Anthony Gelling will make his NRL debut and halfback Mason Lino returns to first-grade football for the Vodafone Warriors’ fourth-round match against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium today (5.30pm kick-off local time; 7.30pm NZT).
Ex-Wigan centre Gelling (27), a Howick Hornets junior, becomes Vodafone Warrior #221 joining Jazz Tevaga, Ligi Sao and Chris Satae on the interchange.
Gelling made his Intrust Super Premiership debut for the club against Penrith last week. He clocked up a game-high 195 metres from 18 runs including five tackle breaks and two off loads.
A Cook Islands international, Gelling previously played for the Vodafone Warriors’ feeder side the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup, including the 2011 grand final loss to Canterbury-Bankstown.
He was then picked up by the Wigan Warriors, scoring 52 tries in 114 games before he was signed by the Vodafone Warriors on a one-year deal in January.
Lino makes his 10th NRL appearance, replacing halfback Shaun Johnson who has been ruled out with an injury he picked up in training during the week. Lino had six NRL games at the end of last season when Johnson was injured and played three times in 2015.
Bunty Afoa, impressive from the interchange bench in the season-opening wins against South Sydney, Gold Coast and Canberra, starts at prop replacing James Gavet. Gavet was forced out after being injured in the team’s final training session in Auckland before flying to Sydney yesterday.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
5.30pm, Saturday, March 31, 2018
Referees: Henry Perenara and Ashley Klein
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (c)
2 DAVID FUSITU’A
3 PETA HIKU
4 SOLOMONE KATA
5 KEN MAUMALO
6 BLAKE GREEN
18 MASON LINO
17 BUNTY AFOA
9 ISSAC LUKE
10 AGNATIUS PAASI
11 LEIVAHA PULU
12 TOHU HARRIS
13 ADAM BLAIR
Interchange:
14 JAZZ TEVAGA
15 LIGI SAO
16 CHRIS SATAE
20 ANTHONY GELLING
HEAD COACH | STEPHEN KEARNEY
