Sir Peter Leitch’s Mad Butcher Club AT MT SMART STADIUM, HOME OF THE MIGHTY VODAFONE WARRIORS 24 September 2015 Newsletter #91 No advertisements are paid for in this newsletter. HAT A huge couple of During the week I am at the Grand Final breakfast Wweeks I have lined up. at the Sydney Convention Centre, which will feature both the teams as they prepare for the Grand Final, I was up early this morning to with Greg Alexander and Laurie Daley doing live travel to Wiri to open a new one stop for industrial interviews from the event. I have been to one of these and safety store on the corner of Roscommon Road before and it is absolutely superb. and Hautu Drive, and there is a trade breakfast from 7-9am and we’ll even raffle off a Vodafone Warriors Of course I am over the moon that come Friday I will jersey to raise some funds for prostate cancer. be at the Menzies Hotel in Sydney for the reunion with the 2005 Kiwis Gillette Tri-Nations team that I Straight from there I head to a meeting with the New was lucky enough to be football manager of. We belt- Zealand Rugby League all about League for Life, and ed the Aussies 24-0 in the final and I never get tired then later in the day I am on speaking duties at the of reminding them of it either. Auckland University of Technology. Then on Friday my old mate, and former Vodafone Warriors and Unfortunately Motu Tony has had to pull out but the Kiwis coach Daniel Anderson is in town and he and good news is Stacey Jones is dead keen and Manu I are off out to Waiheke Island. He is a good guy and Vatuvei can’t wait. He’s going over on Thursday and I love spending time with him. our old mate Paul Rauhihi has also confirmed for the weekend, as has Clinton Toopi. Friday night you will have to dynamite me out of my chair because I will be glued to the TV to see if We are all off the night before to see the filming of the Vodafone Junior Warrior scan get past minor the NRL Footy Show, which will be good fun, and premiers the Penrith Panthers and make it to the if anyone is still up for it, on the Saturday we go to Holden Cup Grand Final. the Kangaroo Reunion Lunch as guests of the NRL before attending the retired players function courtesy That is the curtain-raiser to the Brisbane v Roost- of the Men of League Foundation and the NRL. ers game, and that will be a cracker, and to be fair I will have had to fit watching the All Blacks into Sunday, well that’s obvious, the Grand Final. the schedule before I get to the second match of the weekend, the Storm hosting the Cowboys. I will be buggered by the time I get home but there is no rest for the wicked because I am straight back into Come Sunday I will know who I am going to be it, preparing to fly out to the United Kingdom with watching at the Grand Final, and I’ll be doing my last the Kiwis on October 18. We’ll be away the best part bit of packing because on Monday morning I fly out of a month but I’d be fibbing if I said I wasn’t looking with Janice to Sydney with my great friends at Air forward to it. NZ. First though, Friday night, so as ever, go the Mighty I hope there are no delays because I have to be there Vodafone Junior Warriors! in time to attend the Dally M Awards, when all the prestigious NRL league awards for the year are handed out. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s kind of like the Oscars of league! Same Team Named named in the New South Wales You Little Beauties! Cup team of the year. The Vodafone Junior Warriors It was poetry watching the Voda- just need that one win to make the Wells is the fifth external signing fone Junior Warriors demolish Grand Final and the team to do it after Tuivasa-Sheck, Issac Luke, Brisbane to book a place in the has been named. Ligi Sao and Ayshford. preliminary final against Penrith. Last year the Stacey Jones-coached McFadden said he was close to 45-10 in Townsville, eight tries, side came from eighth to not only having his full squad in place. and a treble to centre Semisi Tyrell make the decider but win it 34-32 “We have a few spots to fill but we was more than I could have hoped over Brisbane. This year, under won’t rush into anything. We were for. first-year coach Kelvin Wright, we in this position last year when we finished seventh and only minor made two late signings in Bodene If we beat the Panthers, we’ll make premiers Penrith can stop us mak- Thompson and Jonathan Wright, the final for the fifth time in eight ing the final. while Albert Vete wasn’t signed seasons. until just before the season started. Against Brisbane we dominated The match is at 7.15 NZT at Sun- We’re pleased with the depth we corp as the curtain-raiser to the all aspects of the game, with prop have and especially with the level Paul Tuli a stand-out carrying 18 NRL preliminary final between of experience.” Brisbane and the Roosters. times for 216 metres, adding 24 Luke will join the Vodafone War- tackles and the first try of his NYC Wright has named the same side riors after 188 appearances for career. used in last Saturday’s outstanding Souths, Tuivasa-Sheck has 83 for Outstanding! 45-10 victory over the Broncos the Roosters and Ayshford has 124 Team: Brad Abbey,Tomas Aoake, appearances. Forging THe Path Marata Niukore, Semisi Tyrell, McFadden said the Vodafone The Vodafone Junior Warriors’ Paul Ulberg, Ata Hingano, Kau- Warriors’ wider NRL squad would success in the NYC has translat- ri Aupouri, Bunty Afoa, Erin return to training on November 2 ed into other records their rivals Clark, Paul Tuli, Ofahiki Ogden, before the pre-Christmas training can't match, not least the number Matiu Love-Henry, Jazz Tevaga block. The full squad, including of graduates who have gone on to (C). Bench: Tyler Mohi, Mattais players who make the Kiwis, is play in the NRL. Heimuli, Amoni Tufui, Tualima scheduled to start the run-in to When Mason Lino made his debut Tualima. Chris Sio.Not much for the trials and 2016, on January 4. us to cheer about this year but as Vodafone Warrior #202 last head coach Andrew McFadden is Backs | Matt Allwood, Blake month he became the 48th NYC already planning a turnaround. Ayshford, David Fusitu’a, Konrad graduate to play for the club at There are only a few more spots Hurrell, Shaun Johnson, Solomone NRL level, clearly ahead of the rest to fill to complete our wider NRL Kata, Thomas Leuluai, Mason of the clubs. squad for 2016. Lino, Tuimoala Lolohea, Ken Six Vodafone Warriors NYC grad- Maumalo, Marata Niukore, Rog- Recently we announced Sharks uates made their NRL debuts for er Tuivasa-Sheck, Manu Vatuvei, the club this year, four in their first and former Tigers centre Blake Henare Wells, Jonathan Wright Ayshford had been signed and year out of the competition. now also confirmed is Tau- Forwards | Raymond Faitala-Mar- The benefits derived by the Voda- marunui-born fullback Henare iner, Charlie Gubb, Ben Henry, fone Warriors from the NYC were Wells, who has been signed for Ryan Hoffman, Jacob Lillyman, also underlined by the make-up one year after being with the Sam Lisone, Sione Lousi, Issac of this year’s wider NRL squad Burleigh Bears the last two sea- Luke, Simon Mannering, Ben with 22 of the 36 players com- sons. Matulino, John Palavi, Upu Poch- ing through the club’s under-20 ing, Nathaniel Roache, Ligi Sao, system. The Papakura Sea Eagles played in Toafofoa Sipley, Bodene Thomp- the NYC with the Roosters in 2011 son, Albert Vete and 2012 – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was a team-mate – and excelled Continued on next page... for Newtown in 2013 when he was Mad Butcher Club Newsletter Page 2 Continued from previous page... 23rd finals match since the com- NRL Community And Player petition began in 2008 (all in Aus- Education Finalists Announced Of the 2015 NYC squad as many tralia). Having made the play-offs as 11 players were promoted to de- every season they have won 17 of The NRL has announced the final- but for the club’s New South Wales their 22 finals so far, their last six ists for this year’s NRL Commu- Cup side – Bunty Afoa, Tomas on end. No other club comes close nity and player education awards. Aoake, Ata Hingano, Marata Niu- to those numbers. Now in its ninth year, the awards kore, Nathaniel Roache, Toafofoa recognise league's unsung heroes, Sipley, Wesley Tauti, Jazz Tevaga, Here’s hoping there’s another flight from volunteer coaches to play- Paul Tuli, Semisi Tyrell and Paul to sort out yet! ers, the awards reflect those who Ulberg. make a positive difference in their England Plans Ahead communities. THree Cheers For Airpoints! England’s new Player Production This year, the award categories Crossing the ditch is routine for Policy starts next year. The aim is have been expanded to encom- Vodafone Warriors teams but to produce more and better play- pass player education, recognising the club’s NYC team is going to ers at all levels of the game, and players achieving academic excel- new levels.