VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
11.45am, Sunday, August 24
Referees: Chris Sutton and Kasey Badger
Centre-second rower Ken Maumalo returns to NYC football when he lines up for the Vodafone Junior Warriors in their crucial 24th-round clash against the Sydney Roosters at Mount Smart Stadium today (11.45am kick-off NZT).
After playing 15 NYC matches earlier in the campaign, Maumalo has had four games with the club’s New South Wales Cup side recently.
He comes into the second row today with Toafofoa Sipley, originally named in the back row, reverting to an interchange role while Michael Ki comes off the bench to replace the suspended James Bell.
The Vodafone Junior Warriors remain just inside the top eight but would be at risk of dropping out of it if they don’t win today.
After two consecutive wins they lost 34-40 to the top-ranked Newcastle last Sunday.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 BRAD ABBEY
2 PAUL ULBERG
3 NATHANIEL ROACHE
4 MARATA NIUKORE
5 METIA LISATI
6 SEMISI TYRELL
7 MASON LINO (c)
8 KOUMA SAMSON
9 KURT ROBINSON
10 SAM LISONE (c)
20 KEN MAUMALO
12 ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
14 MICHAEL KI
Interchange:
11 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
15 JAZZ TEVAGA
16 IULIO AFOA
17 OFAHIKI OGDEN
COACH: STACEY JONES
COVERAGE:
Live coverage starts on SKY Sport 2 at 11.30am.