First-choice players Mason Lino (pictured) and Solomone Kata return from injury lay-offs for the Vodafone Junior Warriors NYC contest against Cronulla at Mount Smart Stadium today (12.45pm kick-off). Photo: Photosport
A broken thumb sidelined Lino after he kicked five goals in the sides 34-24 ninth-round win over the Bulldogs in Wellington May.
Kata, who took over the goal kicking from Lino, has been out since the 14th-round loss to the Sydney Roosters.
Lino scored 73 points in the first nine matches of the season while Kata has 88 points from 11 tries and 22 goals in 10 appearances.
Kata will start in the centres while Lino, initially named to run on at halfback, is now set to move to the interchange with Eko Malu starting at halfback.
Playing his first game of the season on the wing will be Braxton Stanley. Injuries have kept him out of the action this year and injury also limited him to just five appearances in 2012. He starts on the right wing today, replacing Vili Lolohea.
The Vodafone Junior Warriors go into todays game in fourth place on 27 points with the Bulldogs on the same total. Theyre three points adrift of the third-placed Sydney Roosters, having picked up two hard-earned wins over Wests Tigers (22-12) and Melbourne 20-16 in their last two outings.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v CRONULLA SHARKS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
12.450pm, Saturday, August 03
Referees: Shane Rehm and Peter Gough
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1NGATAUA HUKATAI
2METIA LISATI
3SOLOMONE KATA
4ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
5BRAXTON STANLEY
6TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
14EKO MALU
8JAMES TAYLOR
9MICHAEL SIO (c)
10KOUMA SAMSON
11STEDMAN LEFAU
12SIONE FEAO
13SAM COOK
Interchange:
7MASON LINO
15SAM LISONE
16ABRAHAM PAPALII
17TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
20TAMA KOOPU
HEAD COACH: JOHN ACKLAND
A broken thumb sidelined Lino after he kicked five goals in the sides 34-24 ninth-round win over the Bulldogs in Wellington May.
Kata, who took over the goal kicking from Lino, has been out since the 14th-round loss to the Sydney Roosters.
Lino scored 73 points in the first nine matches of the season while Kata has 88 points from 11 tries and 22 goals in 10 appearances.
Kata will start in the centres while Lino, initially named to run on at halfback, is now set to move to the interchange with Eko Malu starting at halfback.
Playing his first game of the season on the wing will be Braxton Stanley. Injuries have kept him out of the action this year and injury also limited him to just five appearances in 2012. He starts on the right wing today, replacing Vili Lolohea.
The Vodafone Junior Warriors go into todays game in fourth place on 27 points with the Bulldogs on the same total. Theyre three points adrift of the third-placed Sydney Roosters, having picked up two hard-earned wins over Wests Tigers (22-12) and Melbourne 20-16 in their last two outings.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v CRONULLA SHARKS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
12.450pm, Saturday, August 03
Referees: Shane Rehm and Peter Gough
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1NGATAUA HUKATAI
2METIA LISATI
3SOLOMONE KATA
4ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
5BRAXTON STANLEY
6TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
14EKO MALU
8JAMES TAYLOR
9MICHAEL SIO (c)
10KOUMA SAMSON
11STEDMAN LEFAU
12SIONE FEAO
13SAM COOK
Interchange:
7MASON LINO
15SAM LISONE
16ABRAHAM PAPALII
17TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
20TAMA KOOPU
HEAD COACH: JOHN ACKLAND
