Siliva Havili, Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Charlie Gubb are set for their first New South Wales Cup outings of the season in the Vodafone Warriors’ clash with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Belmore Sports Ground in Sydney on Saturday (3.00pm kick-off local time, 5.00pm NZT).
All three are returning from injury to further boost the team’s pack with Kiwi international Havili starting at hooker and Faitala-Mariner in the back row while Gubb is on the bench.
Havili was sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring injury, missing all the trials. Gubb was used in the hit-out against Gold Coast On February 7 but finished it with a broken toe while Faitala-Mariner has been recovering from a knee injury after playing the trials against the Titans and the Panthers as well as the inter-squad build-up match at Papakura.
Also added to the line-up this weekend is prop Suaia Matagi, who played his 36th NRL game for the Vodafone Warriors last week. With Matagi, Gubb and Havili named, the Vodafone Warriors this week boast nine players with NRL experience, seven of them in the forwards.
Indeed, the Vodafone Warriors will field a big pack with Gubb named on a bench which also includes the massive Nathaniel Peteru, Upu Poching and John Palavi.
Of the side used in the 26-18 season-opening win over Newcastle, centre Matt Allwood has been named 18th man for the club’s NRL squad to face Canberra.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v BULLDOGS
Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney
3.00pm, Saturday, March 14
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 VILIAMI KAVEINGA
2 SAULA SOLOMONA
3 JARROD TUA
4 DOMINIQUE PEYROUX
5 WILLIE PEACE
6 API PEWHAIRANGI
7 SAM COOK
8 SUAIA MATAGI
9 SILIVA HAVILI
10 SEBASTINE IKAHIHIFO
11 DAVID BHANA
12 SIONE LOUSI
13 RAYMOND FAITALA-MARINER
Interchange:
14 JOHN PALAVI (c)
15 UPU POCHING
16 CHARLIE GUBB
17 NATHANIEL PETERU
18 ZAC TIPPINS
21 STEDMAN LEFAU
COACH: STACEY JONES
