Issac Luke returns for his first match in a month to start at hooker in the Vodafone Warriors’ crucial 25th-round NRL encounter with Wests Tigers at Mount Smart Stadium today (4.00pm kick-off).
Luke last played in the club’s 20-16 golden point win over Penrith on July 30.
He needed arthroscopic surgery for a knee complaint which was projected to keep out until the final regular season match against Parramatta next Sunday.
However, after missing the outings against Gold Coast, South Sydney and North Queensland he’s back a week earlier for a contest the Vodafone Warriors must win to keep their hopes alive of playing finals football for the first time in five years.
He comes in for Nathaniel Roache, who turned out for the club’s Intrust Super Premiership sider against Penrith today.
The Vodafone Warriors's campaign was rekindled when the eighth-placed Gold Coast (27 points) lost 14-15 to Penrith last night.
The ninth-placed Vodafone Warriors can still make the top eight but will need some help. Their task is to beat the Tigers today, count on North Queensland to topple the Titans next Saturday night and then account for the Eels on Father’s Day.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
4.00pm, Sunday, August 28
Referees: Gerard Sutton and Alan Shortall
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 DAVID FUSITU’A
2 TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
3 BLAKE AYSHFORD
4 SOLOMONE KATA
5 MANU VATUVEI
6 THOMAS LEULUAI
7 SHAUN JOHNSON
8 JACOB LILLYMAN
20 ISSAC LUKE
10 ALBERT VETE
11 BODENE THOMPSON
12 RYAN HOFFMAN (c)
13 SIMON MANNERING
Interchange:
14 ATA HINGANO
15 SAM LISONE
16 BEN MATULINO
17 JAMES GAVET
HEAD COACH | ANDREW McFADDEN
