A total of 11 players with NRL experience have been named for the Vodafone Warriors’ seventh-round Intrust Super Premiership clash against Newcastle at Mount Smart Stadium No 2 on Saturday (12.00pm kick-off).
Entry is free for the match (gates open at 11.30am) which will feature club legend Ali Lauitiiti as well as three forwards – James Gavet, Jazz Tevaga and Albert Vete – who have all made NRL appearances this season.
Others with first-grade experience are centre Matt Allwood, wing Ken Maumalo, halfback Mason Lino, second rower Shaun Lane, loose forward John Palavi and interchange forwards Sione Lousi and Upu Poching.
Vete comes into the side after being in the NRL line-up in recent weeks while Lauitiiti returns after being 18th man for the first-grade team last weekend.
The Vodafone Warriors are coming off their second road win of the season, a 30-12 win against North Sydney lifting them to sixth on the table. The Knights are 11th on the ladder.
- Public parking at Mount Smart Stadium #2 via O’Rorke Road (parking area 3)
- Enter ground via Mount Smart #2 entrance (East End)
Meanwhile, the Vodafone Junior Warriors are seeking back-to-back victories after their 28-20 win over Manly.
They face a Bulldogs side with only one win so far this season and five straight defeats in the last five rounds.
The Vodafone Junior Warriors have lost second rower Marata Niukore to injury but will have Erin Clark back for the first time this year, named at standoff after being used at hooker and in the halves in the ISP side.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Mount Smart Stadium #2, Auckland
12.00pm, Saturday, April 16
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 HENARE WELLS
2 KEN MAUMALO
3 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
4 MATTHEW ALLWOOD
5 TOMAS AOAKE
6 ATA HINGANO
7 MASON LINO
8 JAMES GAVET
9 JAZZ TEVAGA
10 ALBERT VETE
11 ALI LAUITIITI
12 SHAUN LANE
13 JOHN PALAVI (c)
Interchange:
14 VILIAMI KAVEINGA
15 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
16 SIONE LOUSI
17 JAMES BELL
18 UPU POCHING
COACH | STACEY JONES
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney
11.00am, Saturday, April 16
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 KANE TELEA
2 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
18 JUNIOR PAUGA
4 MELINO FINEANGANOFO
5 LEVI McBIRNEY
6 ERIN CLARK
7 ZION IOKA
13 ISAIAH PAPALII
9 SHELDON PITAMA (c)
10 BUNTY AFOA
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN
21 JOE VUNA
15 CHRIS SIO
Interchange:
8 TUALIMA TUALIMA
14 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
16 KENESE KENESE
22 JEROME MAMEA
COACH | KELVIN WRIGHT
