Centre Rocco Berry has been ruled out of the One New Zealand Warriors’ Indigenous Round encounter with the Dolphins at Te pā o Rarotonga tomorrow (6.05pm kick-off; game day partners: Warriors Community Foundation and Kidz First).
Berry has been withdrawn after initially being named on Tuesday to return from the hand injury which ruled him out of the Magic Round match against Penrith last Sunday.
With other regular centres Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (hamstring) and Ali Leiataua (ankle) also injured, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will have his third different role in as many weeks.
The club’s first-choice fullback wore his usual #1 jersey against the Sydney Roosters in round 10 before being brought into the halves against the Panthers.
He was set to start at standoff again tomorrow but will instead replace Berry for his first start in the centres in his 104-game NRL career (although he has previously played there at Test level for the Kiwis).
Match: Warriors v Dolphins
Round 12 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Dolphins
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-ZelezniakFullback for Dolphins is number 1 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
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Winger for Warriors is number 5 Marcelo MontoyaWinger for Dolphins is number 2 Jamayne Isaako
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Centre for Warriors is number 4 Adam PompeyCentre for Dolphins is number 3 Jake Averillo
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Centre for Warriors is number 23 Moala Graham-TaufaCentre for Dolphins is number 4 Herbie Farnworth
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Winger for Warriors is number 22 Edward KosiWinger for Dolphins is number 5 Jack Bostock
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Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 20 Chanel Harris-TavitaFive-Eighth for Dolphins is number 6 Kodi Nikorima
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Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Te Maire MartinHalfback for Dolphins is number 7 Isaiya Katoa
Forwards
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Prop for Warriors is number 10 Bunty AfoaProp for Dolphins is number 8 Jesse Bromwich
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Hooker for Warriors is number 18 Paul RoacheHooker for Dolphins is number 9 Jeremy Marshall-King
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Prop for Warriors is number 17 Marata NiukoreProp for Dolphins is number 11 Felise Kaufusi
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Jackson Ford2nd Row for Dolphins is number 12 Euan Aitken
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Mitchell Barnett2nd Row for Dolphins is number 17 Connelly Lemuelu
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Lock for Warriors is number 13 Dylan WalkerLock for Dolphins is number 13 Max Plath
Interchange
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Interchange for Warriors is number 9 Freddy LussickInterchange for Dolphins is number 10 Mark Nicholls
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Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Tom AleInterchange for Dolphins is number 14 Josh Kerr
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Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Jazz TevagaInterchange for Dolphins is number 15 Kenneath Bromwich
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Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Jacob LabanInterchange for Dolphins is number 16 Ray Stone
Reserves
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Replacement for Warriors is number 21 Zyon Maiu'uReplacement for Dolphins is number 18 Oryn Keeley
Match Officials
- Referee: Liam Kennedy
- Senior Review Official: Gerard Sutton
Last updated:
That sees Chanel Harris-Tavita coming into the halves in his first game since being ruled out with a calf injury after the sixth-round match against Manly Warringah.
With regular prop Addin Fonua-Blake stood down for a breach of club standards, Marata Niukore will start in the front row in his comeback appearance from a foot injury which had forced him to miss the club’s last seven matches. It will be only his second game of the season.
Coming onto the interchange is utility Paul Roache, who played 68 minutes at hooker in the 22-20 win over Penrith after Wayde Egan left the field and couldn’t return following a head knock in the 12th minute.
As well as Berry and Fonua-Blake, winger Edward Kosi drops out of the extended squad with winger-centre Moala Graham-Taufa and prop Zyon Maiu’u remaining in the game day 19.
Apart from Niukore and Harris-Tavita, hooker Freddy Lussick (concussion) is back from injury this week for the club’s first match on home soil since the Anzac Day contest against the Gold Coast Titans.
While those three players come off the injury list, Berry, Egan and Leiataua join a long list of casualties.
Egan is following NRL protocols but with the club having a bye in round 13, he will be in line to make his return for the away match against North Queensland on June 8.
Rookie Leiataua, playing just his second NRL fixture, was a try-scoring hero in win over the Panthers but picked up an ankle injury early in the contest which is set to keep him out until early July.
Captain Tohu Harris (hand), halfback Shaun Johnson (pectoral), Tuivasa-Sheck, second rower Kurt Capewell (calf) and standoff Luke Metcalf (leg) remain in recovery. That leaves the Warriors without nine frontline players this week.
