Rookie front rower Albert Vete returns to make his seventh NRL appearance in the Vodafone Warriors' ninth-round encounter with the Cronulla Sharks at Remondis Stadium tonight (5.30pm kick-off local time; 7.30pm NZT).
Vete turned out for the club's New South Wales Cup side against Newtown on Anzac Day and impressed from the bench for Mate Ma'a Tonga in last Saturday night's clash against Toa Samoa in Robina.
After being originally named as one of five on the bench, he is confirmed to join Nathan Friend, Dominique Peyroux and Sam Lisone on the interchange. Sam Rapira, who had his first NRL outing of the year against Gold Coast, was ruled out after again being troubled by the hamstring injury that delayed his start to the season. The 18th man is Suaia Matagi.
Vete is one of 11 players in the line-up tonight who featured in the Test matches played last weekend.
CRONULLA SHARKS v VODAFONE WARRIORS
Remondis Stadium, Cronulla
5.30pm, Saturday, May 09
Referees: Gavin Morris and David Munro
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
2 JONATHAN WRIGHT
3 KONRAD HURRELL
4 SOLOMONE KATA
5 MANU VATUVEI
6 CHAD TOWNSEND
7 SHAUN JOHNSON
8 JACOB LILLYMAN
9 THOMAS LEULUAI
10 BEN MATULINO
11 BODENE THOMPSON
12 RYAN HOFFMAN
13 SIMON MANNERING (c)
Interchange:
14 NATHAN FRIEND
15 DOMINIQUE PEYROUX
16 SAM LISONE
18 ALBERT VETE
HEAD COACH: ANDREW McFADDEN
