Wing Adam Pompey will become Vodafone Warrior No 237 after being called in as a late replacement for tonight’s 18th-round NRL ‘home’ game against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium (8.00pm kick-off).
The Tuakau-raised Pompey, who turned 21 last Sunday, comes into the side after the experienced David Fusitu’a was ruled out with a hamstring injury picked up in the team’s final field session yesterday.
His withdrawal means the Vodafone Warriors go into tonight’s game without both of their senior wings after the NRL’s joint top try-scorer Ken Maumalo was left out last night.
Adam Wetere Moses Pompey – nicknamed ‘Wets’ – trained with the Vodafone Warriors in the off season after being with the Sydney Roosters in 2017 and 2018.
A former Wesley College First XV rugby union star, he appeared in each of the Vodafone Warriors’ NRL trials against Melbourne and the Wests Tigers, scoring a try against the Tigers in Whangarei.
Pompey has appeared 12 times for the Vodafone Warriors in the Canterbury Cup NSW this season, scoring seven tries and averaging more than 142 metres.
While with the Roosters he made 40 appearances for the club’s under-20 side and also made his debut for feeder club Wyong in the then-Intrust Super Premiership last year.
He represented the New Zealand Secondary Schools against New South Wales Combined High Schools in 2015
Making his return to the side tonight replacing Maumalo is veteran Blake Ayshford, who lines up against his former club in his 48th appearance for the Vodafone Warriors and the 170th of his career.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
8.00pm, Friday, July 19, 2019
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Referees: Henry Perenara and Phil Henderson
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (c)
18 ADAM POMPEY
3 PETA HIKU
4 GERARD BEALE
21 BLAKE AYSHFORD
6 KODI NIKORIMA
7 BLAKE GREEN
8 AGNASTIUS PAASI
9 ISSAC LUKE
10 LEESON AH MAU
11 ADAM BLAIR
12 ISAIAH PAPALI’I
13 JAZZ TEVAGA
Interchange:
14 LACHLAN BURR
15 SAM LISONE
16 BUNTY AFOA
17 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
HEAD COACH | STEPHEN KEARNEY
