Nathaniel Roache is the latest player to come off the injury list after being named on the bench for the Vodafone Warriors’ fourth-round Intrust Super Premiership clash against the Illawarra Steelers at WIN Stadium in Wollongong on Saturday (3.00pm kick-off local time; 5.00pm NZT).
The 20-year-old was the club’s NRL rookie of the year last year, making his debut in the opening round of the season and going on to make 11 appearances in an injury-interrupted campaign.
His comeback follows fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and forward Ligi Sao making their returns from long lay-offs in last Saturday’s 36-0 shutout against Wests Tigers, a result which has the Ricky Henry-coached side sitting on top of the ISP ladder. It followed victories over Newcastle (52-24) and Canterbury-Bankstown (36-22).
The Vodafone Junior Warriors were just denied their first win of the season last Saturday when the Bulldogs scored a late converted try to win 24-22.
They had the lead for much of the match only to be pipped with three minutes left.
Two changes have been made to the starting line-up to face the Dragons on Sunday with Dylan Tavita named at halfback and Jerome Mamea at loose forward.
INTRUST SUPER PREMIERSHIP
VODAFONE WARRIORS v ILLAWARRA STEELERS
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
3.00pm, Saturday, March 25
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
2 JUNIOR PAUGA
3 MATT ALLWOOD
4 BLAKE AYSHFORD
5 SEMISI FOTU
6 SAM COOK
7 MASON LINO (c)
8 JAMES GAVET
9 JAZZ TEVAGA
10 PATRICK SIPLEY
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN
12 ISAIAH PAPALI’I
13 JAMES BELL
Interchange:
14 NATHANIEL ROACHE
15 CHRIS SATAE
16 LIGI SAO
17 DANIEL PALAVI
18 PAULOS LATU
20 TEVIN ARONA
COACH | RICKY HENRY
NYC
VODAFONE WARRIORS v ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
UOW Jubilee Oval, Sydney
4.15pm, Sunday, March 26
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 KANE TELEA
2 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
25 MELINO FINEANGANOFO
4 MAT FAITOTOA
5 EDWARD VAEAU-MULITALO
6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
7 DYLAN TAVITA
8 KENESE KENESE (c)
21 CHRIS SIO (c)
10 SOANE HUFANGA
11 JOE VUNA
12 HAVI TUPOUNIUA
13 JEROME MAMEA
Interchange:
9 LIAM HAMPSON
15 ELIJAH SUFIA
16 TROY PULUPAKI
22 NATHAN NEWTON
3 KEANU LAUMATIA-PAKI
14 AUZZIE TUWHANGAI
17 GIBSON POPOALII
20 JORDAN PINNOCK
18 LEE TURNER
23 PRESTON RIKI
COACH | GRANT POCKLINGTON
