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League convert Suliasi Vunivalu set for first Reds match as Super Rugby pre-season arrives

Suliasi Vunivalu at training with Melbourne Storm (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Suliasi Vunivalu will return to rugby union action on Friday after being named for the Queensland Reds in a trial game against a NSW Waratahs side featuring former Brisbane Broncos flyer Izaia Perese.

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Melbourne convert Vunivalu was sent straight into Wallabies camp after winning last year’s NRL title and has turned heads with his athleticism and aerial prowess since his arrival at Ballymore.

Vunivalu played rugby as a junior in his native Fiji and New Zealand before the Storm swooped, the 25-year-old leaving the 13-man game with 86 tries from 111 games.

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Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos, NSW Waratahs captain Jake Gordon and Stan Sport commentator Allana Ferguson have spoken at the Super Rugby AU launch event held at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

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    Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos, NSW Waratahs captain Jake Gordon and Stan Sport commentator Allana Ferguson have spoken at the Super Rugby AU launch event held at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

    Both teams have named a host of inexperienced faces for the clash in Narrabri, with only three of the Reds’ 11 Wallabies – Fraser McReight, Filipo Daugunu and captain Liam Wright – in their 25-man squad.

    The Waratahs have named Jack Maddocks, Angus Bell, Will Harrison and Perese on a strong bench with unheralded Tane Edmed at five-eighth, in the only trial game before the sides clash in the Super Rugby AU opener on February 19.

    Perese was sacked by the Broncos for drug-related offences early last year but had previously been in the Wallabies frame while playing for the Reds.

    Exciting fullback/winger Mac Grealy is among 10 uncapped Reds in coach Brad Thorn’s squad.

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    “It’s a good opportunity for some our new guys to step-up,” Thorn said.

    “They’ve worked hard in the pre-season and they’ll get their chance to show that on Friday night.

    “The Waratahs will provide a good contest and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

    – Murray Wenzel

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    C
    CO 3 hours ago
    Whose ship has sailed before the first All Blacks squad?

    Based on last weekend there should be no Hurricanes loose forwards in the mix, they all seemed poor with the Brumbies once again fantastic at playing and executing as a team. The Hurricanes were also poor in the halves with the ten invisible and Cam Roigard trying to play up tempo, Helter skelter rugby which is what the Brumbies wanted.


    Roigards passing was telegraphic with his running game and sniping non existent, Ratima also appears to be getting metronomic, devoid of flair and his ten went invisible as well.


    If you can't step up at finals then you need to be punished, yes the blues were poor at times this season but they were right on either the last two games when it really matters.


    CWL is a bit larger but both him and Lakai are down on size for an eight and aren't freaks like Savea. Sotutu has to be in the mix and Dalton, but only if they front this Friday night.


    However six is an ongoing issue, Josh Beehre could be an answer to the lack of height in the loose forwards at Allblacks level, his driving try to ice the contest through a decent Chiefs pack was raw determination even with support.


    As for the previous try being ruled out on the flimsiest of technicalities that highlighted everything wrong with the TMO, it wasn't ‘rabbiting’, his knees dropped one after the other and he then brought his shoulders forward to extend and score, big guys can do that, that's why Sotutu has to be in the mix.


    Sititi looked short of a gallop and the Chiefs might be acting a bit too cute with their bench, the coach is saying all the right things but he's in the departure lounge and the signs are there that the Chiefs expected to be the best team in finals simply because they had the best bench.


    They're now under the pump and the winner of this year's super final will almost certainly be whoever wins this Friday in Christchurch.

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