New signing Wayde Egan has been named to make his club debut in the first 2020 NRL trial against the Storm at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North on Saturday (5.00pm kick-off).
The 22-year-old hooker, who made 29 NRL appearances for Penrith in 2018 and 2019, will also be having his first outing since recovering from shoulder surgery last year.
Egan is one of 10 players with NRL experience named by head coach Stephen Kearney for the Vodafone Warriors’ first trial in the Manawatu in the last there years.
Tonga international David Fusitu’a is the most experienced player named. Needing four more appearances to reach his 100-game milestone, Fusitu’a, the NRL’s top try scorer in 2018, is included along with four 2019 NRL rookies in centre-winger Patrick Herbert, utility Hayze Perham and halves Chanel Harris-Tavita and Adam Keighran. Perham, Tavita-Harris and Keighran all back up after being involved in the Perth NRL Nines last weekend.
Other NRL players named are prop Sam Lisone, middle forward Lachlan Burr, second rower Taane Milne and interchange forward Leivaha Pulu.
The two other players in the starting backline – fullback Rocco Berry and winger Edward Kosi – were also at the Nines. Other Nines players selected are Lisone and Milne plus Temple Kalepo, Jackson Frei, Paul Turner, Selestino Ravutaumada and Pulu.
Apart from Berry, Kosi, Kalepo, Ravutaumada and Turner, Kearney has called on a number of the club’s other highly promising young players in Phillip Makatoa, Tom Ale, Eliesa Katoa, Israel Ogden, Tyler Slade and Isaiah Vagana.
The Vodafone Warriors arrive in Palmerston North on Thursday when they’ll have a pool recovery session before their final field session at Central Energy Trust Arena at 10.00am on Friday. The session is open to the public to attend and will be followed by a signing opportunity.
When the Vodafone Warriors last played a trial in Palmerston North in 2017 they beat the Gold Coast Titans 26-6.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v MELBOURNE STORM
5pm, Saturday, February 22, 2020 @ Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North
| 1 | Rocco Berry |
| 2 | Patrick Herbert |
| 3 | Hayze Perham |
| 4 | David Fusitu’a |
| 5 | Edward Kosi |
| 6 | Chanel Harris-Tavita |
| 7 | Adam Keighran |
| 8 | Phillip Makatoa |
| 9 | Wayde Egan |
| 10 | Sam Lisone |
| 11 | Taane Milne |
| 12 | Eliesa Katoa |
| 13 | Lachlan Burr |
| Interchange | |
| 14 | Temple Kalepo |
| 15 | Jackson Frei |
| 16 | Adam Tuimavave-Gerrard |
| 17 | Paul Turner |
| 18 | Selestino Ravutaumada |
| 20 | Israel Ogden |
| 21 | Tom Ale |
| 22 | Setu Tu |
| 24 | Tyler Slade |
| 25 | Preston Riki |
| 26 | Isaiah Vagana |
| 27 | King Vuniyayawa |
| 28 | Leivaha Pulu |
