A tripleheader football feast is on offer at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday with the Vodafone Warriors’ NYC and Intrust Super Premiership teams providing the entrée to the NRL fixture.
The Kelvin Wright-coached Vodafone Junior Warriors are up first facing Brisbane (12.40pm kick-off) followed by the Stacey Jones-coached ISP side taking on Wentworthville (2.40pm kick-off).
The Vodafone Junior Warriors secured a solid 20-4 win over Canberra in the 11th round – their fourth victory of the season – while the Broncos are just one win ahead of them.
In the ISP competition, the Vodafone Warriors will be after their sixth straight win to protect their second spot on the ladder.
Jones has lost some players who have been called into the club’s NRL squad but he has some coming back as well – Jonathan Wright on the wing, Matt Allwood in the centres, James Gavet, Jazz Tevaga and Toafofoa Sipley in the front row plus John Palavi at loose forward.
Also set to make his debut for the side after previously being named to start twice is veteran halfback Jeff Robson.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v WENTWORTHVILLE MAGPIES
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
2.40pm, Saturday, June 4
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 HENARE WELLS
2 KEN MAUMALO
3 MATTHEW ALLWOOD
4 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
5 JONATHAN WRIGHT
6 ATA HINGANO
7 JEFF ROBSON
8 JAMES GAVET
9 JAZZ TEVAGA
10 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
11 ALI LAUITIITI
12 SHAUN LANE
13 JOHN PALAVI (c)
Interchange:
14 MASON LINO
15 UPU POCHING
16 JAMES BELL
17 TOMAS AOAKE
18 PATRICK SIPLEY
COACH | STACEY JONES
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v BRISBANE BRONCOS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
12.40pm, Saturday, June 4
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 KANE TELEA
2 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
3 JUNIOR PAUGA
4 MARATA NIUKORE
5 MATT FAITOTOA
6 ERIN CLARK
7 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
8 BUNTY AFOA
9 SHELDON PITAMA (c)
10 KENESE KENESE
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN
12 JOSEPH PRICE
13 CHRIS SIO
Interchange:
14 KEANU DAWSON
15 JOSEPH VUNA
16 JEROME MAMEA
17 CYRUS TIMO-LATU
18 MATTAIS HEIMULI
COACH | KELVIN WRIGHT
