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Ah Van returns to Newcastle with happy memories
Centre Patrick Ah Van will have some happy memories when he steps out for the New Zealand Warriors against National Rugby League (NRL) rivals Newcastle on Sunday.
Ah Van produced some late heroics in the corresponding fixture in Newcastle last May, calming slotting a penalty two minutes from fulltime to give the Warriors an 18-16 win.
"They're good memories, but I can't dwell on them," he said today.
"I have to go back out and play for 80 minutes."
Still, Ah Van admitted that he hadn't been allowed to forget his successful angled shot from 30m out.
"Everyone reminds me about it," he said of the kick that ended a drought for the Warriors because it was their first away win of 2008 at their sixth attempt.
The previous month, Ah Van had also played a decisive role late in the Warriors' 26-20 success over the same opponents in Auckland, scoring a 95m try that effectively sealed the result.
Just 21, Ah Van already has 40 NRL appearances to his name, having made his debut against Manly in early 2006 as an 18-year-old.
Until this year, he had been used as a winger or a fullback in first grade, but Brent Tate's long-term knee injury meant he got a shot at his favoured centre spot against South Sydney last Sunday.
For Ah Van, the biggest buzz of the afternoon was lining up alongside club legend Stacey Jones for the first time.
"I looked up to him when I was younger and I came out a couple of times to watch him play," he said.
