Issac Luke

Luke, Johnson and Blair may be right for next week: Kearney

Issac Luke (shoulder), Shaun Johnson (ankle) and Adam Blair (ankle) all failed to see out the match but Kearney's post-match diagnosis will put a smile on the face of the Warriors faithful.

"Shaun will need to get scans tomorrow but I was pleased to see that he walked off the field," Kearney said. "We'll see how that pulls up.

"Bully [Luke] is in the sheds at the moment throwing his arm above his head so he seems OK but you just need to see how they pull up over the next few days. He has had that injury before. And Adam has just rolled an ankle so I think he'll be OK."

Luke, Kata back for Warriors

Luke will start at hooker with Roache out with a hamstring injury, while Albert Vete's broken arm means Sam Lisone gets a spot on the bench.

Solomone Kata returns at centre with David Fusitua moving to the wing and Nicoll-Klokstad dropping to the extended bench.

The Warriors will farewell club legend Manu Vatuvei in Friday night's clash with the Panthers ahead of Vatuvei's exit to the Super League to link up with Salford. Mount Smart Stadium will be temporarily renamed Manu Vatuvei Stadium for the night in honour of the departing winger.

 

Issac Luke reconnects with Maori culture

There had been countless hakas before, but this one, carried out by a large group of family and friends in the aftermath of the Warriors' Round 11 loss to the Canberra Raiders in New Plymouth last year, had a different level of meaning for Luke.

These were his people, in his homeland of Taranaki, conveying their respect for him in the most meaningful way possible according to Maori culture, with Luke adding to the moving scene by performing a haka of his own in response.

Luke: Trainers can stay away

In what will be his first hit-out of the year, Luke has made it clear he wants big minutes on the park in Palmerston North and won't be heading to the bench without a fight.

"I'm going to tell the trainers to go away if they come to get me," Luke declared this week.

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Kearney will make Warriors stronger: Luke

The Warriors were the third-worst defensive side in the NRL in 2016, conceding 101 tries and more than 600 points overall as they crashed out of finals contention.

Luke dedicates 200th game to his people

Now in his 10th season as a first-grade player, Luke will clock up the double century playing for the club where he first trialled as a 15-year-old.

His time with the Warriors was short lived back then, with Luke heading over to the Bulldogs before breaking through at South Sydney, where he would go on to become a star for the Kiwis and the most consistent challenger to Cameron Smith's mantle as the world's best hooker.

This weekend presents another opportunity to pause and appreciate the longevity and evolution of the kid from Hawera.