NRLW Team List: Waaka back to centres for trip to Hamilton
One positional change has been made to the One New Zealand Warriors’ starting combination named for their NRLW Indigenous Round encounter with the Newcastle Knights at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday (7.15pm kick-off).
Following Sunday’s 16-18 Magic Round defeat by the Titans, head coach Ron Griffiths has listed rugby union sevens star Stacey Waaka in the centres with Tysha Ikenasio moving to the wing.
Waaka made her club debut on the wing against the Raiders, was shifted into the centres in the wins over the Cowboys (when she scored two tries) and Parramatta and was on the left wing again against Gold Coast scoring a spectacular try, her third in four games.
Her switch sees Ikenasio selected on the wing after being used in the centres in her eight outings last year and again in the opening five rounds this season.
The rest of the starting combination remains the same for a contest against a Newcastle side which picked up a convincing 32-12 victory over the Eels last Sunday to move to fourth on the ladder, one place ahead of the One New Zealand Warriors on points for and against differential.
Match: Warriors v Titans
Round 5 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Titans
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Apii NichollsFullback for Titans is number 1 Lily Patston
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Winger for Warriors is number 2 Stacey WaakaWinger for Titans is number 2 Phoenix-Raine Hippi
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Centre for Warriors is number 3 Tysha IkenasioCentre for Titans is number 3 Jaime Chapman
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Centre for Warriors is number 4 Mele HufangaCentre for Titans is number 4 Sarina Masaga
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Winger for Warriors is number 5 Payton TakimoanaWinger for Titans is number 5 Indie Bostock
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Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Emmanita PakiFive-Eighth for Titans is number 6 Teagan Levi
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Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Gayle BroughtonHalfback for Titans is number 7 Lauren Brown
Forwards
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Prop for Warriors is number 8 Maarire PuketapuProp for Titans is number 8 Laikha Clarke
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Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Patricia MaliepoHooker for Titans is number 9 Georgia Hale
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Prop for Warriors is number 10 Metanoia FetalaigaProp for Titans is number 10 Fanua Rimoni
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Christabelle Onesemo-Tuilaepa2nd Row for Titans is number 11 Evania Isa'ako
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Shakira Baker2nd Row for Titans is number 12 Ivana Lolesio
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Lock for Warriors is number 13 Kaiyah AtaiLock for Titans is number 13 Sienna Lofipo
Interchange
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Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Capri PaekauInterchange for Titans is number 15 Eta Sikahele
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Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Harata ButlerInterchange for Titans is number 16 Natasha Penitani
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Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Ivana LauitiitiInterchange for Titans is number 17 Takoda Thompson
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Interchange for Warriors is number 18 Ashlee MatapoInterchange for Titans is number 18 Enah Desic
Reserves
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Replacement for Warriors is number 19 Natalia HicklingReplacement for Titans is number 19 Aleksandra Tunufai
Match Officials
- Referee: Belinda Sharpe
- Senior Review Official: Peter Gough
Last updated:
With a 3-2 record after five rounds, the Warriors are desperate to make it two for two in Hamilton on Saturday night after opening their season there with a 32-10 victory over the Bulldogs on July 5.
One change has been made to the interchange with prop Mya Hill-Moana returning after missing the trip to Wagga Wagga.
The extended bench includes two other players who didn’t travel last week in hooker Jay Huriwai (concussion) and prop Annetta Nuuausala (unavailable) along with winger Lavinia Tauhalaliku back from a two-game suspension after scoring six tries in her only two games so far this season.
In a dramatic comeback, the Warriors cut a 0-18 deficit to 16-18 with three tries in nine minutes against the Titans but couldn’t quite manage a follow-up strike in the last seven minutes to steal victory.
Making her club debut centre Mele Hufanga underlined her quality scoring a powerhouse try and finishing with 129 metres, 41 post-contact metres and six tackle breaks.
Loose forward Kaiyah Atai (142), prop Metanoia Fetalaiga (110) and fullback Apii Nicholls (106) also topped 100 metres with front rower Harata Butler (99) and second rower Shakira Baker (93) close to doing the same.
