Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will lead the strongest available side in the Vodafone Warriors’ final NRL trial against Wests Tigers at the International Stadium in Rotorua on Sunday (2.00pm kick-off).
After fielding a host of emerging players in last Saturday’s 16-18 loss to Melbourne in Palmerston North, head coach Stephen Kearney has named a vastly experienced squad.
Maori Kiwis co-captain Adam Blair and standoff Kodi Nikorima both come into the side after helping their side to a famous 30-16 win over the Australian Indigenous team in Saturday night’s intense All-Stars contest.
Blair is selected to start in the second row while Nikorima lines up in the halves alongside veteran Blake Green.
Front rower Josh Curran and Jamayne Taunoa-Brown will back up from the bench after playing for the Australian Indigenous side in Robina.
In other features Kiwi second rower Tohu Harris starts after recovering from a foot injury which has side-lined him since June last year, David Fusitu’a is again named in the centres – he was used in the role in Palmerston North – with Patrick Herbert on the right wing and new signing Wayde Egan starting at hooker.
As well as Tuivasa-Sheck, Blair, Harris, Nikorima and Green, other first-choice players having their first and only trial ahead of the 2020 campaign will be front rowers Agnatius Paasi and Leeson Ah Mau, Isaiah Papali’i – named at loose forward – and Kiwi winger Ken Maumalo.
Included on a 12-man bench are halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita and middle forward Lachlan Burr – both used in Pamerston North – and centre Peta Hiku, who returns from offseason surgery. Also on the interchange is hooker Karl Lawton after returning from surgery last weekend.
The match will be a special occasion for 2019 NRL rookie and Rotorua Boys’ High School product Hayze Perham; he starts in the centres.
Sunday’s trial is the fifth the Vodafone Warriors have played in Rotorua. Their first was against the Sydney Roosters in 2010 when they won 26-8 while the other three also provided wins over Parramatta (24-4) in 2011, Penrith (18-4) in 2015 and the Storm (20-14) in 2018.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS
2.00pm, Sunday, March 1, 2020
International Stadium, Rotorua
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (c)
2 PATRICK HERBERT
3 HAYZE PERHAM
4 DAVID FUSITU’A
5 KEN MAUMALO
6 KODI NIKORIMA
7 BLAKE GREEN
8 LEESON AH MAU
9 WAYDE EGAN
10 AGNATIUS PAASI
11 ADAM BLAIR
12 TOHU HARRIS
13 ISAIAH PAPALI’I
Interchange:
14 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
15 JAMAYNE TAUNOA-BROWN
16 ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
17 KARL LAWTON
18 PAUL TURNER
20 TAANE MILNE
21 JOSH CURRAN
24 PETA HIKU
25 LACHLAN BURR
26 ELIESA KATOA
27 EDWARD KOSI
28 LEIVAHA PULU
HEAD COACH | STEPHEN KEARNEY
