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Evarn Tuimavave - Source: Photosport -
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Warriors prop Evarn Tuimavave is set to make his long-awaited 100th NRL appearance in the Warriors encounter with Penrith at CUA Stadium on Saturday night.
Tuimavave - a member of the Kiwis' World Cup-winning squad last year - finished the 2008 NRL season with his career tally sitting on 99 games.
But neck and knee injuries which have sidelined him for most of the 2009 campaign have delayed his first game of the year - and his 100th milestone - until now.
Tuimavave will end a 19-game wait on Sunday by becoming the 15th player in all to appear in 100 first-grade matches for the club and the third to reach the mark this year.
He has been named on the interchange bench in a Warriors side which will be missing captain Steve Price who has been ruled out with a rib cartilage complaint.
With Price out, Russell Packer will be the fellow starting prop with Kiwi Sam Rapira while Kiwi centre Jerome Ropati replaces Patrick Ah Van after missing last Sunday's loss to St George Illawarra with a shoulder injury.
In another change, Jacob Lillyman has been named to start in the second row with Ben Matulino going to the bench alongside Tuimavave, Lance Hohaia and Lewis Brown. Ukuma Ta'ai is travelling as 18th man.
"It's been a tough season for Evarn being on the sideline for so long," said coach Ivan Cleary.
"He was close to coming back a few weeks ago but then got a knee injury so it's nice to see him getting there in the end. It's always a big achievement playing 100 games in the NRL but for Evarn it's been a longer wait than it might have been."
Price hails return
Meanwhile Steve Price is hailing Tuimavave's return.
Price said it will be a special occasion for Tuimavave after what has been a difficult year.
The Warriors injured skipper said it is a great achievement considering it looked like he may never have played league again.
The Warriors team to play the Penrith Panthers on
Saturday is:
Wade McKinnon, Kevin Locke, Jerome Ropati, Joel Moon, Manu Vatuvei,
Isaac John, Stacey Jones, Sam Rapira, Ian Henderson, Russell
Packer, Simon Mannering, Jacob Lillyman, Micheal Luck (captain).
Interchange: Lance Hohaia, Evarn Tuimavave, Lewis Brown, Ben
Matulino, Ukuma Ta'ai (18th man).
