Giant Tongan wing Manu Vatuvei’s injury is a big loss for both the Warriors and the Kiwis, due to be named for their daunting centenary test against the Kangaroos in May.
The Warriors 36-24 loss to the Gold Coast Titans last weekend not only means the New Zealanders have yet to win on foreign soil in the NRL this season. The injury to strike wing Manu Vatuvei also means he will miss next month's Centenary Test against Australia.
Vatuvei will spend six weeks on the sideline joining captain Steve Price, after suffering a fracture in one of his main bones in the left leg. The loss means the Warriors drop to fourth from the bottom with three wins and four losses.
In other NRL results, the Dragons caused a massive upset beating the in form Roosters 26-6 while Israel Folau was devastating for the Storm in their 12-10 win over the Cowboys. The giant Tongan celebrated with a try and selection for the Kangaroos squad. The centre was named on the wing by Australian coach Ricky Stuart who has gone for the enforcers to quell the physical Kiwi side to be named by new coach Stephen Kearney, and aided by Aussie technical advisor Wayne Bennett this weekend.
Folau is one of four Pacific islanders in the Kangaroos squad; the other three are bad boy Roosters forward Willie Mason (Tongan/Samoan), Anthony Tupou (Tongan) and Petero Civoniceva (Fijian).
Australian selectors have made seven changes from the side which annihilated the Kiwis 58-0 last year, with Lockyer, Slater, Gallen, Webb, Justin Hodges, Johnathan Thurston and Tupou added to the team.
Manly fullback Brett Stewart, Parramatta winger Jarryd Hayne and forward Nathan Hindmarsh, Melbourne half Cooper Cronk, lock Dallas Johnson and firebrand Michael Crocker were omitted while Warriors prop Steve Price was unavailable due to injury.
Lockyer (knee), Hodges (hamstring) and Thurston (shoulder) all missed last year's end of season Test due to injury.
Kangaroos:
Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Mark Gasnier, Justin Hodges, Israel Folau, Darren Lockyer (capt), Johnathan Thurston, Brent Kite, Cameron Smith, Petero Civoniceva, Ryan Hoffman, Paul Gallen, Greg Bird. Interchange: Carl Webb, Anthony Tupou, Willie Mason, Kurt Gidley.
NRL 2008 Round 7 Results
Apr 25 Broncos 32-18 Rabbitohs, Suncorp Stadium
Apr 25 Dragons 26-6 Roosters, ANZ Stadium
Apr 26 Cowboys 10-12 Storm, Dairy Farmers' Stadium
Apr 26 Sea Eagles 30-22 Bulldogs, Brookvale Oval
Apr 27 Sharks 16-20 Wests Tigers, Toyota Park
Apr 27 Titans 36-24 Warriors, Skilled Park
NRL 2008 Round 8 Draw
May 3 Knights - Titans Energy, Australia Stadium
May 3 Panthers - Eels Credit Union, Australia Stadium
May 3 Wests Tigers - Broncos, ANZ Stadium
May 4 Rabbitohs - Cowboys, ANZ Stadium
May 4 Warriors - Raiders, Mt Smart Stadium
NRL 2008 Standings
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | Bye | PF | PA | TOTAL |
| Titans | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 188 | 132 | 12 |
| Broncos | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 202 | 122 | 10 |
| Storm | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 143 | 83 | 10 |
| Sea Eagles | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 148 | 101 | 8 |
| Roosters | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 152 | 130 | 8 |
| West Tigers | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 148 | 144 | 8 |
| Sharks | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 103 | 111 | 8 |
| Knights | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 142 | 130 | 6 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 146 | 164 | 6 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 157 | 176 | 6 |
| Raiders | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 113 | 139 | 6 |
| Panthers | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 117 | 146 | 6 |
| Warriors | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 160 | 220 | 6 |
| Dragons | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 136 | 131 | 4 |
| Eels | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 118 | 159 | 4 |
| Rabbitohs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 94 | 179 | 0 |
NRL 2008 Try Scorers
Manu Vatuvei, Warriors, 7
Billy Slater, Storm, 7
Jason Nightingale, Dragons, 6
Brett Stewart, Sea Eagles, 6
Shawn Kenny-Dowall, Roosters, 5
Jordan Atkins, Titans, 5
NRL 2008 Point Scorers
Craig Fitzgibbon, Roosters 58
Johnathan Thurston, Cowboys 58
Michael Witt, Warriors 56
Michael Ennis, Broncos 52
Scott Prince, Titans 44
Cameron Smith, Storm 36
