Finals Team List: One New Zealand Warriors unchanged

Finals Team List: Unchanged for preliminary final

Author: Richard Becht & photosport.nz
Timestamp: Tue 19 Sep 2023, 03:59 PM

An unchanged side has been named for the One New Zealand Warriors’ NRL preliminary final against the Brisbane Broncos at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night (7.50pm kick-off local time; 9.50pm NZT).

Head coach Andrew Webster today declared the 17 players used against Newcastle in last Saturday night’s impressive semifinal win are all fit for the club’s biggest match since 2011.

He said Shaun Johnson was showing no ill effects following his outstanding return from a calf injury in the 40-10 dismantling of the Knights.

Only on the extended bench has Webster made a change with rookie centre Ali Leiataua included for middle forward Tom Ale.

The One New Zealand Warriors are in a preliminary final for the fifth time in the club’s history, 12 years after their last in 2011 when they beat Melbourne 20-12 to reach the grand final for the second time.

In their previous grand final qualifiers they beat Cronulla Sutherland 16-10 to reach the 2002 grand final, lost to eventual premiers the Penrith Panthers 20-28 in 2003 and 6-32 to Manly Warringah in 2008 before the Sea Eagles trounced Melbourne 40-0 in the grand final.

Finals Week 3 - Finals Week 3 - Saturday 23 Sep

Full Time

Broncos

Warriors

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Broncos is number 1 Reece Walsh

Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Winger for Broncos is number 2 Jesse Arthars

Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Centre for Broncos is number 3 Kotoni Staggs

Centre for Warriors is number 3 Rocco Berry
Centre for Broncos is number 4 Herbie Farnworth

Centre for Warriors is number 4 Adam Pompey
Winger for Broncos is number 5 Selwyn Cobbo

Winger for Warriors is number 5 Marcelo Montoya
Five-Eighth for Broncos is number 6 Ezra Mam

Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Te Maire Martin
Halfback for Broncos is number 7 Adam Reynolds

Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun Johnson

Forwards

Prop for Broncos is number 8 Thomas Flegler

Prop for Warriors is number 8 Addin Fonua-Blake
Hooker for Broncos is number 9 Billy Walters

Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde Egan
Prop for Broncos is number 10 Payne Haas

Prop for Warriors is number 10 Mitchell Barnett
2nd Row for Broncos is number 11 Kurt Capewell

2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Jackson Ford
2nd Row for Broncos is number 12 Jordan Riki

2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Marata Niukore
Lock for Broncos is number 13 Patrick Carrigan

Lock for Warriors is number 13 Tohu Harris

Interchange

Interchange for Broncos is number 14 Tyson Smoothy

Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Dylan Walker
Interchange for Broncos is number 15 Brendan Piakura

Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Jazz Tevaga
Interchange for Broncos is number 16 Kobe Hetherington

Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Bayley Sironen
Interchange for Broncos is number 17 Keenan Palasia

Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Josh Curran

Reserves

Replacement for Broncos is number 18 Corey Oates

Replacement for Warriors is number 20 Taine Tuaupiki

Match Officials

Referee: Gerard Sutton
Touch Judge: Phil Henderson
Touch Judge: Drew Oultram
Senior Review Official: Ashley Klein

Last updated: 12/8/2023 1:10:37 AM

In a season in which the One New Zealand Warriors have won 17 matches so far, it’s a mark of the team’s progress that three of their players were today named in the Players’ Dream Team. In a team voted on by their peers, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who has scored 22 tries in 19 appearances, was named on the wing, Johnson at halfback and Addin Fonua-Blake in the front row.

This will be the One New Zealand Warriors’ 21st finals match since they first reached the NRL play-offs in 2001.

It will be only the second time they’ve met the Broncos in a play-off, the last being in week one of the 2011 series when they went down 10-40 at Suncorp Stadium before beating Wests Tigers and the Storm to reach the grand final.

It will be the 48th time the two club’s have met more than 28 years after kicking off their rivalry in the Warriors’ debut appearance in the opening match of the 1995 season. The ledger shows 20 wins to the One New Zealand Warriors, 26 to Brisbane and an 18-18 draw at Suncorp Stadium in 2019.

When the teams met for the only time in the 2023 regular season in Napier on May 27, the One New Zealand Warriors were edged out 22-26 after staging a dramatic comeback.

The Broncos were without their Origin players that night while the Warriors were missing hooker Wayde Egan, standoff Te Maire Martin and first-choice forwards Mitchell Barnett, Dylan Walker and Jazz Tevaga.