Halfback Mason Lino is back from New South Wales Cup duty to make his milestone 50th appearance for the Vodafone Junior Warriors in their 12th-round NYC clash against top-of-the-table Newcastle at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday (1.40pm kick-off).
After playing the first eight matches of the year to go to 49 career appearances, Lino has turned out for the club’s NSW Cup side in the last three rounds.
Also returning after playing at the higher level with Lino is fellow co-captain and prop Sam Lisone.
In their absence the Stacey Jones-coached side has beaten Canberra 54-0, lost to Canterbury-Bankstown 30-31 and triumphed 20-16 against Gold Coast last week.
The return of Lino and Lisone is a timely boost for the seventh-placed Vodafone Junior Warriors as they face a Knights side which has lost only once this season.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
1.40pm, Sunday, June 1
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 BRAD ABBEY
2 PAUL ULBERG
3 NGATAUA HUKATAI
4 KEN MAUMALO
5 JOHN WESLEY TAUTI
6 MAFOA’AEATA HINGANO
7 MASON LINO (c)
8 IULIO AFOA
9 KURT ROBINSON
10 SAM LISONE (c)
11 ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
12 MATIU LOVE-HENRY
13 JAMES BELL
Interchange:
14 NATHANIEL ROACHE
15 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
16 OFAHIKI OGDEN
17 KOUMA SAMSON
18 ALAMOTI FINAU
20 METIA LISATI
COACH: STACEY JONES
