Injured Foran picked to play Dogs
Playmaker gets every chance to show fitness
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney will give fiveeighth Kieran Foran until the last minute to prove his fitness ahead of Friday’s NRL game against the Bulldogs at Mt Smart Stadium.
Foran hurt his quad muscle in the side’s win over the Titans 11 days ago and is showing signs of improvement. The extra rest thanks to last weekend’s bye has helped him have a chance of being fit to face the side he will play for in 2018.
Kearney has named the Kiwis international in the No 6 jumper in a side that has a familiar look to it.
The glaring omission is centre Solomone Kata, who is unavailable for the game due to the death of his brother back in Tonga.
“Sol has had a tragic event happen — his brother has passed away in Tonga,” Kearney told Radio Sport.
Rookie Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad comes on to the wing with David Fusitu’a moving into the centres to replace Kata.
Kearney refused the temptation to include the club’s all-time leading tryscorer Manu Vatuvei, who is working his way back from injury. Vatuvei has been included on an extended bench but he will likely play in the Warriors ISP side.
Also named on an extended bench is prop James Gavet, who missed the game against the Titans with a hamstring strain and Ata Hingano, who came on to replace Foran when the five-eighth got injured.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have confirmed they will not be bringing in a replacement for the now-departed assistant coach Steve McNamara.
McNamara this week took up the vacant head coaching job at the Catalan Dragons in the UK Super League. Before his stint at the Warriors, he was with the Roosters.