Confirmed Line-up: Warriors taking field as selected

Author: Richard Becht & photosport.nz
Timestamp: Tue 25 Apr 2023, 06:00 PM

The One New Zealand Warriors will line up 1-17 for just the third time this season when they face traditional rivals the Storm in tonight’s Anzac Day clash at a sold-out AAMI Stadium in Melbourne (7.00pm kick-off local time; 9.00pm NZT).

Centre Viliami Vailea has been confirmed as 18th man with young back rower Demitric Sifakula the 19th player.

The three players omitted from the extended bench at the 24-hour cut-off last night were fullback Taine Tuaupiki, halfback Ronald Volkman and prop Zyon Maiu’u who all played for the NSW Cup team on Sunday along with Vailea and Sifakula.

The One New Zealand Warriors have welcomed back second rower Marata Niukore from a two-game suspension for the Anzac Day contest but are without hooker Wayde Egan who is sitting out another week after being concussed in the loss to Newcastle on April 9.

It means the inbound Niukore is the only change to the 17 players used in the gritty 22-14 win over the Cowboys in front of a sold-out Mount Smart Stadium nine days ago.

His returns results in Josh Curran moving to the interchange along with Bayley Sironen, Bunty Afoa and Tom Ale.

Round 8 - Round 8 - Tuesday 25 Apr

Full Time

Storm

Warriors

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Storm is number 1 Nick Meaney

Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Winger for Storm is number 2 Will Warbrick

Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Centre for Storm is number 3 Reimis Smith

Centre for Warriors is number 3 Marcelo Montoya
Centre for Storm is number 4 Justin Olam

Centre for Warriors is number 4 Adam Pompey
Winger for Storm is number 5 Xavier Coates

Winger for Warriors is number 5 Edward Kosi
Five-Eighth for Storm is number 6 Cameron Munster

Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Dylan Walker
Halfback for Storm is number 7 Jahrome Hughes

Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun Johnson

Forwards

Prop for Storm is number 10 Christian Welch

Prop for Warriors is number 8 Addin Fonua-Blake
Hooker for Storm is number 9 Harry Grant

Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Freddy Lussick
Prop for Storm is number 17 Tariq Sims

Prop for Warriors is number 10 Jazz Tevaga
2nd Row for Storm is number 11 Trent Loiero

2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Jackson Ford
2nd Row for Storm is number 12 Eliesa Katoa

2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Marata Niukore
Lock for Storm is number 13 Josh King

Lock for Warriors is number 13 Tohu Harris

Interchange

Interchange for Storm is number 8 Nelson Asofa-Solomona

Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Bayley Sironen
Interchange for Storm is number 14 Bronson Garlick

Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Josh Curran
Interchange for Storm is number 19 Aaron Pene

Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Bunty Afoa
Interchange for Storm is number 20 Tyran Wishart

Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Tom Ale

Reserves

Replacement for Storm is number 18 Grant Anderson

Replacement for Warriors is number 18 Viliami Vailea

Match Officials

Referee: Grant Atkins
Touch Judge: Belinda Sharpe
Touch Judge: Peter Gough
Senior Review Official: Ben Cummins

Last updated: 12/8/2023 1:10:51 AM

After being revealed as a late change to face the Cowboys, Marcelo Montoya – playing his 98th career match this week – is locked in as a centres partner to Adam Pompey with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak on the right wing.

On a night when the One New Zealand Warriors had just 44 per cent possession against the Cowboys, the back five again made a telling contribution, fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad with 181 metres from 19 runs, Watene-Zelezniak (156 from 14) and Montoya (136 from 13) topped 100 metres while winger Edward Kosi (95 from 11) and Pompey (94 from six) weren’t far off.

The defence improved exponentially from the games against the Sharks and the Knights. In those two matches the One New Zealand Warriors missed a combined total of more than 60 tackles but against the Cowboys the missed tackles column was down to a season-best 17.

Sitting third on the ladder on 10 points at the start if the round, the One New Zealand Warriors’ 5-2 start to the season has been bettered only once in the club’s history (6-1 in 2018).

Now they face what has been a daunting assignment more often than not against the Storm, especially on Anzac Day.

At stake as always in encounters between the two clubs is the Michael Moore Trophy, a prize the Storm has held for the last 13 matches dating back to the One New Zealand Warriors’ last success (28-14) at Mount Smart in 2015.

The club’s last Anzac Day win was a 16-10 result in 2014 with the Storm prevailing in the last seven April 25 contests.