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|year1start = 2004
|year1start = 2004
|year1end = present
|year1end = present
|appearances1 = 105
|appearances1 = 111
|tries1 = 75
|tries1 = 76
|goals1 = 0
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 276
|points1 = 304
|teamA = [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]]
|teamA = [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]]
|yearAstart = 2005
|yearAstart = 2005

Revision as of 08:55, 5 September 2010

Manu Vatuvei
Vatuvei at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
Personal information
Height189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight112 kg (17 st 9 lb)
Playing information
PositionWing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004– NZ Warriors 111 76 0 0 304
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2005–09 New Zealand 17 11 0 0 44
2010 NRL All Stars 1 0 0 0 0
As of 2 November 2009

Manu Vatuvei, pronounced VAH-tu-VAY (born 4 March 1986 in Auckland, New Zealand), is a New Zealand rugby league player for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League competition. His position of choice is on the wing. He is the cousin of Japanese Rugby Union player Ruatangi Vatuvei. Vatuvei was a member of the New Zealand Kiwis squad that won the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. Manu weighs 112 kg and stands at 189 cm tall. On Tuesday, 24 August it was announced that Vatuvei had extended his contract with the Warriors to the end of the 2013 season.

Early years

Manu Vatuvei was born in New Zealand and is of Tongan heritage[2]. He grew up in the same Otara neighbourhood as Ruben Wiki and attended Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate. He played for the Otara Scorpions and Otahuhu Leopards in Auckland Rugby League competitions before playing for the Otahuhu Ellerslie Leopards in the Bartercard Cup. When he was only 16 he joined the New Zealand Warriors development squad.[3]

New Zealand Warriors

Vatuvei made his debut for the Warriors in Round 11, 2004 against the Sydney Roosters.

Vatuvei made his international debut against the Kangaroos on the 16 October 2005. It was the opening game of the 2005 Tri-Nations, where the Kiwis beat the Kangaroos at Telstra Stadium. He later went on to play in the Tri-Nations final, scoring two tries on the way to a 24–0 victory over the Kangaroos.

In 2008 Vatuvei had his most consistent season to date, playing well and being a major strike-weapon for the Warriors. At times with his combination of pace and strength, only injury could stop him – and stop him it did, Vatuvei suffered a broken leg on 27 April.[4]

He however returned from injury to be a major force in the Warriors push for the playoffs. With the Warriors in an away, last round, do-or-die match against Parramatta Eels where they needed a win to qualify for the playoffs, Vatuvei scored a hat-trick of tries and was dominant in the high kicks, as the Warriors convincingly won 28–6 to qualify in 8th spot and book a match against minor premiers Melbourne Storm.

The match against the Eels was a huge confidence booster for Vatuvei due to the fact that the last time he played at this venue (2007) he dropped many high kick bombs which led to tries and a 6–30 Warriors loss. With this new found confidence and self-belief he had everything to gain in the match against the Storm, the reigning premiers.

Vatuvei turned on one of the best performances of his career as on the 14 September 2008 he played a huge role in the upset of minor premiers Melbourne Storm winning 18–15 at Olympic Park (where the Storm had only lost twice in three seasons). He scored one of the Warriors three tries and was denied another by a forward pass ruling. With the Warriors trailing 15–14 in the 78th minute, he received an offload from Jerome Ropati and busted several tackles over a run of 40m before passing to Michael Witt who sprinted 20m to score the match-winning try.

Vatuvei scored another try in the Warriors 30–13 elimination semi-final victory over the Sydney Roosters, a game that qualified the Warriors for the preliminary final against the Manly Sea Eagles.

Vatuvei was named in the New Zealand squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. Vatuvei went on to star in the tournament, breaking New Zealand's World Cup record for most tries in a match with four against England. He went on to play in the first New Zealand team to win the World Cup, defeating Australia in the final.[5] Vatuvei's efforts were recognized as he was named International Winger of the year in 2008.[6]

The Warriors failed to make the finals of the 2009 NRL Premiership, but Vatuvei finished the season as the club's top try-scorer.

In 2010 he announced that he had extended his Warriors contract until the end of the 2013 season.[7]

References

  1. ^ 'The Beast' Manu on NFL radar (stuff.co.nz)
  2. ^ http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23059606-23214,00.html
  3. ^ Michele Hewitson Interview: Manu Vatuvei New Zealand Herald, 27 March 2010
  4. ^ Manu Vatuvei breaks leg The Herald Sun, 27 April 2008
  5. ^ "Kiwis to wait on Webb and Matai". BBC. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
  6. ^ Vatuvei international winger of the year NZPA, 18 November 2008
  7. ^ Manu Vatuvei re-signs with NZ Warriors Sunday News, 24 August 2010
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