Vodafone Junior Warriors winger Metia Lisati will make his debut for club’s New South Wales Cup side in today’s sixth-round clash against Canterbury-Bankstown at Eden Park (11.40am kick-off).
Lisati, who scored a hat-trick in the NYC team’s loss to Cronulla last week, comes into the side for the injured Carlos Tuimavave.
The side is otherwise as named on Tuesday. Included in the line-up are NRL players Chad Townsend and Feleti Mateo.
The Rohan Smith-coached Vodafone Warriors sat seventh in the competition after their first win of the season last week, a resounding 44-6 victory over the Sharks.
VODAFONE WARRIORS V CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN
Eden Park, Auckland
11.40am, Sunday, April 13
Referee: Shane Rehm
FIVE KEY FEATURES
#1 FELETI MATEO | The vastly-experienced first grader has his first match for the club in the New South Wales Cup. After having offseason knee surgery, he has the mission of playing his way back into the NRL side.
#2 CHAD TOWNSEND | After featuring in each of the Vodafone Warriors’ first five NRL matches this year, Townsend made way for the fully-recovered Thomas Leuluai today. He was in Cronulla’s grand final-winning NSW Cup team last year.
#3 JARRED WILSON | Wilson returns after an injury lay-off. He distinguished himself in the first two rounds of the season by scoring a double against both Wentworthville and Illawarra.
#4 MICHAEL SIO | With Siliva Havili promoted to the NRL line-up today, Sio, the club’s 2013 NYC Player of the Year, is set for an 80-minute role as hooker against the Bulldogs today.
#5 SAM LOUSI | The club’s biggest player makes a welcome return after injury issues. The younger of the two Lousi boys on the roster will come off the bench at some stage. His return has been a while coming.
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 STEVE WAETFORD (c)
2 JARRED WILSON
5 DAVID FUSITUA
4 JARROD TUA
20 METIA LISATI
6 CHAD TOWNSEND
7 TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
8 NATHANIEL PETERU
9 MICHAEL SIO
10 UPU POCHING
11 JOHN PALAVI
12 RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER
13 FELETI MATEO
Interchange
14 AGNATIUS PAASI
15 ALBERT VETE
16 SAM LOUSI
17 ABRAHAM PAPALII
18 SAM COOK
COACH | ROHAN SMITH
TELEVISION COVERAGE
Live on SKY Sport 2, 11.40am.
