Rd 8 Team List: Marata Niukore's back but Wayde Egan still out

Rd 8 Team List: Niukore's back in only Anzac Day change

Author: Richard Becht & photosport.nz
Timestamp: Tue 18 Apr 2023, 03:59 PM

Second rower Marata Niukore is back from suspension but the One New Zealand Warriors will again be without hooker Wayde Egan for the traditional Anzac Day clash against the Storm at AAMI Stadium in Melbourne next Tuesday (7.00pm kick-off local time; 9.00pm NZT).

Niukore slots back into the second row alongside Jackson Ford after missing the last two matches against Newcastle and North Queensland due to suspension.

One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster said a decision had been made to give Egan another week off after being concussed in the seventh-round loss to the Knights.

“Wayde was ruled out of the match against the Cowboys due to the NRL’s concussion protocols,” said Webster.

“He was cleared to come back against the Storm but we’ve decided to give him another week off in the interests of his welfare.”

It means the inbound Niukore is the only change to the 17 players used in the gritty 22-14 win over the Cowboys in front of a sold-out Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday night.

His returns results in Josh Curran moving to the interchange along with Bayley Sironen, Bunty Afoa and Tom Ale.

Round 8 - Round 8 - Tuesday 25 Apr

Full Time

Storm

Warriors

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Storm is number 1 Nick Meaney

Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Winger for Storm is number 2 Will Warbrick

Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Centre for Storm is number 3 Reimis Smith

Centre for Warriors is number 3 Marcelo Montoya
Centre for Storm is number 4 Justin Olam

Centre for Warriors is number 4 Adam Pompey
Winger for Storm is number 5 Xavier Coates

Winger for Warriors is number 5 Edward Kosi
Five-Eighth for Storm is number 6 Cameron Munster

Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Dylan Walker
Halfback for Storm is number 7 Jahrome Hughes

Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun Johnson

Forwards

Prop for Storm is number 10 Christian Welch

Prop for Warriors is number 8 Addin Fonua-Blake
Hooker for Storm is number 9 Harry Grant

Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Freddy Lussick
Prop for Storm is number 17 Tariq Sims

Prop for Warriors is number 10 Jazz Tevaga
2nd Row for Storm is number 11 Trent Loiero

2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Jackson Ford
2nd Row for Storm is number 12 Eliesa Katoa

2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Marata Niukore
Lock for Storm is number 13 Josh King

Lock for Warriors is number 13 Tohu Harris

Interchange

Interchange for Storm is number 8 Nelson Asofa-Solomona

Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Bayley Sironen
Interchange for Storm is number 14 Bronson Garlick

Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Josh Curran
Interchange for Storm is number 19 Aaron Pene

Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Bunty Afoa
Interchange for Storm is number 20 Tyran Wishart

Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Tom Ale

Reserves

Replacement for Storm is number 18 Grant Anderson

Replacement for Warriors is number 18 Viliami Vailea

Match Officials

Referee: Grant Atkins
Touch Judge: Belinda Sharpe
Touch Judge: Peter Gough
Senior Review Official: Ben Cummins

Last updated: 9/7/2024 12:26:06 PM

Dropping back to the extended bench is fullback Taine Tuaupiki who wasn’t used against North Queensland.

After being revealed as a late change to face the Cowboys, Marcelo Montoya – playing his 98th career match this week – is locked in as a centres partner to Adam Pompey with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak on the right wing.

On a night when the One New Zealand Warriors had just 44 per cent possession, the back five again made a telling contribution. Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (181 metres from 19 runs), Watene-Zelezniak (156 from 14) and Montoya (136 from 13) topped 100 metres while winger Edward Kosi (95 from 11) and Pompey (94 from six) weren’t far off.

The defence improved exponentially from the games against the Sharks and the Knights. In those two matches the One New Zealand Warriors missed a combined total of more than 60 tackles but against the Cowboys the missed tackles column was down to a season-best 17.

Sitting third on the ladder on 10 points, the One New Zealand Warriors’ 5-2 start to the season has been bettered only once in the club’s history (6-1 in 2018).

Now they face what has been a daunting assignment more often than not against the Storm, especially on Anzac Day.

At stake as always in encounters between the two clubs is the Michael Moore Trophy, a prize the Storm has held for the last 13 matches dating back to the One New Zealand Warriors’ last success (28-14) at Mount Smart in 2015.

The club’s last Anzac Day win was a 16-10 result in 2014 with the Storm prevailing in the last six April 25 contests.

ONE NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS v MELBOURNE STORM

7.00pm, Tuesday, April 25, 2023
AAMI Park, Melbourne

ONEW NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS

1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK
3 MARCELO MONTOYA
4 ADAM POMPEY
5 EDWARD KOSI
6 DYLAN WALKER
7 SHAUN JOHNSON
8 ADDIN FONUA-BLAKE
9 FREDDY LUSSICK
10 JAZZ TEVAGA
11 JACKSON FORD
12 MARATA NIUKORE
13 TOHU HARRIS (c)
Interchange:
14 BAYLEY SIRONEN
15 JOSH CURRAN
16 BUNTY AFOA
17 TOM ALE
Extended bench:
18 VILIAMI VAILEA
20 TAINE TUAUPIKI
21 RONALD VOLKMAN
22 DEMITRIC SIFAKULA
23 ZYON MAIU’U

Head coach | ANDREW WEBSTER