Injuries and NRL requirements have again impacted on the Vodafone Warriors’ Intrust Super Premiership side for Saturday’s 16th-round encounter with the North Sydney Bears at Mount Smart Stadium #2 (1.00pm kick-off).
Coach Stacey Jones has lost regular fullback Henare Wells, sidelined for two-four weeks with a shoulder injury while forward Ligi Sao is out for the same length of time with a patella injury.
As well as that standoff Ata Hingano and prop Toafofoa Sipley are on an extended bench for the Vodafone Warriors’ NRL side to face Cronulla.
While they’re absent the experienced centre Jonathan Wright is named after being on standby for the NRL team last weekend and captain John Palavi returns from injury.
They bolster a side which fell to a disappointing 6-38 loss to Newtown last Saturday, ending a run of seven straight wins. It will also be a welcome return home after back-to-back away games.
With Palavi back, Marata Niukore returns to the Vodafone Junior Warriors who put together their best effort of the season beating the Sydney Roosters 40-20 last Sunday.
Eiden Ackland, a late replacement, produced a stunning hat-trick against the Roosters in just his third NYC outing. He again partners Chanel Harris-Tavita in a young but exciting halves pairing.
After toppling the higher-ranked Roosters last week, the Vodafone Junior Warriors are in for another challenge taking on a Cronulla side running fifth on the NYC table.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v NORTH SYDNEY
Mount Smart Stadium #2, Auckland
1.00pm, Saturday, June 25
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 TOMAS AOAKE
2 VILIAMI KAVEINGA
3 MATTHEW ALLWOOD
4 JONATHAN WRIGHT
5 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
6 MASON LINO
7 JEFF ROBSON
8 JAMES GAVET
9 JAZZ TEVAGA
10 BUNTY AFOA
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN
12 SHAUN LANE
13 JOHN PALAVI (c)
Interchange:
14 JAMES BELL
15 UPU POCHING
16 ALI LAUITIITI
17 PATRICK SIPLEY
COACH | STACEY JONES
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v CRONULLA SHARKS
Southern Cross Group Stadium, Cronulla
3.15pm, Saturday, June 25
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 KANE TELEA
2 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
3 JUNIOR PAUGA
4 ALFRED SMALLEY
5 MATT FAITOTOA
6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
7 EIDEN ACKLAND
8 KENESE KENESE
9 SHELDON PITAMA (c)
10 CHRIS SIO
11 MARATA NIUKORE
12 JOSEPH PRICE
13 ERIN CLARK
Interchange:
14 TYLER MOHI
15 JEROME MAMEA
16 JOSEPH VUNA
17 CYRUS TIMO-LATU
21 MATTAIS HEIMULI
COACH | KELVIN WRIGHT