Utility Sio Siua Taukeiaho is in line to become the Vodafone Warriors' newest NRL player in today's clash against St George Illawarra at WIN Stadium. Photo: Photosport
Former Vodafone Junior Warrior Sio Siua Taukeiaho is set to make his NRL debut while Dominique Peyroux will start in the centres in the Vodafone Warriors last regular season clash against St George Illawarra at WIN Stadium in Wollongong today (3.00pm kick-off local time; 5.00pm NZT).
The 21-year-old Otara Scorpions junior, originally named on a six-man bench earlier this week, joins Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman and Feleti Mateo on the interchange.
Hes in line to become Vodafone Warrior No 184 should he take the field while Peyroux, who has made 11 interchange appearances this year, will make his first start for the club. He comes into the side in the centres with the experienced Jerome Ropati (hamstring) and Dane Nielsen (ankle) ruled out. They travelled to Wollongong with the side but have failed to fully recover.
Ropati, named on the right wing, will again be replaced by rookie Ngani Laumape.
The match has special significance for veteran prop Jacob Lillyman, who today becomes the 22nd player to appear in 100 NRL matches for the Vodafone Warriors after beginning his NRL career with 62 appearances for the Cowboys from 2003-2008. Last year young front rowers Ben Matulino and Russell Packer also reached the 100-game mark.
Lillyman has regularly operated in tandem with Matulino from the interchange since being converted into a full-time prop.
Lillyman will mark his achievement in a match of vital significance to the Vodafone Warriors. They make the trip to Wollongong sitting in 10th spot on the table, one of three teams on 26 and eyeing a chance of making the finals in the very last round of the season.
With their record 50-16 rout of Canberra last Saturday night, they climbed into the top eight for the first time this season but held eighth spot for less than 24 hours before results on Sunday pushed them out of the top half of the competition.
The final round starts with four teams vying for the last two spots in the top eight Newcastle on 27 followed by North Queensland, Gold Coast and the Vodafone Warriors on 26 while Penrith and Canberra are on 24.
To remain in contention the Vodafone Warriors will have to create history with their first win against the Dragons at WIN Stadium following a run of nine straight losses since St George Illawarra entered the competition in 1999. The clubs only success at the ground was against the Illawarra Steelers in 1996.
Should they achieve a breakthrough win, the Vodafone Warriors would then have to rely on the outcome of the two matches following theirs tonight when the Melbourne Storm host the Titans (7.30 NZT) and the Cowboys meet Wests Tigers in Townsville (9.30 NZT). Depending on the results in those matches, the contest between Newcastle and Parramatta tomorrow could also come into play in determining whether the Vodafone Warriors make the finals.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
3.00pm, Saturday, September 07
Referees: Jared Maxwell and Henry Perenara
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1KEVIN LOCKE
18NGANI LAUMAPE
17DOMINIQUE PEYROUX
4KONRAD HURRELL
5MANU VATUVEI
6THOMAS LEULUAI
7SHAUN JOHNSON
8SAM RAPIRA
9NATHAN FRIEND
10SUAIA MATAGI
11ELIJAH TAYLOR
12SIMON MANNERING (c)
13TODD LOWRIE
Interchange:
14BEN MATULINO
15JACOB LILLYMAN
16FELETI MATEO
20SIO SIUA TAUKEIAHO
HEAD COACH: MATTHEW ELLIOTT
Former Vodafone Junior Warrior Sio Siua Taukeiaho is set to make his NRL debut while Dominique Peyroux will start in the centres in the Vodafone Warriors last regular season clash against St George Illawarra at WIN Stadium in Wollongong today (3.00pm kick-off local time; 5.00pm NZT).
The 21-year-old Otara Scorpions junior, originally named on a six-man bench earlier this week, joins Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman and Feleti Mateo on the interchange.
Hes in line to become Vodafone Warrior No 184 should he take the field while Peyroux, who has made 11 interchange appearances this year, will make his first start for the club. He comes into the side in the centres with the experienced Jerome Ropati (hamstring) and Dane Nielsen (ankle) ruled out. They travelled to Wollongong with the side but have failed to fully recover.
Ropati, named on the right wing, will again be replaced by rookie Ngani Laumape.
The match has special significance for veteran prop Jacob Lillyman, who today becomes the 22nd player to appear in 100 NRL matches for the Vodafone Warriors after beginning his NRL career with 62 appearances for the Cowboys from 2003-2008. Last year young front rowers Ben Matulino and Russell Packer also reached the 100-game mark.
Lillyman has regularly operated in tandem with Matulino from the interchange since being converted into a full-time prop.
Lillyman will mark his achievement in a match of vital significance to the Vodafone Warriors. They make the trip to Wollongong sitting in 10th spot on the table, one of three teams on 26 and eyeing a chance of making the finals in the very last round of the season.
With their record 50-16 rout of Canberra last Saturday night, they climbed into the top eight for the first time this season but held eighth spot for less than 24 hours before results on Sunday pushed them out of the top half of the competition.
The final round starts with four teams vying for the last two spots in the top eight Newcastle on 27 followed by North Queensland, Gold Coast and the Vodafone Warriors on 26 while Penrith and Canberra are on 24.
To remain in contention the Vodafone Warriors will have to create history with their first win against the Dragons at WIN Stadium following a run of nine straight losses since St George Illawarra entered the competition in 1999. The clubs only success at the ground was against the Illawarra Steelers in 1996.
Should they achieve a breakthrough win, the Vodafone Warriors would then have to rely on the outcome of the two matches following theirs tonight when the Melbourne Storm host the Titans (7.30 NZT) and the Cowboys meet Wests Tigers in Townsville (9.30 NZT). Depending on the results in those matches, the contest between Newcastle and Parramatta tomorrow could also come into play in determining whether the Vodafone Warriors make the finals.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
3.00pm, Saturday, September 07
Referees: Jared Maxwell and Henry Perenara
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1KEVIN LOCKE
18NGANI LAUMAPE
17DOMINIQUE PEYROUX
4KONRAD HURRELL
5MANU VATUVEI
6THOMAS LEULUAI
7SHAUN JOHNSON
8SAM RAPIRA
9NATHAN FRIEND
10SUAIA MATAGI
11ELIJAH TAYLOR
12SIMON MANNERING (c)
13TODD LOWRIE
Interchange:
14BEN MATULINO
15JACOB LILLYMAN
16FELETI MATEO
20SIO SIUA TAUKEIAHO
HEAD COACH: MATTHEW ELLIOTT
