Rd 21 Team List: Changes to pack as Bunty Afoa and Marata Niukore return

Rd 21 Team List: Pack changes as Afoa and Niukore return

Author: Richard Becht & photosport.nz
Timestamp: Tue 18 Jul 2023, 03:59 PM

Second rower Marata Niukore and prop Bunty Afoa are back on deck for the One New Zealand Warriors’ 21st-round NRL match against the Canberra Raiders at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart on Friday night (8.00pm kick-off).

Niukore rejoins Jackson Ford in the second row after missing the last three games through suspension while Afoa is named as a starting prop again in his return from one week off following NRL concussion protocols.

The inclusion of the pair results in Mitchell Barnett and Tom Ale, both starters against the Sharks last Sunday, being moved back to the interchange with second rower Josh Curran and utility forward Bayley Sironen going onto the extended bench.

Ford, having a breakout season, starts for the 17th time this year in what will be the 50th match of his NRL career.

He arrived at the club with 33 games for St George Illawarra Dragons spread over four seasons including just five last year. After being used predominantly as an interchange player by the Dragons, Jackson has been a starting second rower every game he has played this year averaging 105 metres and 35 tackles a game with three tries, six line breaks and 38 tackle breaks and also playing 80 minutes 11 times.

While head coach Andrew Webster has again made changes to the pack, he has an unchanged backline for the fifth match on end.

Round 21 - Round 21 - Friday 21 Jul

Full Time

Warriors

Raiders

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad

Fullback for Raiders is number 1 Sebastian Kris
Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak

Winger for Raiders is number 2 Albert Hopoate
Centre for Warriors is number 3 Rocco Berry

Centre for Raiders is number 3 Jarrod Croker
Centre for Warriors is number 4 Adam Pompey

Centre for Raiders is number 4 Matthew Timoko
Winger for Warriors is number 5 Marcelo Montoya

Winger for Raiders is number 5 Jordan Rapana
Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Luke Metcalf

Five-Eighth for Raiders is number 6 Jack Wighton
Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun Johnson

Halfback for Raiders is number 7 Jamal Fogarty

Forwards

Prop for Warriors is number 8 Addin Fonua-Blake

Prop for Raiders is number 8 Josh Papali'i
Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde Egan

Hooker for Raiders is number 9 Zac Woolford
Prop for Warriors is number 15 Mitchell Barnett

Prop for Raiders is number 10 Joseph Tapine
2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Jackson Ford

2nd Row for Raiders is number 11 Hudson Young
2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Marata Niukore

2nd Row for Raiders is number 12 Elliott Whitehead
Lock for Warriors is number 13 Tohu Harris

Lock for Raiders is number 13 Corey Horsburgh

Interchange

Interchange for Warriors is number 10 Bunty Afoa

Interchange for Raiders is number 14 Tom Starling
Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Dylan Walker

Interchange for Raiders is number 15 Emre Guler
Interchange for Warriors is number 18 Bayley Sironen

Interchange for Raiders is number 16 Pasami Saulo
Interchange for Warriors is number 20 Josh Curran

Interchange for Raiders is number 17 Ata Mariota

Reserves

Replacement for Warriors is number 17 Freddy Lussick

Replacement for Raiders is number 18 Matt Frawley

Match Officials

Referee: Todd Smith
Touch Judge: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
Touch Judge: Drew Oultram
Senior Review Official: Matt Noyen

Last updated: 12/8/2023 1:10:43 AM

Winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak collected another double ln Sunday’s 44-12 trouncing of Cronulla Sutherland to leave him fifth on the competition’s try-scoring list with 15 in 12 games, 13 of them in his last eight appearances.

With 40-plus points scored in their last three wins over St George Illawarra (48-18), Parramatta (46-10) and Cronulla Sutherland (44-12), the One New Zealand Warriors have boosted their points for and against differential to plus 110. After winning five of their first 10 matches, the Warriors have triumphed in five of their last seven.

Their 11-7 record has them in fifth spot on 26 points two behind the fourth-placed Raiders who had their third and final bye last weekend.

The Canberra encounter will be the first of three Friday night fixtures to finish the One New Zealand Warriors’ regular season home campaign with Manly Warringah to follow in round 25 (the Daniel Anderson Round) on August 18 and St George Illawarra in round 26 on August 25.

Tickets are again moving quickly with the sixth consecutive 20,000-plus crowd in store in the club’s best-supported season at home since the debut year in 1995.

The biggest home crowd of the campaign – 24,012 – was in attendance for the Warriors’ stunning win over Cronulla Sutherland last Sunday pushing the aggregate for the six games at Go Media Stadium so far to 132,995 (an average crowd of 22,165 a game).