The Vodafone Warriors are set to field a reshuffled spine in their eighth-round Intrust Super Premiership clash against the North Sydney Bears at North Sydney Oval on Sunday (3.00pm kick-off local time; 5.00pm NZT).
Ata Hingano is named in the halves alongside captain Mason Lino with Sam Cook, who was at standoff in Saturday’s 30-30 draw with the Mounties, switched to hooker.
That, in turn, sees Jazz Tevaga moving out of the dummy half role to start at loose forward with James Bell still on the injured list.
Again named to start in the second row is NRL forward Bunty Afoa. He was listed in the side last week but stayed with the first-grade squad in Canberra.
The Vodafone Warriors remain unbeaten and are still on top of the table despite dropping their first point of the season in their draw with the Mounties. They had led the contest from the get-go and were 30-24 ahead in the dying stages when the home side stole a late converted try.
The Vodafone Warriors face another top four side on Sunday although the Bears fell to a heavy 6-34 loss to Wyong last weekend.
In the NYC, the Vodafone Junior Warriors are also in action on Sunday taking on Melbourne on the Sunshine Coast (2.45pm kick-off local time; 4.45pn NZT).
They were again in contention for what would have been their first win of the season only to concede two late tries which enabled Canberra to prevail 18-16.
The Storm are seventh on the ladder with a 4-3 win-loss record.
INTRUST SUPER PREMIERSHIP
VODAFONE WARRIORS v NORTH SYDNEY
North Sydney Oval, Sydney
3.00pm, Sunday, April 23
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
2 JUNIOR PAUGA
3 MATT ALLWOOD
4 SEMISI FOTU
5 TUIMOALA LOLOHEA
6 MAFOA’AEATA HINGANO
7 MASON LINO (c)
8 PATRICK SIPLEY
9 SAM COOK
10 ALBERT VETE
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN
12 BUNTY AFOA
13 JAZZ TEVAGA
Interchange:
14 DANIEL PALAVI
15 CHRIS SATAE
16 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
17 PAULOS LATU
COACH | RICKY HENRY
NYC
VODAFONE WARRIORS v MELBOURNE STORM
Sunshine Coast Stadium, Kawana Waters
2.45pm, Sunday, April 23
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 LEE TURNER
2 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
3 MELINO FINEANGANOFO
4 KANE TELEA
5 MATHEW FAITOTOA
6 PAUL TURNER
7 CHANEL TAVITA-HARRIS
8 KENESE KENESE
20 ERIN CLARK
10 CHRIS SIO
11 JEROME MAMEA
12 JOE VUNA
13 ISAIAH PAPALI’I (c)
Interchange:
9 EIDEN ACKLAND
15 JORDAN PINNOCK
16 TROY PULUPAKI
17 SHANE HANNAM
18 TAYHLER PAORA
14 DYLAN TAVITA
21 EDWARD VAEAU-MULITALO
22 AUZZIE TUWHANGAI
23 SOANE HUFANGA
24 JAVVIER PITOVAO
COACH | GRANT POCKLINGTON
