Vodafone Junior Warriors coach Stacey Jones will rely on one of the youngest NYC combinations the club has fielded for Sunday’s 10th-round clash against Canterbury-Bankstown at Waikato Stadium (1.45pm kick-off).
Experienced halfback and co-captain Mason Lino, sitting on 49 NYC appearances, and centre Solomone Kata are again playing for the club’s New South Wales Cup side after being in the side beaten by the Mounties last Saturday.
And joining them are two more of Jones’ more established players with prop Sam Lisone (35 NYC appearances) promoted for his third NSW Cup match and second rower Michael Ki (11 NYC appearances) his first. Also gone from the NYC squad is 35-game front rower James Taylor who has been released to join the Newcastle Knights’ NRL squad.
With Lisone promoted, 17-year-old Bunty Afoa comes back into the squad to start his eighth match with Katamiro Atera and Toafofoa Sipley the front row options named on the bench; Atera will be having his second NYC game of the year and Sipley his sixth.
Wingers Paul Ulberg and John Wesley Tauti plus halfback Mikaere Beattie back up from their NYC debuts in last week’s 54-0 trouncing of Canberra.
There’s a change in the centres. With Ki playing for the NSW Cup side, utility Adam Tuimavave-Gerrard moves into Ki’s spot in the back row with Alamoti Finau brought into the centres after his first appearance of the season from the bench last week.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
1.45pm, Sunday, May 18
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 BRAD ABBEY
2 PAUL ULBERG
3 ALAMOTI FINAU
4 KEN MAUMALO
5 JOHN WESLEY TAUTI
6 MAFOA’AEATA HINGANO
7 MIKAERE BEATTIE
8 IULIO AFOA
9 KURT ROBINSON
10 KOUMA SAMSON
11 ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
12 MATIU LOVE-HENRY
13 JAMES BELL
Interchange:
14 KATAMIRO ATERA
15 LAFU FEAGAIGA
16 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
17 NATHANIEL ROACHE
18 PAUL TULI
COACH: STACEY JONES
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