Berkeley_Eagle
Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
[img=400x255]http://www.leaguehq.com.au/ffximage/2008/09/24/wolfman_wideweb__470x300,0.jpg[/img]
Size doesn't matter … Manly's David Williams.
Photo: Craig Golding
The Wolfman's next stand-up role: Brooky and The Beast
September 25, 2008
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/the-wolfmans-next-standup-role-brooky-and-the-beast/2008/09/24/1222217331199.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Winger David Williams will have his hands full when Manly take on the Warriors this weekend, writes Andrew Stevenson.
What a duel awaits this weekend, following rugby league's week of grappling with a takeover by wrestlers … The Beast versus The Wolfman.
Thankfully, these two don't feature in the clinches designed to slow the game down to a dawdle. Instead, they haunt the wide open grasses of the wing and they'll come into regular violent contact on Saturday night when Manly play the Warriors for a grand-final berth. One-on-one, beast against wolf, tackle for tackle, try for try.
The Beast is Manu Vatuvei, the Warriors' giant left-winger. Weighing in at 112 kilograms, he stands 189 centimetres tall. But the problem is not when he's standing. Force equals mass times acceleration. The mass is there and so is the acceleration. When Vatuvei is wound up, there's no harder man in the game to stop.
But that's The Wolfman's major responsibility come Saturday, a big ask for David Williams, a 22-year-old in his first season of first grade. He's also giving away a massive 18kg to The Beast, although with 94kg of tightly packed muscle Williams manages to run as if he has the mind of a prop trapped in the body of a speedy winger.
The consequence has been a secure spot on coach Des Hasler's team sheet, the vocal embrace of the Brookvale faithful and 13 stirring tries from his 18 starts this season.
Running as if you're possessed with the power to smash anything out of your way has been Williams's approach ever since he was a child. It's the essence of the game: "That's the whole point of rugby league, isn't it? Run hard and get the **** kicked out of you," he laughed.
Vatuvei can help with the second part of that. Williams had no idea how much weight the Kiwi had on his side and was mildly shocked to find it was 18kg.
"He'll always have the size over me. It doesn't matter, I suppose, by how much. I've just got to go in there like I am a prop forward, throw my body at him and see if I come back up," Williams said. "I'll just take him for the good player he is and in good form and go at him 100 per cent. Those sort of players you've certainly got to be in their face."
Standing on the wing can be a lonely place, as Vatuvei - who has crumbled at times under the high ball - knows only too well. Manly's other winger, Michael Robertson, just laughed at the thought of marking Manu: "I'm glad I play on the left. Dave will have his hands full."
Helping Williams on the right-side defence will be veteran centre Steve Bell, who is expected to recover from a calf injury and play.
"The left side is where their good attacking players are," he agreed. "Manu's a hard man to stop in open spaces, so we've got to be on our best.
"Give them half a chance and they usually put on four points."
Hasler will no doubt have ideas on how to stop Vatuvei. But there are plans and then there are plans and the value of further research is somewhat limited.
"Des will probably give us some instructions but it's a different thing once you're out there," laughed Bell.
Williams added: "You don't have to watch much footage to get the general gist of how he plays. I've only played against him once. He actually ran rings around me a couple of times. He's got good pace but it had a bit to do with his upper-body strength as well."
Former Warriors coach Tony Kemp has known Vatuvei since he arrived at the club as a 14-year-old and gave him The Beast moniker, previously owned by Kevin Iro.
"There's not many players who are over 110 kilos, can run sub-11 seconds for 100 metres and actually play the game of rugby league," he said. "He's the form outside back of the competition and the scary thing about it is that his best football is still in front of him."
The last time the Warriors steamrollered their way into the grand final the game plan was the same as it has been since the 2008 team began its powerful run: get it out to the left. In 2002, it was Ali Lauitiiti, Clinton Toopi and Francis Meli, recalled Kemp. This time it's Simon Mannering, Jerome Ropati and Vatuvei.
"They've got to be going into this game against Manly with a lot of confidence," Kemp said. "Their strike weapons are all playing pretty good football at the moment, especially that big beast on the left wing. If Manly are going to stop them, they're going to have to stop that left-hand side."
Size doesn't matter … Manly's David Williams.
Photo: Craig Golding
The Wolfman's next stand-up role: Brooky and The Beast
September 25, 2008
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/the-wolfmans-next-standup-role-brooky-and-the-beast/2008/09/24/1222217331199.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Winger David Williams will have his hands full when Manly take on the Warriors this weekend, writes Andrew Stevenson.
What a duel awaits this weekend, following rugby league's week of grappling with a takeover by wrestlers … The Beast versus The Wolfman.
Thankfully, these two don't feature in the clinches designed to slow the game down to a dawdle. Instead, they haunt the wide open grasses of the wing and they'll come into regular violent contact on Saturday night when Manly play the Warriors for a grand-final berth. One-on-one, beast against wolf, tackle for tackle, try for try.
The Beast is Manu Vatuvei, the Warriors' giant left-winger. Weighing in at 112 kilograms, he stands 189 centimetres tall. But the problem is not when he's standing. Force equals mass times acceleration. The mass is there and so is the acceleration. When Vatuvei is wound up, there's no harder man in the game to stop.
But that's The Wolfman's major responsibility come Saturday, a big ask for David Williams, a 22-year-old in his first season of first grade. He's also giving away a massive 18kg to The Beast, although with 94kg of tightly packed muscle Williams manages to run as if he has the mind of a prop trapped in the body of a speedy winger.
The consequence has been a secure spot on coach Des Hasler's team sheet, the vocal embrace of the Brookvale faithful and 13 stirring tries from his 18 starts this season.
Running as if you're possessed with the power to smash anything out of your way has been Williams's approach ever since he was a child. It's the essence of the game: "That's the whole point of rugby league, isn't it? Run hard and get the **** kicked out of you," he laughed.
Vatuvei can help with the second part of that. Williams had no idea how much weight the Kiwi had on his side and was mildly shocked to find it was 18kg.
"He'll always have the size over me. It doesn't matter, I suppose, by how much. I've just got to go in there like I am a prop forward, throw my body at him and see if I come back up," Williams said. "I'll just take him for the good player he is and in good form and go at him 100 per cent. Those sort of players you've certainly got to be in their face."
Standing on the wing can be a lonely place, as Vatuvei - who has crumbled at times under the high ball - knows only too well. Manly's other winger, Michael Robertson, just laughed at the thought of marking Manu: "I'm glad I play on the left. Dave will have his hands full."
Helping Williams on the right-side defence will be veteran centre Steve Bell, who is expected to recover from a calf injury and play.
"The left side is where their good attacking players are," he agreed. "Manu's a hard man to stop in open spaces, so we've got to be on our best.
"Give them half a chance and they usually put on four points."
Hasler will no doubt have ideas on how to stop Vatuvei. But there are plans and then there are plans and the value of further research is somewhat limited.
"Des will probably give us some instructions but it's a different thing once you're out there," laughed Bell.
Williams added: "You don't have to watch much footage to get the general gist of how he plays. I've only played against him once. He actually ran rings around me a couple of times. He's got good pace but it had a bit to do with his upper-body strength as well."
Former Warriors coach Tony Kemp has known Vatuvei since he arrived at the club as a 14-year-old and gave him The Beast moniker, previously owned by Kevin Iro.
"There's not many players who are over 110 kilos, can run sub-11 seconds for 100 metres and actually play the game of rugby league," he said. "He's the form outside back of the competition and the scary thing about it is that his best football is still in front of him."
The last time the Warriors steamrollered their way into the grand final the game plan was the same as it has been since the 2008 team began its powerful run: get it out to the left. In 2002, it was Ali Lauitiiti, Clinton Toopi and Francis Meli, recalled Kemp. This time it's Simon Mannering, Jerome Ropati and Vatuvei.
"They've got to be going into this game against Manly with a lot of confidence," Kemp said. "Their strike weapons are all playing pretty good football at the moment, especially that big beast on the left wing. If Manly are going to stop them, they're going to have to stop that left-hand side."
