Tomas Aoake is the latest Vodafone Junior Warriors NYC player to earn promotion to the club's New South Wales Cup side after being selected for the table-topping Vodafone Warriors against Manly in Saturday’s 20th-round match at Mount Smart Stadium (2.40pm kick-off).
The 19-year-old Mangere East junior, used on the wing and at fullback, is the Vodafone Junior Warriors' top try-scorer this season with 15 tries in 17 games after scoring three in three games in his rookie year in 2014.
He has been brought in on the wing for the club’s NSW Cup side which goes into this week’s round as the competition’s outright leader following last Saturday’s 24-22 win over the Illawarra Cutters.
He joins fellow current NYC players Ata Hingano and Nathaniel Roache who were promoted to the the NSW Cup earlier; standoff Hingano makes his fourth NSW Cup appearance this week and Roache his fifth. Five other current NYC players have also been used at NSW Cup level this year – Marata Niukore, Toafofoa Sipley, Paul Tuli, Semisi Tyrell and Paul Ulberg.
Vodafone Warriors coach Stacey Jones has named a side showing changes from the one which beat the Cutters last week.
In recent weeks several players have moved up to the NRL squad – Sam Rapira, Sione Lousi, Siliva Havili, David Fusitu’a and Jonathan Wright followed by Glen Fisiiahi and Sam Lisone this week. Last week Sebastine Ikahihifo was out on duty as the NRL side’s 18th man. On top of that regular NSW Cup prop Nathaniel Peteru departed after signing with the Gold Coast Titans. It has resulted in Jones seeking a greater number of players from Auckland club sides.
The Vodafone Warriors have collected 12 points in their last six games since a heavy home loss to Canterbury-Bankstown. They’ve beaten Wyong, the Mounties and Illawarra twice as well as having two byes to first draw level with Penrith and then claim top spot last week.
This week they face a Manly side coming off a bye sitting 11th on the ladder. Last time out the Sea Eagles had a big win over Wests Tigers.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v MANLY SEA EAGLES
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
2.40pm, Saturday, July 25
Referee: Aaron Donald
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 VILIAMI KAVEINGA
2 KEN MAUMALO
3 MATTHEW ALLWOOD
4 DOMINIQUE PEYROUX
5 TOMAS AOAKE
6 ATA HINGANO
7 MASON LINO
8 UPU POCHING
9 NATHANIEL ROACHE
10 SEBASTINE IKAHIHIFO
11 JOHN PALAVI (c)
12 JAMES BELL
13 DAVID BHANA
Interchange:
14 PATRICK SIPLEY
15 DANIEL PALAVI
16 PAKI AFU
17 ZAC TIPPINS
COACH: STACEY JONES
