Nathaniel Roache returns from injury and halfback Jeff Robson will make his first appearance for the Vodafone Warriors’ Intrust Super Premiership side in Sunday’s ninth-round clash against Canterbury-Bankstown at Mount Smart Stadium (11.45am kick-off).
Roache has been sidelined with an ankle sprain since his third NRL appearance in the first home game of the season against Melbourne on March 20.
After playing the club’s first six NRL games of the season, Robson comes into the ISP side to team up in the halves with Ata Hingano.
Roache and Robson are among 12 players with NRL experience named to face the Bulldogs.
With Albert Vete, James Gavet and Jazz Tevaga returning to the NRL side, Sione Lousi and Toafofoa Sipley are the starting props while Roache replaces Tevaga at hooker.
After being used off the bench in the last two NRL games, Ligi Sao returns to the ISP side at loose forward.
The Stacey Jones-coached side will be seeking a third straight victory following wins over North Sydney and Newcastle. With two points from the first bye of the season, the Vodafone Warriors moved to fourth on the ladder this week but they’re one of five teams on 10 points filling fifth to eighth.
The winless Bulldogs are running 12th in the competition.
Meanwhile, the Vodafone Junior Warriors remain largely unchanged for their ninth-round match against St George Illawarra.
The starting line-up which accounted for Melbourne 36-28 has been retained with the only change on the bench with Jerome Mamea recalled.
The Dragons (11th) and the Vodafone Junior Warriors (12th) are both on six points with 3-2 win-loss records, just two points off eighth spot. They both have two wins and a loss in their last three games.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
11.45am, Sunday, May 1
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 HENARE WELLS
2 KEN MAUMALO
3 KONRAD HURRELL
4 MATTHEW ALLWOOD
5 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
6 ATA HINGANO
7 JEFF ROBSON
8 SIONE LOUSI
9 NATHANIEL ROACHE
10 TOAFOFOA SIPLEY
11 ALI LAUITIITI
12 JOHN PALAVI (c)
13 LIGI SAO
Interchange:
14 MASON LINO
15 UPU POCHING
16 PAT SIPLEY
17 JAMES BELL
18 VILIAMI KAVEINGA
COACH | STACEY JONES
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
9.45am, Sunday, May 1
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 KANE TELEA
2 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
3 MELINO FINEANGANOFO
4 KOLI ONEONE
5 JUNIOR PAUGA
6 ERIN CLARK
7 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
8 BUNTY AFOA
9 SHELDON PITAMA (c)
10 ISAIAH PAPALII
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN
12 MARATA NIUKORE
13 CHRIS SIO
Interchange:
14 JOSEPH VUNA
15 KEANU DAWSON
16 JEROME MAMEA
17 KENESE KENESE
COACH | KELVIN WRIGHT
BUY TICKETS NOW | VODAFONE WARRIORS v ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA
