Giant forward Sam Lousi makes his comeback from injury as one of eight players with NRL experience included in the Vodafone Warriors’ line-up for Saturday’s historic 14th-round VB New South Wales Cup clash against Cronulla at Rugby Park in Gisborne (3.00pm kick-off).
The 22-year-old has been named on the bench while former Queensland State of Origin centre Dane Nielsen, Dominique Peyroux, Carlos Tuimavave, Charles Gubb, Upu Poching, Siliva Havili and John Palavi have all been named in the starting side by coach Rohan Smith.
Havili makes his seventh appearance for the side in a season in which he has had six NRL outings and also made his Kiwi Test debut against the Kangaroos.
Lousi was just three games into his return from a long lay-off when he finished up back in the casualty ward after breaking his hand in the Vodafone Warriors’ NSW Cup win against Newtown on April 26.
After winning three games on end the Vodafone Warriors suffered a 0-28 reverse against Canterbury-Bankstown last Saturday.
As well as Havili, Smith has inherited two other players – prop Charles Gubb and halfback Tuimoala Lolohea – who were with the club’s NRL squad for Saturday’s clash against South Sydney in Perth. Gubb and Lolohea were both with the team as cover.Lolohea comes in for Sam Cook in the halves, teaming up with Tuimavave, while Gubb is in the starting front row alongside Havili and Poching. With Havili coming into the side for much-needed game time, Michael Sio moves to the bench with Lousi, Michael Ki and Albert Vete.
The Vodafone Warriors are sixth on the points table, just one point ahead of the seventh-placed Sharks.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v CRONULLA SHARKS
Rugby Park, Gisborne
3.00pm, Saturday, June 14
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 STEVE WAETFORD (c)
2 SOLOMONE KATA
3 DOMINIQUE PEYROUX
4 DANE NIELSEN
5 JARROD TUA
6 CARLOS TUIMAVAVE
7 TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
8 UPU POCHING
9 SILIVA HAVILI
10 CHARLES GUBB
11 RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER
12 AGNATIUS PAASI
13 JOHN PALAVI
Interchange:
14 MICHAEL SIO
15 MICHAEL KI
17 ALBERT VETE
17 SAM LOUSI
COACH: ROHAN SMITH
