Outstanding front rowers Sam Lisone and James Taylor return for the Vodafone Junior Warriors’ sixth-round NYC match against Canterbury-Bankstown at Eden Park on Sunday (1.40pm kick-off; match day sponsor: SKYCITY).
Lisone had another strong outing for the club’s New South Wales Cup side last Saturday – and scored a try in its big win over Cronulla – while Taylor was out injured.
Lisone will start with Taylor again listed on the bench.
Coach Stacey Jones has included another debutant this week in Tomas Patelesio, a former De La Salle College First XV rugby union player. He comes in on the wing with Braxton Stanley starting in the centres after being used as a winger in the first five rounds of the season.
Also back in the centres from a one-game injury absence is Lafu Feagaiga while Ken Maumalo, who gained 200-plus metres playing in the centres last weekend, goes back into the second row for this game.
Returning to the side on an extended bench are Nathaniel Roache, James Bell, Toafofoa Sipley and Alamoti Finau. Roache, Bell and Sipley have all appeared in NYC matches this year but Finau is yet play after being used last year.
After swamping North Queensland 50-12 and edging Wests Tigers 26-24, the Vodafone Junior Warriors lost 26-32 to Cronulla but still edged into eighth spot on the ladder.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Eden Park, Auckland
1.40pm, Sunday, April 13
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 BRAD ABBEY
2 TOMAS PATELESIO
3 BRAXTON STANLEY
4 LAFU FEAGAIGA
5 METIA LISATI
6 MAFOA’AEATA HINGANO
7 MASON LINO (c)
8 SAM LISONE (c)
9 KURT ROBINSON
10 KOUMA SAMSON
11 MICHAEL KI
12 KEN MAUMALO
13 ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
Interchange:
14 NATHANIEL ROACHE
15 JAMES BELL
16 JAMES TAYLOR
17 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
18 ALAMOTI FINAU
20 IULIO AFOA
21 KATAMIRO ATERA
COACH: STACEY JONES
