Vodafone Junior Warriors coach Kelvin Wright has named a reshaped spine for Saturday’s 13th-round NYC encounter with the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval (1.00pm kick-off local time; 3.00pm NZT).
For most of the season the defending NYC premiers have had a settled combination of Brad Abbey at fullback, Ata Hingano at standoff, Erin Clark at halfback and Nathaniel Roache at hooker.
Roache will be missing for the trip to Sydney, though, after being promoted to make his debut for the club’s New South Wales Cup side against Canterbury-Bankstown on Saturday. It results in Mikaere Beattie – used once earlier this season – being named at halfback with Clark going to hooker.
Wright has also made changes to the starting back row, the experienced Jazz Tevaga returning to start at loose forward, Matiu Love-Henry moving into the second row and Ofahiki Ogden now on the bench.
Apart from Beattie coming into the side, the rest of the backline to face South Sydney is the same as the one used in last Sunday’s loss to Newcastle including Tomas Aoake and Koli Oneone on the wings. They both scored against the Knights, Aoake lifting his season’s tally to 11 from 11 games and Oneone three from his first four NYC appearances. With two goals last week, Hingano brought up 100 points for the season.
After trouncing Parramatta 46-16 on May 16, the Vodafone Junior Warriors have had a bye and last week’s loss – their first at home this season – but still hold fourth spot on the ladder.
The Rabbitohs are 12th on 11 points but have better recent form than the Vodafone Junior Warriors with three wins, a draw and a loss in their last five games.
With the two clubs’ NRL sides playing in Perth this weekend, the NYC match-up is again a stand-alone fixture at South Sydney famous old home ground Redfern Oval. The corresponding clashes in 2013 and 2014 ended in the Rabbitohs’ favour.
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS v VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
Redfern Oval, Sydney
1.00pm, Saturday, June 06
Referee: Tim Roby
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 BRAD ABBEY
2 TOMAS AOAKE
3 JUNIOR PAUGA
4 SEMISI TYRELL
5 KOLI ONEONE
6 ATA HINGANO
7 MIKAERE BEATTIE
8 BUNTY AFOA
9 ERIN CLARK
10 AMONI TUFUI
11 MATIU LOVE-HENRY
12 MARATA NIUKORE
13 JAZZ TEVAGA
Interchange:
14 CHRIS SIO
15 TUALIMA TUALIMA
16 PAUL TULI
17 OFAHIKI OGDEN
18 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
COACH: KELVIN WRIGHT
