Siliva Havili will line up for the Vodafone Junior Warriors for just the fourth time this season in tonight's NYC semi-final against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium. Photo: Photosport
The Vodafone Junior Warriors will take the field as named for tonights sudden-death NYC semi-final against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium (5.15pm kick-off local time; 7.15pm NZT).
The side features NYC returns for hooker Siliva Havili and wing Viliami Lolohea, Havili having spent almost all the season with the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup while Lolohea has also been with the Vulcans since the most recent of his 14 NYC appearances this year against Melbourne in late July.
With the Vulcans being eliminated from their finals series last Saturday, Havili and Lolohea will significantly boost the experience quotient for the sixth-placed Vodafone Junior Warriors against the third-ranked Roosters.
Havili will be the teams most seasoned player with 54 NYC appearances although he has played for the Vodafone Junior Warriors only three times previously this year. Lolohea will be making his 36th career appearance having scored 20 tries so far.
Havili starts at hooker with Michael Sio moving into the second row and Stedman Lefau going to a five-man interchange while Lolohea replaces Lafu Feagaiga. Of the 18 players named only three havent played 20 or more NYC matches.
Havili and Lolohea apart, the rest of the squad is unchanged from the one used in last Friday nights gritty 20-18 come-from-behind win over South Sydney. While the Vodafone Junior Warriors advanced successfully, the Roosters conceded 10 tries in a 22-48 loss to second-placed Penrith.
After falling 4-14 behind right on halftime, the Vodafone Junior Warriors regrouped to grind out their victory against the Rabbitohs, their ninth win in 13 finals matches since the NYC was introduced in 2008.
The only side to make the finals in each of the competitions six seasons, the Vodafone Junior Warriors dominated possession and territory in the second half with fullback David Fusitua highly prominent. He gained a total of 260 metres in the contest, 193 from 12 runs in the second half alone.
Sio, Sam Lisone and Tuimoala Lolohea will maintain their run of appearing in every match this year, this being their 26th consecutive match.
Lolohea boosted his try tally to 18 last week while halfback Mason Lino is only three points short of bringing up 100 points for the season.
The Roosters have a 2-0 advantage in matches played between the two sides this year. They won 24-20 at Eden Park in the second round in March and then 31-26 at Allianz Stadium in June, the Roosters grabbing victory with late come-from-behind raids both times. They also eliminated the Vodafone Warriors from the NYC finals with a 26-10 win at ANZ Stadium last year.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Allianz Stadium, Randwick
5.15pm, Friday, September 20
Referees: Chris Butler and Chris Sutton
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1DAVID FUSITUA
2METIA LISATI
3ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
4NGATAUA HUKATAI
5VILIAMI LOLOHEA
6TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
7MASON LINO
8ALBERT VETE
9SILIVA HAVILI
10JAMES TAYLOR
11RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER
12MICHAEL SIO
13DAVID BHANA (c)
Interchange:
14EKO MALU
15SAM LISONE
16KOUMA SAMSON
17SOLOMONE KATA
HEAD COACH: JOHN ACKLAND
The Vodafone Junior Warriors will take the field as named for tonights sudden-death NYC semi-final against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium (5.15pm kick-off local time; 7.15pm NZT).
The side features NYC returns for hooker Siliva Havili and wing Viliami Lolohea, Havili having spent almost all the season with the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup while Lolohea has also been with the Vulcans since the most recent of his 14 NYC appearances this year against Melbourne in late July.
With the Vulcans being eliminated from their finals series last Saturday, Havili and Lolohea will significantly boost the experience quotient for the sixth-placed Vodafone Junior Warriors against the third-ranked Roosters.
Havili will be the teams most seasoned player with 54 NYC appearances although he has played for the Vodafone Junior Warriors only three times previously this year. Lolohea will be making his 36th career appearance having scored 20 tries so far.
Havili starts at hooker with Michael Sio moving into the second row and Stedman Lefau going to a five-man interchange while Lolohea replaces Lafu Feagaiga. Of the 18 players named only three havent played 20 or more NYC matches.
Havili and Lolohea apart, the rest of the squad is unchanged from the one used in last Friday nights gritty 20-18 come-from-behind win over South Sydney. While the Vodafone Junior Warriors advanced successfully, the Roosters conceded 10 tries in a 22-48 loss to second-placed Penrith.
After falling 4-14 behind right on halftime, the Vodafone Junior Warriors regrouped to grind out their victory against the Rabbitohs, their ninth win in 13 finals matches since the NYC was introduced in 2008.
The only side to make the finals in each of the competitions six seasons, the Vodafone Junior Warriors dominated possession and territory in the second half with fullback David Fusitua highly prominent. He gained a total of 260 metres in the contest, 193 from 12 runs in the second half alone.
Sio, Sam Lisone and Tuimoala Lolohea will maintain their run of appearing in every match this year, this being their 26th consecutive match.
Lolohea boosted his try tally to 18 last week while halfback Mason Lino is only three points short of bringing up 100 points for the season.
The Roosters have a 2-0 advantage in matches played between the two sides this year. They won 24-20 at Eden Park in the second round in March and then 31-26 at Allianz Stadium in June, the Roosters grabbing victory with late come-from-behind raids both times. They also eliminated the Vodafone Warriors from the NYC finals with a 26-10 win at ANZ Stadium last year.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Allianz Stadium, Randwick
5.15pm, Friday, September 20
Referees: Chris Butler and Chris Sutton
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1DAVID FUSITUA
2METIA LISATI
3ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
4NGATAUA HUKATAI
5VILIAMI LOLOHEA
6TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
7MASON LINO
8ALBERT VETE
9SILIVA HAVILI
10JAMES TAYLOR
11RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER
12MICHAEL SIO
13DAVID BHANA (c)
Interchange:
14EKO MALU
15SAM LISONE
16KOUMA SAMSON
17SOLOMONE KATA
HEAD COACH: JOHN ACKLAND
