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Prop Bunty Afoa returns for the Vodafone Junior Warriors' NYC clash against the Bulldogs. Image | www.photosport.co.nz

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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