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Asi returns to NRL stage after 10-week absence

Vodafone Warriors half Daejarn Asi is back in the NRL frontline after a 10-week absence since his last first-grade outing.

After joining the club from North Queensland in late April, the 21-year-old Asi made four consecutive appearances alongside Shaun Johnson replacing an injured Chanel Harris-Tavita but has since been working on his game with feeder club Redcliffe in the Hostplus Cup.

Asi’s last game was the round 11 encounter with St George Illawarra before Harris-Tavita returned from injury the following week.

But interim head coach Stacey Jones has shuffled his deck for Saturday’s away clash against Canberra including a recall in the halves for the left-footed Asi after a series of impressive displays for the Dolphins.

He has been a key contributor in a run which has seen Redcliffe surge into fourth spot on the ladder on the back of an eight-game unbeaten streak.

The Dolphins won just one of their first six games this season but have recovered with seven victories and a draw in the last two months.

Asi has featured in five of those games scoring two tries while providing six try assists – three against Norths Devils last week – as well as two line breaks, four line break assists, eight tackle breaks, five off loads, an effective kicking game and a keenness to run the football.

He has been recalled ahead of rookie Ronald Volkman, who was used at standoff against Penrith and the Wests Tigers but wasn’t considered for last week’s encounter with the Eels.

While Asi comes back into the mix, Harris-Tavita starts at fullback and Reece Walsh moves to the bench for the 19th-round clash at GIO Stadium.

Also back in the side is right winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak after missing last Friday night’s loss to the Parramatta Eels following a positive Covid test.

Team Lists

Backs

  • Fullback for Raiders is number 1 Xavier Savage
    Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Chanel Harris-Tavita
  • Winger for Raiders is number 2 Nick Cotric
    Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
  • Centre for Raiders is number 3 Matthew Timoko
    Centre for Warriors is number 3 Jesse Arthars
  • Centre for Raiders is number 4 Sebastian Kris
    Centre for Warriors is number 4 Adam Pompey
  • Winger for Raiders is number 5 Albert Hopoate
    Winger for Warriors is number 5 Marcelo Montoya
  • Five-Eighth for Raiders is number 6 Jack Wighton
    Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Daejarn Asi
  • Halfback for Raiders is number 7 Jamal Fogarty
    Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun Johnson

Forwards

  • Prop for Raiders is number 8 Josh Papalii
    Prop for Warriors is number 8 Addin Fonua-Blake
  • Hooker for Raiders is number 9 Zac Woolford
    Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde Egan
  • Prop for Raiders is number 10 Joseph Tapine
    Prop for Warriors is number 10 Tohu Harris
  • 2nd Row for Raiders is number 11 Hudson Young
    2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Euan Aitken
  • 2nd Row for Raiders is number 12 Elliott Whitehead
    2nd Row for Warriors is number 17 Jack Murchie
  • Lock for Raiders is number 13 Adam Elliott
    Lock for Warriors is number 13 Jazz Tevaga

Interchange

  • Interchange for Raiders is number 14 Tom Starling
    Interchange for Warriors is number 12 Josh Curran
  • Interchange for Raiders is number 15 Ryan Sutton
    Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Reece Walsh
  • Interchange for Raiders is number 16 Emre Guler
    Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Bunty Afoa
  • Interchange for Raiders is number 17 Corey Harawira-Naera
    Interchange for Warriors is number 18 Eliesa Katoa

Reserves

  • Replacement for Raiders is number 21 Ata Mariota
    Replacement for Warriors is number 23 Jackson Frei

Match Officials

  • Referee: Chris Sutton
  • Senior Review Official: Kasey Badger

Last updated:

The 23-year-old Harris-Tavita delivered a player of the day performance when he was called in to start at fullback after Walsh (Covid) was ruled out of the homecoming match against the Wests Tigers at Mount Smart Stadium on July 3.

When Walsh returned last week, interim head coach Stacey Jones switched Harris-Tavita to standoff after Volkman wasn’t considered due to his illness.

Watene-Zelezniak, the club’s top try scorer with seven touchdowns in 11 appearances, slots back onto the right wing for Edward Kosi.

While Jones has made selection calls in the backline, the starting forward pack is unchanged from the one originally selected to face the Eels.

Captain Tohu Harris will again wear the #10 jersey following his player of the day display in the loss to Parramatta. In 70 minutes on the field he made 170 metres from 17 runs with a line break, a line break assist and a try assist along with a game-high 44 tackles.

Walsh joins front rowers Bunty Afoa and Aaron Pene plus back rower Jack Murchie on the interchange while hooker Freddy Lussick moves to the extended bench.

The Vodafone Warriors face a Canberra side buoyed by a 20-16 win over Melbourne which has it sitting just outside the top eight.

When the two teams last met in round eight on April 30, Shaun Johnson snapped a golden point field goal to give the Vodafone Warriors their second extra time win of the season.

They have won five of the last nine encounters between the two sides, three of them at GIO Stadium.

VODAFONE WARRIORS v CANBERRA RAIDERS

GIO Stadium, Canberra
3.00pm, Saturday, July 23

VODAFONE WARRIORS

1 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK
3 JESSE ARTHARS
4 ADAM POMPEY
5 MARCELO MONTOYA
6 DAEJARN ASI
7 SHAUN JOHNSON
8 ADDIN FONUA-BLAKE
9 WAYDE EGAN
10 TOHU HARRIS (c)
11 EUAN AITKEN
12 JOSH CURRAN
13 JAZZ TEVAGA
Extended bench:
14 REECE WALSH
15 BUNTY AFOA
16 AARON PENE
17 JACK MURCHIE
18 ELIESA KATOA
20 EDWARD KOSI
21 RONALD VOLKMAN
22 FREDDY LUSSICK
23 JACKSON FREI
Head coach | STACEY JONES

 

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The New Zealand Warriors honour the mana of the Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa, Australia and the Pacific. We acknowledge the traditional kaitiaki of the lands, elders past and present, their stories, their traditions, their mamae and their mana motuhake.

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