Former Vodafone Junior Warriors forward Kouma Samson will be in the club’s colours for the first time since last year’s NYC grand final triumph after being called up for today’s 13th-round New South Wales Cup clash against Canterbury-Bankstown at Mount Smart Stadium No 2 (1.00pm kick-off).
Samson (21) is home after a season with AS Carcassonne in the French championship which ended with his club losing the grand final to Toulouse.
His NYC career finished with his 41st appearance in last season’s grand final when he started in the front row in the club’s 34-32 win over Brisbane at ANZ Stadium.
His coach then was Stacey Jones, who guided the Vodafone Junior Warriors to the NYC premiership in his first season in the job.
Now running the club’s NSW Cup side, Jones has brought Samson onto the bench for today’s match against the Bulldogs after losing Sebastine Ikahihifo to the NRL side in Perth while last week’s debutant front rower Toafofoa Sipley is sidelined with a knee injury.
Also added to the bench is another former Vodafone Junior Warrior Daniel Palavi while Jones has made one swap to his starting line-up. James Bell goes to the bench and Stedman Lefau will start in the second row.
Of today's 17-man squad, 15 players have come through the Vodafone Warriors' NYC pathway.
Entry to today’s match is free.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN
Mount Smart Stadium No 2, Auckland
1.00pm, Saturday, June 06
Referee: Shane Rehm
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 SAM COOK
2 VILIAMI KAVEINGA
3 ARDEN McCARTHY
4 DAVID FUSITU’A
5 PAUL ULBERG
6 API PEWHAIRANGI
7 MASON LINO
8 CHARLIE GUBB
9 NATHANIEL ROACHE
10 NATHANIEL PETERU
11 RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER
14 STEDMAN LEFAU
13 DAVID BHANA
Interchange:
12 JAMES BELL
16 ZAC TIPPINS
18 KOUMA SAMSON
21 DANIEL PALAVI
COACH: STACEY JONES
