Plenty of NRL experience is filtered through the Vodafone Warriors’ line-up for their 11th-round Canterbury Cup NSW encounter with the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles at Rarotonga Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday (2.40pm kick-off).
Five of the backs and five of the starting pack have all played first-grade football with wing Gerard Beale and second rower Blake Ayshford boasting more than 150 appearances each.
Centre Solomone Kata has 93 NRL games to his name and prop Sam Lisone 77. Paired in the halves again are 2019 NRL rookies Adam Keighran and Chanel Harris-Tavita.
The Vodafone Warriors will be striving for a form reversal after suffering a 10-28 loss to second-placed Penrith last Saturday.
In their last outing at home, the Vodafone Warriors put together their best showing of the season so far in beating Newcastle 28-10.
Four Vodafone Junior Warriors from the Jersey Flegg Cup under-20 side are included with Paul Turner at fullback, Sean Mullany at hooker and back rower Tyler Slade and middle forward Phillip Makatoa on the bench.
CANTERBURY CUP NSW
VODAFONE WARRIORS v BLACKTOWN WORKERS SEA EAGLES
2.40pm, Saturday, May 25
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 PAUL TURNER
2 GERARD BEALE
3 HAYZE PERHAM
4 SOLOMONE KATA
5 ADAM POMPEY
6 ADAM KEIGHRAN
7 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
8 CHRIS SATAE
9 SEAN MULLANY
10 SAM LISONE
11 BLAKE AYSHFORD
12 TAANE MILNE
13 LEIVAHA PULU
Interchange:
14 TYLER SLADE
15 JACKSON FREI
16 ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
17 PHILLIP MAKATOA
18 PRESTON RIKI
20 API PEWHAIRANGI
COACH | NATHAN CAYLESS
