The Vodafone Warriors will have a potent presence on Queensland rugby league’s grand final day at Moreton Daily Stadium on Saturday.
A total of 14 players from the Vodafone Warriors’ wider squad have been named by feeder club Redcliffe in the Hostplus Cup and Hastings Deering Colts squads for the premiership deciders at the ground that has been home for the Vodafone Warriors in 2022.
The Dolphins will meet defending premiers the Norths Devils in the Hostplus Cup grand final after eliminating minor premiers the Burleigh Bears 28-16 last weekend.
The five Vodafone Warriors who lined up for that victory have all been named again – centre Rocco Berry (15 NRL games), halfback Daejarn Asi (18 NRL games), prop Dunamis Lui (173 NRL games), loose forward Pride Petterson-Robati and interchange middle forward Jackson Frei (3 NRL games). Listed on the extended bench is prop Garrett Smith who trained with the Vodafone Warriors in the preseason and made a try-scoring appearance in their 30-18 trial win over Melbourne in February.
Another Vodafone Warriors train and trial player winger Jayden Corrigan is named on the Norths Devils’ extended bench. He also appeared in the preseason trial against the Storm.
Captaining the Dolphins is former Vodafone Junior Warriors skipper and hooker Sheldon Pitama while former Vodafone Warriors New South Wales Cup winger Setu Tu is also in the line-up.
There’s another New Zealand connection in the centres in former Waikato rugby union winger Valynce Te Whare, who has scored 12 tries in 13 matches for Redcliffe this season while averaging 148 metres a game with more than 80 tackle breaks.
Fullback Trai Fuller and props Lachlan Timm and Nathan Watts have also been involved in preseason training with the Vodafone Warriors over the past two years.
Lining up for the Devils are former Vodafone Warriors forward Leivaha Pulu and ex-Vodafone Junior Warriors captain Michael Sio.
A total of eight players from the Vodafone Warriors’ 2022 squad have been selected in Redcliffe’s extended squad for the Hastings Deering Colts grand final against the Townsville Blackhawks.
The Dolphins, beaten by Townsville in week one of the finals, reached the decider with a 50-30 win over the Capras last week.
Elite development players Ali Leiataua (centre), Jacob Laban (second row) and Demitric Sifakula (prop) are named in the starting line-up along with front rower Otukinekina Kepu and NRL hooker Taniela Otukolo; Kepu, Otukolo and Sifakula providing an all-Vodafone Warriors starting front row.
Named on the interchange is prop Valingi Kepu while Zyon Maiuu, also a Vodafone Warriors development player, is on the extended bench along with fellow prop Lleyton Finau.
