The Vodafone Warriors will be seeking to snap a run of three straight losses when they take on the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in Sunday’s 20th-round Intrust Super Premiership match at Belmore Sports Ground in Sydney (1.00pm kick-off local time; 3.00pm NZT).
When they beat the Mounties 24-20 on June 30, they were pushing for a top four spot but losses since then to Wentworthville, Penrith and Wyong have seen them slip to eighth spot, level with Wyong on 20 points but with a superior points for and against record.
The Bulldogs are only two points ahead alongside Wests Tigers on 22 points so Sunday’s encounter in Sydney could be pivotal in terms for the race for the finals.
Experienced halfback Mason Lino has been named to start in the halves with Chanel Harris-Tavita while the side also welcomes back big prop Chris Satae, who has been on the bench for the club’s NRL team in its last seven outings. He’ll have the chance to get in some bigger minutes.
While the Vodafone Warriors are looking for a form reversal the Vodafone Junior Warriors are bidding to extend a form revival when they take on the Bulldogs in the Jersey Flegg Cup.
They’re coming off back-to-back wins for the first time this season after beating second-placed Penrith 14-12 and the fifth-placed Sydney Roosters 22-14 in the last two rounds.
The results have moved them to 16 points, still sitting 10th four points behind the eighth-placed Bulldogs.
They’ll use a line-up showing a number of changes including a reappearance in the under-20 grade for wing Lewis Soosemea, who has spent the season playing up in the ISP.
INTRUST SUPER PREMIERSHIP
VODAFONE WARRIORS v CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
1.00pm, Saturday, July 28
Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 HAYZE PERHAM
2 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
3 BLAKE AYSHFORD
4 ANTHONY GELLING
5 JUNIOR PAUGA
6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
7 MASON LINO (c)
8 LIGI SAO
9 SAM COOK
10 CHRIS SATAE
11 MATIU LOVE-HENRY
12 LEIVAHA PULU
13 JAMES BELL (c)
Interchange:
14 TOM ALE
15 KING VUNIYAYAWA
16 PATRICK SIPLEY
17 PRESTON WIKI
COACH | JOHN TEINA
JERSEY FLEGG CUP
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
11.00am, Saturday, July 28
Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 KAYAL IRO
2 HARLEY MAYNARD
3 ANTONIO POUA
4 EMANUEL TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
5 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
6 PAUL TURNER
7 EIDEN ACKLAND
8 LOTU INISI
9 TAANE PAKI
10 WESLEY VEIKOSO
11 HAVI TUPOUNIUA
12 TYLER SLADE (c)
13 PHILLIP MAKATOA
Interchange:
14 EDWARD KOSI
15 JUNIOR PUA
16 SOANE HUFANGA
17 TEMPLE KALEPO
18 CALEB PESE
COACH | RICKY HENRY
