Kurt Capewell has often been deployed in a Warriors midfield hampered by injury. Photo: David Neilson/Photosport
Unfavourable travel logistics may have saved NZ Warriors some heartache over the availability of veteran Kurt Capewell, as they prepare to host four-time defending NRL champions Penrith Panthers at Go Media Stadium this weekend.
Capewell - along with five Panthers stars - will take the field for State of Origin II in Perth on Wednesday and faced just a three-day turnaround, if they hoped to back up for their clubs on Saturday.
Penrith and former Warriors coach Ivan Cleary had already ruled out his New South Wales players - son Nathan Cleary, captain Isaah Yeo, fullback Dylan Edwards, winger Brian To'o and second-rower Liam Martin - complaining there are no flights that would allow them to arrive in Auckland in timely fashion.
"The Origin players won't be playing, because they can't," Cleary said.
"I don't think it's fair that we can't play... we should be able to make that decision.
"Through flights, we just can't get them there."
The Warriors faced a similar dilemma over Capewell, who had been called into the second row for Queensland.
"It's going to be pretty hard with those flights, the way it's scheduled," coach Andrew Webster admitted.
"The next flight is the redeye the next night, which means he'd arrive home here on Friday morning - it's not looking good.
"In the NRL, Origin is the showcase during this period and the club takes a backward seat. Players have always been available if not selected [for Origin] or, if they play, they're available to back up - then it's up to the clubs to decide.
"They could say they will physically arrive here on time, but it's very dangerous crossing on a seven-hour flight throughout the night, across a four-hour time difference. It becomes unsafe and people might say, 'Harden up', but there are just too many injuries.
"The game is too fast and we just can't afford to lose them."
Capewell, who helped the Panthers to the 2021 NRL championship, has subsequently been ommitted from the Warriors gameday squad to face his old club.
The Warriors are already reeling from the loss of co-captain Mitch Barnett, who suffered a season-ending knee injury backing up from Origin I.
In that instance, he had an extra day's rest before facing South Sydney Rabbitohs and a far more favourable travel schedule from Brisbane.
"We'd look at every situation," Webster reflected.
"We made the decision on Mitch after the game, not before.
"He texted me 20 minutes after Origin and said, 'I'm ready to go', so you've always got to look at that situation. If Mitch had played 80 [minutes] that night, and had some bumps and bruises, we probably would have said no.
"You have to look at it ball by ball and make a decision afterwards.
"We'll have a meeting today around Kurt, get our heads together and make sure we're all on the same page as a staff, but it looks unlikely with the flights."
Origin stars often front up for their clubs on just a few days' rest, and Barnett may or may not have been a casualty of his own determination not to let his team down - but sometimes coaches must step in to save their players from themselves.
With injuries hitting the Warriors midfield, Capewell has often been deployed at centre, where he made his 2020 Origin debut.
With regulars Ali Leiataua and Rocco Berry still sidelined, Moala Graham-Taufa has been promoted from the reserves to his first NRL appearance of the season.
Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Moala Graham Taufa, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Luke Metcalf, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Eagan, 10 Marata Niukore, 11 Leka Halasima, 12 Jacob Laban, 13 Erin Clark
Interchange: 14 Te Maire Martin, 15 Jackson Ford, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Tanner Stowers-Smith
Reserves: 18 Sam Healey, 20 Bunty Afoa, 21 Tanah Boyd, 22 Ed Kosi, 23 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava
Panthers: 1 Daine Laurie, 2 Thomas Jenkins, 3 Izack Tago, 4 Casey McLean, 5 Paul Alamoti, 6 Blaize Talagi, 7 Brad Schneider, 8 Moses Leota, 9 Mitch Kenney, 10 Lindsay Smith, 11 Scott Sorenson, 12 Isaiah Papali'i, 13, Matt Eisenhuth
Interchange: 14 Trent Toelau, 15 Liam Henry, 16 Luron Patea, 17 Luke Garner
Reserves: 18 Luke Sommerton, 19 Jack Cole, 20 Mavrik Geyer, 21 Preston Riki, 22 Austin Dias, 23 Harrison Hassett, 24 Jaxen Edgar
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