New Kiwi wing Ken Maumalo is among three players omitted from the extended bench tonight for the Vodafone Warriors’ 16th-round NRL encounter with Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Mount Smart Stadium on Friday night (8.00pm kick-off).
The others released are centre Blake Ayshford and front rower Albert Vete.
Maumalo arrived back home on Wednesday morning after making his Kiwi debut in the one-off Test against England at Mile High Stadium in Denver on Saturday (Sunday morning NZT).
Vodafone Warriors head coach Stephen Keaney included Maumalo, centre Peta Hiku and hooker Issac Luke on a 10-man bench when he named his squad on Tuesday. Due to the club having nine players on representative duty last weekend, the Vodafone Warriors had dispensation to include an extra two players over and beyond the usual 21 allowed.
Three players had to be dropped off tonight 24 hours before the game.
Luke and Hiku remain in the reduced 20-man squad leaving them in contention to play against the Sharks tomorrow night.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
8.00pm, Friday, June 29, 2018
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
Referees: Adam Gee and Chris Butler
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (c)
2 DAVID FUSITU’A
3 ANTHONY GELLING
4 SOLOMONE KATA
5 GERARD BEALE
6 BLAKE GREEN
7 SHAUN JOHNSON
8 JAMES GAVET
9 KARL LAWTON
10 AGNATIUS PAASI
11 ISAIAH PAPALI’I
12 TOHU HARRIS
13 SIMON MANNERING
Interchange:
14 SAM COOK
15 CHRIS SATAE
16 BUNTY AFOA
17 JAZZ TEVAGA
21 SAM LISONE
23 PETA HIKU
24 ISSAC LUKE
HEAD COACH | STEPHEN KEARNEY
