Warriors line-up stays unchanged
Players who dealt to Titans earned the opportunity for first match, says coach
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has rewarded the players who performed in the club’s final trial and named an unchanged starting side for Sunday’s NRL season opener against the Newcastle Knights at Mt Smart Stadium.
With Ben Matulino out of action following knee surgery, Albert Vete and Charlie Gubb will again start in the front row as they did in the 26-6 trial win over the Gold Coast Titans in Palmerston North on February 19.
Young playmaker Ata Hingano is locked in at five-eighth, Ken Maumalo will again play on the left wing, and Bunty Afoa will make his fourth NRL appearance in the second row alongside Ryan Hoffman.
The match doubles as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s first NRL game since he suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Bulldogs in Wellington last April and also his first-grade debut as captain.
“Those players earned the opportunity for the first match of the season,” said Kearney.
“There were a lot of good signs from them against the Titans. Having said that, there are lots of areas we need to improve on.”
The NRL has instituted a new team-naming protocol this season which requires all clubs to list 21 players each Tuesday with the squad to be trimmed to 19, 24 hours before the game. The final playing 17 — confirmed an hour before kick-off — must come from the 19-man group.
Intrigue surrounds the make-up of the Warriors’ extended eight-man bench that features two teenagers yet to make their NRL debuts — 18-yearold second-rower Isaiah Papali’i and 19-year-old utility Erin Clark.
Experienced back-rower Bodene Thompson has also been named on the bench despite sitting out the preseason with an ankle injury, along with front-row trio Jacob Lillyman, Sam Lisone, and James Gavet, halfback Mason Lino and centre Blake Ayshford.
Manu Vatuvei missed selection after a knee injury ruled him out of the preseason fixtures but will turn out in the second tier NSW Cup competition in the curtain raiser to the main game.
“Manu was nearly right for the last trial but didn’t quite get there and it’s important for his confidence that he goes back and gets some game time under his belt before we can get him into the NRL team,” said Kearney. The game provides a chance for the Warriors to break an eight-year round one hoodoo, as they have not managed a first-up victory since they overcame Parramatta 26-18 at Mt Smart Stadium in the 2009 season.
The Warriors have won 10 of their past 11 encounters at home against the Knights but the visitors will be buoyed by accounting for the Tweed Heads Seagulls 38-22 and Canberra Raiders 44-0 in pre-season games.