RTS back in fold despite being on baby watch

Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is named to come back into the Warriors line-up for their top four NRL encounter with the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday at 7.30pm.

His return results in Peta Hiku being switched back to the centres after filling in for Tuivasa-Sheck at fullback in last Friday night’s 24-14 win over Parramatta.

Tuivasa-Sheck stayed in Auckland last week on baby watch to support his fiance´e who is due to give birth to their first child any day.

He was back training with the squad yesterday but still in waiting mode on the baby front.

Kiwi centre Gerard Beale, who made his club debut as Warrior No 230 against the Eels, has been moved back to the bench, again listed in jersey No 18.

Other than Tuivasa-Sheck coming back into the line-up, there are no other changes among the 17 players used against the Eels, although there are two positional swaps.

Simon Mannering is named to start in the second row with Isaiah Papali’i selected on the bench (Papali’i started in No 11 last week), while James Gavet has been listed to start at prop after originally being named on the bench against Parramatta.

Also included among the four interchange players likely to be used are props Bunty Afoa and Chris Satae, plus utility Jazz Tevaga.

In only his second NRL appearance this year, Satae’s 15 minutes last week coincided with the Warriors’ intensive period on defence when he was required to make 24 tackles.

He then backed up for the club’s Intrust Super Premiership side the next day when he was used off the bench for 58 minutes (171 metres from 17 runs plus 26 tackles) in a 29-16 win over St George Illawarra.

Apart from Satae, Mannering finished with 36 tackles, Afoa 30 and Tevaga 19.

The Warriors, who have remained in the top three all season, head into Saturday with an 8-3 win-loss record after 11 rounds.

While they’re third this week, the Rabbitohs have surged into fourth spot on the back of three consecutive wins.

In the opening round this season, the Warriors not only beat Souths 32-20 to win in Perth for the first time but also snapped a run of six losses to the Rabbitohs since 2013.

In 32 previous encounters, the Warriors have a 19-13 advantage over South Sydney.