Rd 6 Team List: Martin and Johnson back in harness in halves
Te Maire Martin and Shaun Johnson have been reunited in the halves but second rower Marata Niukore is out for the One New Zealand Warriors’ sixth-round NRL clash against Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday (6.15pm kick-off local time; 8.15pm NZT).
Martin replaces Ronald Volkman after concussion protocols ruled him out of last Sunday’s dramatic 32-20 victory over Cronulla-Sutherland while Niukore is suspended for the next two matches following an early guilty plea on a dangerous contact charge.
Niukore, who scored his first try for the club on Sunday, is replaced by Bayley Sironen with captain Tohu Harris named in the hope he will recover from the knee injury which ruled him out of the encounter with the Sharks.
Josh Curran, who made a telling late impact against Cronulla, is on the interchange after being a late replacement for Harris last weekend.
In another feature highly-experienced Kiwi winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is included on the extended bench as he returns from the calf injury which side-lined him following the club’s second trial against Melbourne in Christchurch in February.
Match: Knights v Warriors
Round 6 -
home Team
Knights
away Team
Warriors
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Knights is number 1 Lachlan MillerFullback for Warriors is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
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Winger for Knights is number 2 Dominic YoungWinger for Warriors is number 2 Edward Kosi
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Centre for Knights is number 3 Dane GagaiCentre for Warriors is number 3 Viliami Vailea
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Centre for Knights is number 4 Bradman BestCentre for Warriors is number 4 Adam Pompey
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Winger for Knights is number 5 Greg MarzhewWinger for Warriors is number 5 Marcelo Montoya
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Five-Eighth for Knights is number 6 Phoenix CrosslandFive-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Te Maire Martin
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Halfback for Knights is number 7 Jackson HastingsHalfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun Johnson
Forwards
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Prop for Knights is number 8 Daniel SaifitiProp for Warriors is number 8 Addin Fonua-Blake
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Hooker for Knights is number 9 Jayden BraileyHooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde Egan
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Prop for Knights is number 10 Leo ThompsonProp for Warriors is number 10 Bunty Afoa
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2nd Row for Knights is number 11 Tyson Frizell2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Jackson Ford
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2nd Row for Knights is number 12 Lachlan Fitzgibbon2nd Row for Warriors is number 15 Josh Curran
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Lock for Knights is number 16 Mat CrokerLock for Warriors is number 16 Jazz Tevaga
Interchange
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Interchange for Knights is number 13 Jack JohnsInterchange for Warriors is number 12 Bayley Sironen
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Interchange for Knights is number 14 Kurt MannInterchange for Warriors is number 14 Dylan Walker
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Interchange for Knights is number 15 Jack HetheringtonInterchange for Warriors is number 17 Tom Ale
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Interchange for Knights is number 17 Brodie JonesInterchange for Warriors is number 20 Taine Tuaupiki
Reserves
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Replacement for Knights is number 19 Dylan LucasReplacement for Warriors is number 23 Demitric Sifakula
Match Officials
- Referee: Liam Kennedy
- Touch Judge: Drew Oultram
- Senior Review Official: Adam Gee
Last updated:
A significant points-scoring milestone is within reach of player of the moment Johnson this weekend.
After picking up 16 points against the Sharks, he's on 997 points for the One New Zealand Warriors needing just three more to become the first player in history to reach the 1000-point mark for the club.
Johnson nailed the maximum six Dally M points as he orchestrated arguably the most astonishing comeback in the club’s history after being 0-20 behind just 18 minutes into the contest.
It wasn’t the biggest. That belongs to the 2021 side which came back from 21 points down (10-31) after 51 minutes to beat the Raiders 34-31 in Canberra.
The effort against the Sharks equalled the margin in another unforgettable fightback in 2005 when the Warriors also recovered from a 0-20 deficit to win 30-26 in Newcastle.
The One New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle meet for the second time in the opening six weeks of the season on Sunday.
The Andrew Webster-coached side launched their campaign with a solid 20-12 home win over the Knights at Sky Stadium in Wellington on March 3.
Sunday’s win over the Sharks boosted them to a 4-1 record, a start bettered only by the 2018 side’s 5-0 effort. It leaves them sitting second on the ladder, matching the 2018 team’s position at the same stage.
The Knights have gone on to produce wins over the Wests Tigers and Canberra plus an extra-time 32-32 draw with Manly Warringah last week.
