Winger David Fusitu’a is back in the Vodafone Warriors’ New South Wales Cup line-up for Saturday’s 11th-round clash against the Bears at North Sydney Oval (3.00pm kick-off local time; 5.00pm NZT).
The 19-year-old made his comeback from an injury-enforced one-game absence when he lined up in the centres for the Vodafone Junior Warriors in their dramatic 30-31 NYC loss to the Bulldogs in Hamilton last Sunday.
Fusitu’a has the rare distinction of appearing for each of the club’s three sides this season as well as scoring tries for all of them (seven in all in a combined total of nien games).
Sunday’s outing was his second for the NYC side in a season in which he has made his three NRL appearances since his debut as Vodafone Warrior No 189 against St George Illawarra.
This weekend’s match will be his fifth in the New South Wales Cup side.
Also returning to the New South Wales side are prop Charles P Gubb and hooker Michael Sio. Gubb was on 18th man duty for the NRL team in Hamilton last week.
The line-up is otherwise unchanged from the one which ground out a 22-18 win over Manly last weekend, a result which has the Vodafone Warriors running sixth on the points table after five wins so far.
Standoff Tuimoala Lolohea will play his 11th consecutive match for the side, the only player to have appeared in every game so far. He’s the team’s leading points-scorer with 66 points and he’s the equal top try scorer with six tries along with winger Jarred Wilson.
The Vodafone Warriors will field six NYC-eligible player against North Sydney – Lolohea, Fusitu’a, Solomone Kata, Mason Lino, Sam Lisone and Michael Ki.
Included in the North Sydney side is veteran double international Lote Tuqiri.
- Go to www.triplehfm.com.au/hhh for live radio commentary of the match on Saturday.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v NORTH SYDNEY BEARS
North Sydney Oval, Sydney
3.00pm, Saturday, May 24
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 STEVE WAETFORD (c)
2 DAVID FUSITU’A
3 CARLOS TUIMAVAVE
4 SOLOMONE KATA
5 JARRED WILSON
6 TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
7 MASON LINO
8 CHARLES P GUBB
9 MICHAEL SIO
10 UPU POCHING
11 DOMINIQUE PEYROUX
12 RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER
13 JOHN PALAVI
Interchange:
14 ABRAHAM PAPALII
15 AGNATIUS PAASI
16 SAM LISONE
17 MICHAEL KI
COACH: ROHAN SMITH
