NRLW Confirmed Lineup: Squad locked in as selected
The One New Zealand Warriors will line up as selected 1-17 in today’s round nine NRLW match against St George Illawarra at Go Media Stadium (1.45pm kick-off).
Wearing the one-off ‘Te Taiao’ jersey, the Warriors have confirmed prop Metanoia Fetalaiga as 18th player.
The players omitted from the 22 listed on Tuesday are halfback Natalia Hickling, captain Apii Nicholls, front rower Mya Hill-Moana, winger Payton Takimoana.
Matekino Gray eyes her first outing of the season and Anastasia Sekenei her debut in a much-changed lineup to face the Dragons.
The match is the second leg of a home tripleheader which started with the club’s final New South Wales Cup regular season game against the Knights (11.20am kick-off) and is rounded out by the feature NRL encounter between the ladder-leading One New Zealand Warriors and sixth-placed Newcastle (4.00pm kick-off).
Front rower Gray comes straight back into the starting lineup after being sidelined with a foot injury suffered in the Warriors’ preseason trial against the Broncos in Christchurch in June.
Match: Warriors v Dragons
Round 9 -
home Team
Warriors
7th Position
away Team
Dragons
10th Position
Venue: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
After missing the first six rounds of the NRLW campaign, she produced two strong displays to help feeder club South Sydney to two big wins in the NSW women’s premiership over the last two weeks.
Sekene, who picked up an ankle injury in the Christchurch trial, lined up in the centres and scored a try in the Rabbitohs’ win over the Dragons last Saturday.
The 28-year-old, set to become NRLW Warrior #84, has been named at fullback replacing Emmanita Paki – sidelined with an ankle injury – who in turn took over from captain Apii Nicholls who was ruled out of last Sunday’s match against the Roosters with a hand injury.
Sekene’s arrival on the NRLW stage is a special story.
After spending almost 10 years out of sport to raise her family, the mother of four had never played rugby league until last year before being signed by the Warriors on a one-year supplementary contract.
Avondale College product Sekene was a high-level sporting achiever in netball, football, touch, tag, basketball and rugby union before stepping aside to raise her family in 2015.
With two daughters aged seven and six and two sons aged four and three, she returned to the sporting arena last year when she started playing rugby league for the first time with the Mount Albert Lionesses in the Auckland club competition before representing the Akarana Falcons in the NZRL national women’s premiership.
As well as bringing in Gray and Sekene, other changes have been made to the side used in the devastating 8-66 loss to the unbeaten Sydney Roosters.
Lavinia Tauhalaliku, who scored six tries in her first two appearances of the season, returns on the wing, captain Kaiyah Atai switches to the second row and Maarire Puketapu slots in at loose forward while prop Ashlee Matapo is recalled on the bench.
Despite their heavy defeat by the Roosters, the One New Zealand Warriors remain sixth on the ladder on eight points, two behind fourth and fifth placed Canberra and Brisbane.
The Dragons sit 12th on the table with only one win. When the two sides met in Sydney last year, St George Illawarra prevailed 26-18.
