Vodafone Warriors head coach Andrew McFadden has confirmed the four players to drop off his original squad for the Dick Smith NRL Nines at Eden Park on Saturday and Sunday.
McFadden initially named a group of 22 players to prepare for the tournament including most of the club's biggest names.
Among them was Vodafone Warriors and Kiwi captain Simon Mannering. McFadden was keen to have the 212-game NRL veteran involved but has reached a decision not to run with him ahead of what will be another demanding NRL season.
Also left out of the 22 are Dominique Peyroux and Sebastine Ikahihifo plus new signing Jonathan Wright, who is still serving a suspension imposed late in his 2014 campaign with Cronulla. All three players were involved in the inaugural NRL Nines last year.
Shaun Johnson captains a side including nine players who appeared in the 2015 tournament at Eden Park, two of that group being new recruits Ryan Hoffman and Bodene Thompson. Also lining up will be Nathaniel Roache. At 18 he will be among the youngest players involved; he's one of five players from the 2014 NYC premiership-winning Vodafone Junior Warriors.
DICK SMITH NRL AUCKLAND NINES – VODAFONE WARRIORS
*SHAUN JOHNSON (c)
MATTHEW ALLWOOD
NATHAN FRIEND
BEN HENRY
*RYAN HOFFMAN
*SOLOMONE KATA
*NGANI LAUMAPE
SAM LISONE
*TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
*SIONE LOUSI
*SUAIA MATAGI
BEN MATULINO
KEN MAUMALO
NATHANIEL ROACHE
*BODENE THOMPSON
*SAM TOMKINS
CHAD TOWNSEND
MANU VATUVEI
