time tle girl, and Matt Allwood and his on attack, centre Preston Riki – partner Nikki trumped them all, Centre Tyrell went in for our fifth signed from Northland – went and I have to say twin girls should and soon it was Afoa’s turn, set over. keep him on his toes. loose on a 30-metre run. Fullback Mark Graham got the Jacob Lillyman wasn’t going to be The Titans hit back but we fin- second and just after halftime we left out, and he and partner Tui- ished well, Tyrell’s second try hit the lead, Cameron Iopu going Kaye have also been blessed with a giving us a comfortable win. over. Wing Kaleb Trask got the little girl. Experience Counts ball down superbly to stretch the advantage to 18-12, before Iopu Rounding it all out, Thomas Leul- Experience won over youth when got his second. uai and Natalie are also sporting a a New South Wales Cup selection new addition, a little girl. won 40-12 over a NYC combina- Trask made it three tries in quick succession, and a personal double, Crikey, I am running out of Mad tion in a trial at Toll Stadium. The Butcher dolls! young NYC side opened brightly, popping up on the right edge. wing Lewis Soosemea getting a try Romia Roi took plenty of defend- in the corner. ers over for our seventh try, and The NYC side put some more John Latu powered through for sharp sequences together but the number eight. NSW team went back-to-back Fair play to the Swords, they through back rower Pat Sipley and finally got some joy when Wiremu left wing Mose Esera. Greig intercepted and scampered Straight after halftime, teenager 35 metres to score, probably to the Eddie Wulf – who’s in the NYC biggest cheer of the game. squad this year – hit the line at But centre Riki scored his second, Mad Butcher Club Newsletter Page 3 SAT 20th FEB 2016 IS TH AY TURD DSREASS UP AND WIN THE BEST DRESSED DUO WILL WIN A TRIP FOR TWO FLYING AIR NZ TO AUCKLAND STAYING AT SKY CITY HOTEL WITH TICKETS FOR TWO TO THE APRIL 9TH WARRIORS V SEA EAGLES GAME.