VODAFONE WARRIORS v MANLY SEA EAGLES
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
11.40am, Sunday, July 27
Referee: Jamal Thompson
Coach Rohan Smith has been forced into a typical shuffling job rearranging his playing deck for the Vodafone Warriors’ 20th-round New South Wales Cup clash against Manly at Mount Smart Stadium today (11.40am kick-off; match day sponsor: Suzuki).
Very little of his line-up remains the same after losing a number of his original choices.
Out of the side are winger David Fusitu’a, halfback Tuiimoala Lolohea, loose forward John Palavi and prop Upu Poching.
The knock-on effect is that Jarrod Tua comes back to replace Fusitu’a, Michael Sio moves off the bench to start at halfback, Agnatius Paasi switches from prop to loose forward and Albert Vete is off the interchange to start in the front row.
The interchange comprises David Bhana, Abraham Papalii, Sam Lousi and utility Sam Cook.
The Vodafone Warriors go into the match in sixth after yesterday’s results but will go back to fifth ahead of the Mounties if they win today.
While Manly sits well down the ladder in 12th spot, this will be a challenging game for the Vodafone Warriors due to the disruption to their line-up.
The players will also have heavy hearts as they support team-mate Carlos Tuimavave whose grandmother had just passed away. It’s the second time in a matter of weeks that the team has been through such an experience; Palavi played last month the day his grandmother passed away.
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 STEVE WAETFORD (c)
2 NGATAUA HUKATAI
3 SOLOMONE KATA
4 DOMINIQUE PEYROUX
24 JARROD TUA
6 CARLOS TUIMAVAVE
14 MICHAEL SIO
15 ALBERT VETE
9 SILIVA HAVILI
10 CHARLIE-PAUL GUBB
11 SIONE LOUSI
12 RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER
8 AGNATIUS PAASI
Interchange:
17 DAVID BHANA
20 ABRAHAM PAPALII
22 SAM LOUSI
23 SAM COOK
COACH: ROHAN SMITH
COVERAGE:
Live coverage on SKY Sport 2 from 11.30am.
