Confirmed Lineup: Warriors make prop swap

Confirmed Lineup: Prop swap for battle at the Gong

Author: Richard Becht & photosport.nz
Timestamp: Sat 10 May 2025, 04:30 PM

NRL veteran Bunty Afoa will start in the front row for the first time this season in the One New Zealand Warriors’ round 10 game against St George Illawarra at WIN Stadium in Wollongong tonight (5.30pm kick-off local time; 7.30pm NZT).

The 28-year-old, who’ll make his 144th career appearance, has been used off the bench in the last five games with stints of just 15 minutes and 11 minutes against Newcastle and North Queensland in the last two rounds.

Afoa swaps places with Jackson Ford who joins Te Maire Martin, Demitric Sifakula and Jacob Laban on the bench with 20-year-old Eddie Ieremia-Toeava confirmed as 18th man.

A hoped-for return for Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was ruled out when he was among the three players to drop out of the extended squad at the 24-hour deadline last night.

The 31-year-old was named in the reserves on Tuesday as he closed in on a return from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him since the round three win over the Sydney Roosters in March.

Round 10 - Saturday 10th May

Full Time

Dragons

Warriors

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Dragons is number 1 Clinton Gutherson

Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Winger for Dragons is number 2 Tyrell Sloan

Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Centre for Dragons is number 3 Moses Suli

Centre for Warriors is number 3 Adam Pompey
Centre for Dragons is number 4 Valentine Holmes

Centre for Warriors is number 4 Kurt Capewell
Winger for Dragons is number 5 Corey Allan

Winger for Warriors is number 5 Taine Tuaupiki
Five-Eighth for Dragons is number 6 Kyle Flanagan

Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita
Halfback for Dragons is number 7 Lyhkan King-Togia

Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Luke Metcalf

Forwards

Prop for Dragons is number 8 Toby Couchman

Prop for Warriors is number 10 Mitchell Barnett
Hooker for Dragons is number 9 Damien Cook

Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde Egan
Prop for Dragons is number 10 David Klemmer

Prop for Warriors is number 17 Bunty Afoa
2nd Row for Dragons is number 12 Jaydn Su'A

2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Leka Halasima
2nd Row for Dragons is number 16 Luciano Leilua

2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Marata Niukore
Lock for Dragons is number 13 Hamish Stewart

Lock for Warriors is number 13 Erin Clark

Interchange

Interchange for Dragons is number 11 Dylan Egan

Interchange for Warriors is number 8 Jackson Ford
Interchange for Dragons is number 14 Jacob Liddle

Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Jacob Laban
Interchange for Dragons is number 15 Jack De Belin

Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Demitric Vaimauga
Interchange for Dragons is number 17 Loko Pasifiki Tonga

Interchange for Warriors is number 18 Te Maire Martin

Reserves

Replacement for Dragons is number 19 Raymond Faitala-Mariner

Replacement for Warriors is number 23 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava

Match Officials

Referee: Liam Kennedy
Touch Judge: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
Touch Judge: Wyatt Raymond
Senior Review Official: Ashley Klein

Last updated: 01:52 pm Sunday 11th May 2025

Also omitted were hooker Sam Healey – who made his NRL debut as Warrior #291 last week – and prop Tanner Stowers-Smith.

While Tuiavasa-Sheck will have to wait, seasoned winger Dallin Watene-Zeleniak will make his comeback after breaking his wrist in the Preseason Challenge match against Cronulla Sutherland more than 12 weeks ago.

The 29-year-old has been selected in his customary position on the right wing with his stand-in Taine Tuaupiki switched to the left flank.

Webster was forced to make backline adjustments with three outside backs sidelined before and after last Saturday’s pulsating 30-26 win over North Queensland in last weekend’s Magic Round.

Preferred centres Ali Leiataua (ankle) and Rocco Berry (hamstring) are both out for a few weeks.

Leiataua’s injury, picked up in training two days before the Magic Round match, sees him out of action until round 13-14 while Rocco Berry (hamstring) is scheduled to return in round 14-15.

Not only that, back-up winger Edward Kosi is out with a chest injury he picked up early in the match against the Cowboys but courageously played out the full 80 minutes. The extent of the injury is yet to be confirmed.

With Leiataua and Berry both unavailable, second rower Kurt Capewell has been moved to the centres again where he filled in after Berry left the field in the 52nd minute last week; he was also used in the centres in the round seven win over Brisbane.

With Capewell moved, Marata Niukore, who started in the front row against Newcastle and North Queensland, reverts to the second row.

Sitting third on the ladder on 14 points, the Warriors are seeking their seventh win in nine matches this season and their fourth on end but WIN Stadium has proved to be one of their most difficult venues historically with 11 losses there against the Dragons in 13 attempts. However, they have won two of the last three games in Wollongong (18-12 in 2018 and 48-18 in 2023) while losing 12-30 last year.