For the second week running, the One New Zealand Warriors are on track to use an unchanged 17 when they host the Eels in their final regular season home game at Go Media Stadium tomorrow night (8.00pm kick-off; match day sponsor: One New Zealand).
The sold-out round 26 fixture is also the stage for the Warriors’ annual old boys’ reunion with a large of contingent of former players in attendance as the 2025 team seeks to firm up its place in the top four in the second to last round of the campaign.
At the 24-hour pre-game deadline, the two players retained in the 19-man game day squad are hooker Sam Healey and back rower Kalani Going.
The three players omitted from the initial 22 selected are fullback Taine Tuaupiki, prop Bunty Afoa and winger Edward Kosi.
Head coach Andrew Webster selected the same 17 used in last Saturday night’s convincing 32-18 win over the Gold Coast Titans.
Match: Warriors v Eels
Round 26 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Eels
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-KlokstadFullback for Eels is number 1 Isaiah Iongi
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Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-ZelezniakWinger for Eels is number 2 Zac Lomax
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Centre for Warriors is number 3 Adam PompeyCentre for Eels is number 3 Will Penisini
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Centre for Warriors is number 4 Rocco BerryCentre for Eels is number 18 Sean Russell
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Winger for Warriors is number 5 Roger Tuivasa-SheckWinger for Eels is number 5 Josh Addo-Carr
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Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Chanel Harris-TavitaFive-Eighth for Eels is number 6 Joash Papalii
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Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Tanah BoydHalfback for Eels is number 7 Mitchell Moses
Forwards
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Prop for Warriors is number 8 James Fisher-HarrisProp for Eels is number 8 J'maine Hopgood
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Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde EganHooker for Eels is number 9 Ryley Smith
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Prop for Warriors is number 16 Tanner Stowers-SmithProp for Eels is number 10 Junior Paulo
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Kurt Capewell2nd Row for Eels is number 11 Kelma Tuilagi
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Marata Niukore2nd Row for Eels is number 12 Jack Williams
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Lock for Warriors is number 13 Erin ClarkLock for Eels is number 13 Dylan Walker
Interchange
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Interchange for Warriors is number 10 Demitric VaimaugaInterchange for Eels is number 14 Tallyn Da Silva
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Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Te Maire MartinInterchange for Eels is number 15 Matt Doorey
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Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Eddie Ieremia-ToeavaInterchange for Eels is number 16 Charlie Guymer
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Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Leka HalasimaInterchange for Eels is number 17 Jordan Samrani
Reserves
-
Replacement for Warriors is number 20 Samuel HealeyReplacement for Eels is number 21 Toni Mataele
Match Officials
- Referee: Peter Gough
- Senior Review Official: Chris Butler
Last updated:
As was the case last week 21-year-old Demitric Vaimauga has been named to start in the front row although he was ultimately switched to the interchange with 2025 rookie prop Tanner Stowers-Smith having his first run-on appearance after being used off the bench in his first nine outings.
The Warriors go into the match back in fourth spot after their victory in Robina saw them climb above the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks. It means the club has now been in the top four – running as high as second – for 19 rounds so far.
Friday night’s match will be hooker Wayde Egan’s 149th career appearance leaving him in line to reach his 150-game milestone in the final regular season clash against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in Sydney on Friday week.
Adam Pompey, Marata Niukore, Leka Halasima and Erin Clark haven’t missed a game all season as they eye their 23rd consecutive appearances. More than that, the 27-year-old Pompey has been on the field every single minute of the 1762 minutes the Warriors have played so far.
With three tries in the back-to-back wins over the Dragons and Titans, Pompey is level with Halasima as the team’s second equal highest try scorer, one behind Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who has 11 after his double last week. It’s comfortably a career-best try-scoring return for the 116-game campaigner Pompey with his previous best being five in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
The Warriors face a Parramatta side coming off an impressive 30-10 win over top eight hopefuls the Sydney Roosters. The Eels sit 14th on the ladder on 22 points but have been much improved over the latter part of the season including a 22-20 win over Brisbane.
The Warriors and the Eels have been infrequent opponents with this being the eighth year on end that they’ve faced each other just once. The last home and away matches were in 2017.
They’ve also built a strong record against the Warriors with six wins in the last eight contests.
They’ve also built a strong record against the Warriors with six wins in the last eight contests.
