Via Warriors Media
Halfback Mason Lino, second rower Isaiah Papali’i and centre Anthony Gelling have all been named in the New Zealand Warriors’ starting line-up against the Melbourne Storm in the annual Anzac Day match at AAMI Park on Wednesday.
Lino and Gelling again start in place of Shaun Johnson and Solomone Kata after helping the Vodafone Warriors to their gritty 20-12 seventh-round win over St George Illawarra at Mount Smart Stadium last Friday night.
And Papali’i is set to start an NRL match for the third time after replacing Tohu Harris 27 minutes into the encounter with the Dragons.
Johnson (groin) and Kata (ankle) ran at training today but weren’t declared fit to play while Harris hasn’t been cleared as he undergoes concussion protocols after leaving the field on Friday night.
Lino, Gelling and Papali’i – boasting just 23 appearances between them – scored three of the Vodafone Warriors’ four tries as they ended the Dragons’ six-match unbeaten start to the season in one of the most extraordinary contests in the club’s history, just the sixth win in 27 meetings.
With Penrith losing to Cronulla yesterday, the result leaves the Vodafone Warriors level with the Dragons at the top of the table on 12 points and second on points differential.
With Johnson, Kata and Harris out and Lino, Gelling and Papali’i replacing them, Ligi Sao, Joseph Vuna and Sam Cook have been brought onto the extended bench alongside Jazz Tevaga, Sam Lisone, Albert Vete, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Chris Satae.
Lino, Gelling and Papali'i named to start in the annual #AnzacDay match in Melbourne on Wednesday 😝 v 🌩
[Team] https://t.co/LKoq1OwcyL#LetsGoneWarriors pic.twitter.com/mqGQ6UNpax
— Vodafone Warriors (@NZWarriors) April 23, 2018
WARRIORS v MELBOURNE STORM
AAMI Park, Melbourne
7.00pm (9.00pm NZT), Wednesday, April 25, 2018
WARRIORS
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (c)
2 DAVID FUSITU’A
3 PETA HIKU
4 ANTHONY GELLING
5 KEN MAUMALO
6 BLAKE GREEN
7 MASON LINO
8 BUNTY AFOA
9 ISSAC LUKE
10 AGNATIUS PAASI
11 SIMON MANNERING
12 ISAIAH PAPALI’I
13 ADAM BLAIR
Interchange:
14 JAZZ TEVAGA
15 SAM LISONE
16 ALBERT VETE
17 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
18 LIGI SAO
20 JOSEPH VUNA
21 CHRIS SATAE
22 SAM COOK
Categories: Team News + Stats, WARRIORS NEWS
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