Former Vodafone Warriors captain Steve Price and current front rower Ben Matulino have emerged as the fans’ favourites for the two starting props in the Vodafone Warriors’ People's Choice 20th Anniversary Team.
Price (Vodafone Warrior #121) was a clear first choice while Matulino finished ahead of the third-ranked Ruben Wiki.
Ranking fourth was Matulino’s team-mate and Queensland State of Origin front rower Jacob Lillyman.
Price made 91 appearances for the club from 2005-2009. In 2009 he became only the 11th player in history to make 300 NRL appearances. He was the club’s NRL player of the year in 2006 and 2007.
Matulino (#142), the club’s player of the year in 2012, was promoted from the club’s NYC side in 2008 to make his NRL debut against the Cronulla Sharks.
Four years later he became the first NYC graduate to make 100 NRL appearances and last year he followed up by being the first NYC product to play in 150 games. Now eighth on the club’s all-time list, he plays his 169th NRL game this week.
Wiki (#123) amassed 87 appearances for the Vodafone Warriors from 2005-2008, being named player of the year in 2005 and becoming the 10th player in history to reach 300 NRL appearances midway through his final season in 2008.
Lillyman (#146), in his seventh season with the Vodafone Warriors, plays his 140th game for the club when he lines up against the Roosters on Saturday.
Joe Vagana (#18), Jerry Seuseu (#50) and Sam Rapira (#131) filled the next three places in voting.
The props listed for voting included seven players who have appeared in more than 100 NRL games for the Vodafone Warriors accounting for almost a third of the club’s total players in the 100-game club (which is set to grow to 23 with halfback Shaun Johnson playing his 100th game this week).
The selection of Price and Matulino follows the choice of Brent Webb as the top fullback in the www.warriors.kiwi poll while P J Marsh was the choice at hooker and Simon Mannering and Ali Lauitiiti in the second row.
The centres will be the next positions to be voted on.
The choices so far have been:
HOOKER | P J MARSH
P J Marsh (#96) | 2002-2003, 35 games, 5 tries, 12 goals, 1 field goal
FULLBACK | BRENT WEBB
Brent Webb (#97) | 2002-2006, 103 games, 39 tries, 27 goals
SECOND ROW | SIMON MANNERING AND ALI LAUTIITI
Ali Lauitiiti (#55) | 1998-2004, 115 games, 33 tries
Simon Mannering (#125) | 2005-2015, 228 games, 52 tries
PROP | STEVE PRICE AND BEN MATULINO
Steve Price (#121) | 2005-2009, 91 games, 13 tries
Ben Matulino (#142) | 2008-2015, 168 games, 15 tries
