Kurt Capewell was one of the Maroons' best, as they levelled the Origin series in Perth last month. Photo: AAP / Photosport
Warriors v Tigers
Kickoff 4pm Sunday, 13 July
Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
NZ Warriors won't take any chances on the health of Origin star Kurt Capewell, when they take on Wests Tigers at Go Media Stadium on Sunday.
Capewell will start in the second row for Queensland in the State of Origin decider at Sydney on Wednesday, but has not been named in the Warriors line-up four days later, as they try to break their first back-to-back losing slump of the NRL season.
Instead, he has been included on the extend bench, primed for inclusion at the last minute, if he ticks all his boxes in recovery.
"Just how his body is," coach Andre Webster explained. "He's not 19 and I think you all know how he's going to play tonight - he's going to empty the tank.
"He's got to be pretty sure and we've seen so many injuries in the NRL off the back of Origin, he'd have to be in really good shape to play."
Capewell, 31, is enjoying one of his very best seasons for the Warriors and was an outstanding performer for the Maroons at Perth last month, scoring a try and making a crucial trysaving tackle in the dying moments of their win to level the series.
He was unable to turn out for his club three days later against Penrith Panthers, after travel logistics did not allow enough recovery time. The four-time defending champion Panthers also omitted their five NSW stars from their line-up.
Webster is understandably doubly reluctant to risk his defensive kingpin on such short notice, after already losing co-captain Mitch Barnett for the season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, three days after starring for the Blues in the Origin opener.
Capewell would benefit from an extra days' recovery and just a short trip across the Tasman, compared to his cross-country trek from West Australia last month.
If he does earn a late call-up, he would likely slot into the second row, with Jackson Ford slipping back to the bench.
He has also featured at centre recently, and may also be just a Rocco Berry hamstring twinge or Dallin Watene-Zelezniak ankle setback from a place in the backline.
Watene-Zelezniak is back early from injury, after wrenching his ankle against Penrith. He wasn't expected to return for 4-6 weeks, but seems to have recovered sufficiently in three.
Berry has been plagued with injuries this season and admitted the last thing he needed was another bye week.
"For a lot of the boys, they've had a long season, but for me, I've had hardly any games," he said. "I was keen to get some going, but had a week off straight away."
The centre missed the start of the campaign recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, twinged a hamstring warming up for his season debut, then copped a suspension when he finally found the field, before aggravating the left hammy again.
"It's been frustrating for sure, especially with the same injury over and over again," he said. "Once I came back from my shoulder, which was a long term one and probably the harder one to get through, it gives me more perspective that I can get through them.
"I'm hoping to finish the year our strong."
Warriors: 1 Taine Tuaupiki, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Rocco Berry, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Tanah Boyd, 8 James Fisher-Harris (c), 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Jackson Ford, 11 Leka Halasima, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark
Interchange: 14 Te Maire Martin, 15 Jacob Laban, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Tanner Stowers-Smith
Reserves: 18 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 20 Sam Healey, 21 Bunty Afoa, 22 Edward Kosi, 23 Kurt Capewell
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