YOUR TEAM | Longest away trip

Author: warriors.kiwi
Timestamp: Tue 2 Jun 2015, 02:49 PM

Vodafone Warriors head coach Andrew McFadden has added utility Dominique Peyroux and wing Ken Maumalo to travel to Perth for the club’s 13th-round NRL encounter with defending premiers the South Sydney Rabbitohs at nib Stadium on Saturday (3.30pm kick-off local time; 7.30pm NZT).

The 19-man squad heads out tomorrow on the competition’s longest away trip for the fourth consecutive season.

They first made the seven and a half hour, 5300km flight to Western Australia for a clash against Manly in 2012 before travelling there to meet the Rabbitohs in both 2013 and 2014.

McFadden today named the same side used in Sunday night’s tension-packed 24-20 win over Newcastle, a result which improved the Vodafone Warriors’ record to better than 50 per cent for the first time this season with six wins and five losses.

It leaves them in seventh spot on the ladder on 14 points, just two outside the top four and level with their 14th-round opponents the Sydney Roosters (fifth) and the Rabbitohs (sixth).

After picking up their third win on end on Sunday, the Vodafone Warriors are in a position to achieve their best winning streak since the 2013 side put together five wins in a row midway through the season.

McFadden is confident of being able to use an unchanged team in Perth with fullback Sam Tomkins and wing Manu Vatuvei set to line up again.

“Both Sam and Manu were a bit sore after the game but they’ve pulled up really well,” said McFadden.

“With it being such a long trip to Perth we’re taking two extra players to cover us.”

The Vodafone Warriors boast an 18 wins-10 losses record in 28 encounters with Souths but have lost the last three matches between the two sides. In 14 away games they hold a 9-5 advantage.

Saturday’s clash in Perth will edge prop Jacob Lillyman close to his 200-game milestone when he makes his 198th career appearance while back rower Bodene Thompson will play his 97th match.