NYC FINALS | Same side for Knights

Vodafone Junior Warriors second rower Ken Maumalo dents the Sydney Roosters' line in last week's NYC finals clash at Allianz Stadium. Image | Paul Barkley

Author: Richard Becht
Timestamp: Thu 18 Sep 2014, 12:23 PM

Coach Stacey Jones has named an unchanged line-up for the Vodafone Junior Warriors’ week two NYC finals clash against Newcastle at Allianz Stadium on Saturday (5.15pm kick-off local time; 7.15pm NZT).

After dismissing the fifth-ranked Sydney Roosters 44-30 last week, the eighth-placed Vodafone Junior Warriors must overcome the minor premiership-winning Knights to advance to the preliminary final.

After finishing three points clear in the regular season, the Knights stumbled 22-30 to fourth-placed St George Illawarra in their play-off last Saturday.

The last time the Vodafone Junior Warriors and the Knights met in Newcastle last month, the home side prevailed 40-34 in a thriller while in June the Vodafone Junior Warriors had an impressive 34-22 win at Mount Smart Stadium.

Jones has been able to call on the same 18 players again this week after the big victory over the Roosters, the Vodafone Junior Warriors’ 12^th success in 17 finals matches since the competition was introduced in 2008.

The starting line-up is unchanged from the one used at Allianz Stadium last Saturday night with Nathaniel Roache and Solomone Kata again paired in the centres. The bench comprises James Bell, Toafofoa Sipley, Ken Maumalo and Bunty Afoa with Ofahiki Ogden set to again be the 18^th man.

This will be only the second time the Vodafone Junior Warriors have taken on the Knights in an NYC finals match. The first was in week one of their successful 2011 campaign when they swamped the Novocastrians 54-6.

Last week the Vodafone Junior Warriors unleashed on the Roosters with two scoring bursts giving them clear air in the opening period of both halves.

While the teams were level 6-6 early on, the Vodafone Junior Warriors then rocked the Roosters with three straight tries to lead 22-6 before going to the break 28-14 ahead. They then conceded the opening try of the second half to have their lead cut to 28-18 but quickly responded with a three-try assault to surge to a 44-18 advantage.

While the Roosters delivered the two final scoring plays of the day there was no denying the quality of the Vodafone Junior Warriors’ performance in the critical periods of the contest.

Their key contributors with the ball were Ken Maumalo (190 metres from 13 runs), Kata (166 from 14), Tuimoala Lolohea (137 from nine), Ngataua Hukatai (131 from nine), Metia Lisati (107 from 10) and Afoa (102 from 10).

The top tacklers were Adam Tuimavave-Gerrard (28), Kurt Robinson (26), James Bell (24), Afoa (23) and Mason Lino (23).

In providing 12 points from six of his eight conversion attempts, Lino boosted his season’s tally to 184 points in 18 games and his career total to 475 in 59 games, the most by a Vodafone Junior Warrior in the NYC’s history. It leaves him with a chance of breaking 200 points for the year and 500 for his career if the Vodafone Junior Warriors can sustain this finals campaign in his last season in the grade.

Prop Sam Lisone, also in his final NYC season, has a chance of reaching the 50-game milestone if the team’s run continues. This week he plays his 48^th NYC match.