NYC regulars Bunty Afoa and Ofahiki Ogden have both been promoted to play for the Vodafone Warriors’ Intrust Super Premiership side in Saturday’s 15th-round encounter with the Newtown Jets at Henson Park in Sydney (3.00pm kick-off local time; 5.00pm NZT).
Front rower Afoa and second rower Ogden, both with more than 50 NYC appearances, have been named to start for the Stacey Jones-coached table-topping side.
Afoa comes in for Sipley, who has been promoted to the NRL side, while Ogden joins established back rowers Shaun Lane and John Palavi.
Afoa made a one-off debut appearance in the grade last season while this will be Ogden’s first ISP outing.
Back in the side is prop James Gavet who missed the Newcastle match with a knee injury.
The Vodafone Warriors will be aiming for an eighth straight win but the Jets are also in great form, running third in the competition after trouncing Wentworthville 54-6.
In the NYC, the Vodafone Junior Warriors will have another debutant in their side with Otahuhu Leopards junior Alfred Smalley named to start in the centres. With Ogden promoted to the ISP, the experienced Marata Niukore switches from the centres to the second row while Mattais Heimuli is named to replace Afoa.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v NEWTOWN JETS
Henson Park, Sydney
3.00pm, Saturday, June 18
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 HENARE WELLS
2 TOMAS AOAKE
3 MATTHEW ALLWOOD
4 JONATHAN WRIGHT
5 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
6 ATA HINGANO
7 JEFF ROBSON
8 JAMES GAVET
9 JAZZ TEVAGA
10 BUNTY AFOA
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN
12 SHAUN LANE
13 JOHN PALAVI (c)
Interchange:
14 MASON LINO
15 UPU POCHING
16 ALI LAUITIITI
17 JAMES BELL
18 PATRICK SIPLEY
COACH | STACEY JONES
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
3.45pm, Sunday, June 19
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 KANE TELEA
2 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
3 JUNIOR PAUGA
4 ALFRED SMALLEY
5 MATT FAITOTOA
6 ERIN CLARK
7 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
8 KENESE KENESE
9 SHELDON PITAMA (c)
10 MATTAIS HEIMULI
11 MARATA NIUKORE
12 JOSEPH PRICE
13 CHRIS SIO
Interchange:
14 TYLER MOHI
15 JEROME MAMEA
16 JOSEPH VUNA
17 CYRUS TIMO-LATU
COACH | KELVIN WRIGHT
BUY TICKETS NOW | VODAFONE WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS, MOUNT SMART STADIUM, JUNE 19 (6.10PM)
