Vodafone Warriors back rower John Palavi (pictured) will turn out in the New South Wales Cup for the first time this season in Saturday’s fourth-round clash against Wests Tigers at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
Palavi became the club’s 188th NRL player when he made his first-grade debut against Parramatta on March 9 and was also used in the first home game of the year against St George Illawarra at Eden Park the following week.
After sitting out the 20-16 victory against North Queensland as 18th man he has today been named in the second row for the New South Wales Cup side, which is back in action this weekend after last week’s bye.
Carlos Tuimavave will start at fullback and captain Steve Waetford at standoff while Dominique Peyroux and David Fusitua; Fusitua has turned out for each of the club’s three sides in the past three weeks, scoring a hat-trick in the Vodafone Junior Warriors’ 50-12 win over the Cowboys last Saturday.
Also back in the NSW Cup is Tuimoala Lolohea, also a hat-trick man in the NYC last week, while Siliva Havili will start at hooker.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
2.40pm, Saturday, March 29
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 CARLOS TUIMAVAVE
2 JARRED WILSON
3 DOMINIQUE PEYROUX
4 DAVID FUSITUA
5 NGANI LAUMAPE
6 STEVE WAETFORD (c)
7 TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
8 CHARLIE GUBB
9 SILIVA HAVILI
10 UPU POCHING
11 JOHN PALAVI
12 RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER
13 SEBASTINE IKAHIHIFO
Interchange:
14 MICHAEL SIO
15 DAVID BHANA
16 NATHANIEL PETERU
17 ABRAHAM PAPALII
18 ALBERT VETE
COACH: ROHAN SMITH
