A hamstring injury picked up in the team’s final training session in Auckland yesterday forced captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck out of the Vodafone Warriors’ traditional Anzac Day encounter with Melbourne at AMII Park tonight (7.50pm kick-off local time; 9.50pm NZT).
After Monday’s training session and a day off on Tuesday, head coach Stephen Kearney confirmed Tuivasa-Sheck was ready to lead the side again in what would have been his 60th appearance for the club.
But the fullback's plans were derailed when he was struck down by a hamstring injury during the final field session before the team flew out of Auckland yesterday. He joined veteran halfback Blake Green (groin) and Solomone Kata (compassionate leave) as another late scratching for the trip to Melbourne.
Kata had earlier been replaced in the originally-selected squad by experienced centre Blake Ayshford.
With Tuivasa-Sheck and Green officially omitted from the extended 21-man squad last night, another two will drop off when the final 17 is confirmed an hour before kick-off.
Tohu Harris will captain the side tonight.
The 19 players in contention are:
VODAFONE WARRIORS v MELBOURNE STORM
7.50pm, Thursday, April 25, 2019
AMII Park, Melbourne
VODAFONE WARRIORS
BUNTY AFOA
LEESON AH MAU
BLAKE AYSHFORD
GERARD BEALE
ADAM BLAIR
LACHLAN BURR
TOHU HARRIS (c)
CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
PATRICK HERBERT
PETA HIKU
ISSAC LUKE
KEN MAUMALO
AGNATIUS PAASI
ISAIAH PAPALI’I
HAYZE PERHAM
LEIVAHA PULU
NATHANIEL ROACHE
CHRIS SATAE
JAZZ TEVAGA
