Front rower Albert Vete has been named to make his return from a long injury lay-off for the Vodafone Warriors’ Intrust Super Premiership week one finals clash against Penrith at UOW Jubilee Oval in Sydney on Sunday (4.00pm kick-off local time; 6.00pm NZT).
Vete had been on the field just 12 minutes when he broke his right arm in the Vodafone Warriors’ 19th-round match against Manly in Perth on July 1.
He’s on the bench for the club’s ISP side in his first match in more than two months, joining three other props in Toafofoa Sipley, Chris Satae and Daniel Palavi.
Also returning is another big front rower Patrick Sipley, who’s back from suspension, while hooker Manaia Cherrington returns after missing last Sunday’s 38-10 win over Wests Tigers.
That victory sealed second spot for the Vodafone Warriors with 34 points after 13 wins, four draws and five losses. They finished four points behind Wyong and one ahead of the Panthers.
When they met in the regular season, the Vodafone Warriors and Penrith drew 26-26 at Pepper Stadium in May while the Panthers scored a 79th-minute try to win 22-19 at Mount Smart Stadium.
INTRUST SUPER PREMIERSHIP
VODAFONE WARRIORS v PENRITH PANTHERS
UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah
4.00pm, Sunday, September 3
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 ZAC SANTO
2 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
3 MATTHEW ALLWOOD
4 JUNIOR PAUGA
5 BURETA FARAIMO
6 SAM COOK
7 MASON LINO (c)
8 PATRICK SIPLEY
9 MANAIA CHERRINGTON
10 LIGI SAO
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN
12 JAMES BELL
13 KING VUNIYAYAWA
Interchange:
14 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
15 CHRIS SATAE
16 ALBERT VETE
17 DANIEL PALAVI
18 SEMISI FOTU
COACH | RICKY HENRY
NYC
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS
Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
4.15pm, Sunday, September 3
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 LEE TURNER
2 ISRAEL OGDEN
3 GIBSON POPOALII
4 KANE TELEA
5 KAYAL IRO
6 PAUL TURNER
7 MELINO FINEANGANOFO
8 CHRIS SIO (c)
9 EIDEN ACKLAND
10 KENESE KENESE (c)
11 JEROME MAMEA
12 HAVI TUPOUNIUA
13 JOE VUNA
Interchange:
14 KELEPI LUI
15 TAYHLER PAORA
16 TROY PULUPAKI
17 SHELDON ROGERS
18 DYLAN TAVITA
20 DONOVAN BRIGGS
21 PRESTON RIKI
22 DEAN KOUKA-SMITH
23 EDWARD VAEAU-MULITALO
24 ELIJAH SUFIA
COACH | GRANT POCKLINGTON
