VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Hnuter Stadium, Newcastle
1.45pm, Sunday, August 17
Mangere East Hawks junior will become the 21st player to make his Vodafone Junior Warriors debut so far this season when he comes off the bench against competition leader Newcastle in today’s 23rd-round NYC clash at Hunter Stadium (1.45pm kick-off NZT).
The 18-year-old has been brought onto the team’s interchange with coach Stacey Jones making two changes to his originally-named side.
Standoff Ata Hingano is out bringing about a reshuffle which sees Semisi Tyrell moved off the bench to start in the halves while Jones has also brought Adam Tuimavave-Gerrard into the starting back row and put Michael Ki back to the interchange.
Price was in contention to make his debut against Canberra two weeks ago.
A graduate from the Vodafone Warriors’ development system, he plays for the Hawks the Fox Memorial and he captained Otahuhu College in Auckland’s College Rugby League First XIII competition last year.
The match also marks co-captain Mason Lino’s return from a month-long lay-off with a shoulder injury.
The Vodafone Warriors go into the match on the back of dominant displays against two lowly-ranked opponents in the Raiders and the Sharks, compiling an overall score-line of 98-6.
In their last four matches of the regular season the Vodafone Junior Warriors meet Newcastle away, the Sydney Roosters (fourth) and Gold Coast (14th) at home before finishing against Penrith (eighth) away.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 BRAD ABBEY
2 PAUL ULBERG
3 NATHANIEL ROACHE
4 MARATA NIUKORE
5 METIA LISATI
16 SEMISI TYRELL
7 MASON LINO (c)
8 KOUMA SAMSON
9 KURT ROBINSON
10 SAM LISONE (c)
11 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
14 ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
13 JAMES BELL
Interchange:
12 MICHAEL KI
15 JAZZ TEVAGA
17 IULIO AFOA
20 JOSEPH PRICE
COACH: STACEY JONES
COVERAGE:
Live coverage starts on SKY Sport 2 at 1.30pm.
