Jazz Tevaga comes in at hooker and Ligi Sao moves off the bench to start at loose forward in the Vodafone Warriors’ sixth-round Intrust Super Premiership match against North Sydney at Bear Park today (1.00pm kick-off local time; 3.00pm NZT).
Tevaga was originally named on an extended bench for the NRL side’s match against the Manly Sea Eagles yesterday but was freed up to rejoin the ISP team.
At the same time veteran Ali Lauitiiti was taken out of the Stacey Jones-coached side to be the club’s 18th man for last night’s NRL match.
Captain John Palavi has been moved into the second row for Lauitiiti with Sao making his comeback from injury at loose forward, a position he filled regularly for Manly in the NRL last year.
With Tevaga starting at hooker, Erin Clark goes to a bench which also includes Viliami Kaveinga, Sione Lousi – playing his second match after a long lay-off – and James Bell.
Sao will be having his first match for the Vodafone Warriors in the ISP after appearing in the club’s NRL trials against Gold Coast and St George Illawarra before he was sidelined by a shoulder injury.
Making his club debut is 21-year-old former Canterbury-Bankstown second rower Shaun Lane. A 14-game NRL player last year – and the club’s rookie of the year – the 1.98m Lane joined the Vodafone Warriors this week.
The Vodafone Warriors are ninth in the competition after wins over Wests Tigers (44-6) and Newtown (20-18) but could move as high as fifth if they’re able to pick up a win on the road today.
The Bears sit fifth with three wins from their first five games.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v NORTH SYDNEY
Bear Park, Sydney
1.00pm, Sunday, April 10
Referee: Jon Stone
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 HENARE WELLS
2 KEN MAUMALO
3 DAVID FUSITU’A
4 MATTHEW ALLWOOD
5 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
6 ATA HINGANO
7 MASON LINO
8 JAMES GAVET
21 JAZZ TEVAGA
10 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
11 SHAUN LANE
13 JOHN PALAVI (c)
15 LIGI SAO
Interchange:
9 ERIN CLARK
14 VILIAMI KAVEINGA
16 SIONE LOUSI
17 JAMES BELL
COACH | STACEY JONES
