VODAFONE WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
2.00pm, Sunday, August 24
Referees: Shayne Hayne and Dave Munro
Thomas Leuluai starts at standoff and Nathan Friend at hooker for the Vodafone Warriors’ vital 24th-round NRL game against the Sydney Roosters at Mount Smart Stadium today (2.00pm kick-off NZT; match day sponsor: Lion Red).
Leuluai moves from hooker to the halves to replace Chad Townsend, who turned out for the club’s New South Wales Cup side against Newtown yesterday.
That results in Friend moving into the starting hooker’s role for his 195th career appearance, his 60th for the club.
With Sam Rapira also playing in the NSW Cup yesterday, the confirmed bench is Feleti Mateo, Suaia Matagi, Sione Lousi and Jayson Bukuya.
The game is a special milestone moment for Ben Matulino. Starting at prop he becomes the 10th player to appear in 150 NRL games for the Vodafone Warriors and the first NYC graduate from all clubs to reach the mark.
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 SAM TOMKINS
2 DAVID FUSITU’A
3 KONRAD HURRELL
4 NGANI LAUMAPE
5 MANU VATUVEI
9 THOMAS LEULUAI
7 SHAUN JOHNSON
8 JACOB LILLYMAN
17 NATHAN FRIEND
10 BEN MATULINO
11 BEN HENRY
12 SIMON MANNERING (c)
13 SEBASTINE IKAHIHIFO
Interchange:
14 FELETI MATEO
15 SUAIA MATAGI
16 SIONE LOUSI
18 JAYSON BUKUYA
HEAD COACH: ANDREW McFADDEN
BETTING – WWW.TAB.CO.NZ
Head to head | Vodafone Warriors $2.00, Sydney Roosters $1.75
CLICK HERE FOR ALL ODDS FOR VODAFONE WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
TV COVERAGE
SKY SPORT 1: Live at 2.00pm.
