Via Warriors Media
Injuries have forced two changes while interim head coach Todd Payten has also made other switches for the Vodafone Warriors’ 11th-round encounter with defending premiers the Sydney Roosters at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford on Saturday (3.00pm kick-off local time; 5.00pm NZT).
Ruled out are regular starting hooker Wayde Egan (hip) and interchange prop Agnatius Paasi (shoulder), the latter missing out on an opportunity to make one final appearance before he returns home on compassionate grounds on Monday along with Ken Maumalo, David Fusitu’a and King Vuniyayawa.
With Egan and Paasi out, Payten has shifted the versatile Karl Lawton from the back row to hooker with utility Chanel Harris-Tavita coming onto the bench as dummy half cover.
Moved out of the starting line-up after starting in last Sunday’s 10-46 loss to the Sharks are middle forward Adam Blair and centre Patrick Herbert.
Blair is replaced in the front row by Penrith loan forward Jack Hetherington while Adam Pompey, last used on the wing in the fifth-round win over North Queensland, comes into the centres with Herbert moved to the extended bench. Taking Paasi’s spot on the bench is Lachlan Burr, who was last used against South Sydney in round six.
Hetherington’s move to prop results in Jazz Tevaga coming into the starting line-up for the first time since last season after being used from the bench in his first two games back from injury against Gold Coast and the Sharks. Katoa, who was on the bench last week, has been named to start in the second row with Tohu Harris.
The game will have special significance for the Vodafone Warriors as they prepare to farewell Fusitu’a, Maumalo, Paasi and Vuniyayawa. While Paasi and Vuniyayawa won’t be lining up, first-choice wingers Fusitu’a and Maumalo have one last chance to play alongside their peers before being reunited with their families in Auckland once they’ve completed their isolation.
The Vodafone Warriors have won four of their last six encounters with the Roosters but were heavily beaten in the last two. They’ve had more wins against the Roosters (22) than any other opponents.
WARRIORS v SYDNEY ROOSTERS
5.00pm (NZT), Saturday, July 21, 2020
Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
Referee: Chris Sutton
WARRIORS
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (c)
2 DAVID FUSITU’A
3 ADAM POMPEY
4 PETA HIKU
5 KEN MAUMALO
6 KODI NIKORIMA
7 BLAKE GREEN
8 JAMAYNE TAUNOA-BROWN
9 KARL LAWTON
10 JACK HETHERINGTON
11 ELIESA KATOA
12 TOHU HARRIS
13 JAZZ TEVAGA
Interchange:
14 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
15 ADAM BLAIR
16 ISAIAH PAPALI’I
17 LACHLAN BURR
18 JACK MURCHIE
20 JOSH CURRAN
21 ADAM KEIGHRAN
22 PATRICK HERBERT
HEAD COACH | TODD PAYTEN
WARRIORS | 2020 SQUAD STATISTICS
| Player | Current club statistics | 2020 statistics | Career statistics (all clubs) | |||||||||
| M | T | G | PTS | M | T | G | PTS | M | T | G | PTS | |
| BUNTY AFOA (213) | 64 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 4 | 0 | 16 |
| LEESON AH MAU (147) | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 205 | 6 | 0 | 24 |
| GERARD BEALE (230) | 31 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 48 | 0 | 192 |
| ADAM BLAIR (223) | 55 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 321 | 14 | 0 | 56 |
| LACHLAN BURR (232) | 27 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| JOSH CURRAN (238) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WAYDE EGAN (240) | 9 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 38 | 5 | 0 | 20 |
| POASA FAAMAUSILI (245) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JACKSON FREI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DAVID FUSITU’A (189) | 102 | 62 | 0 | 248 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 102 | 62 | 0 | 248 |
| BLAKE GREEN (222) | 53 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170 | 20 | 1 | 81 |
| TOHU HARRIS (224) | 40 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 157 | 22 | 8 | 104 |
| CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA (233) | 18 | 2 | 31 | 70 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 18 | 2 | 31 | 70 |
| PATRICK HERBERT (234) | 17 | 5 | 15 | 50 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 17 | 4 | 15 | 50 |
| JACK HETHERINGTON (246) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PETA HIKU (221) | 53 | 13 | 0 | 52 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 133 | 47 | 3 | 194 |
| ELIESA KATOA (242) | 7 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| ADAM KEIGHRAN (231) | 7 | 1 | 9 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 22 |
| KARL LAWTON (229) | 23 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| KEN MAUMALO (201) | 94 | 35 | 0 | 140 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 94 | 35 | 0 | 140 |
| TAANE MILNE (239) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| JACK MURCHIE (244) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KODI NIKORIMA (236) | 23 | 5 | 11 | 41 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 21 | 109 | 27 | 11 | 129 |
| AGNATIUS PAASI (191) | 53 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 107 | 15 | 0 | 60 |
| ISAIAH PAPALI’I (215) | 56 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 56 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| HAYZE PERHAM (235) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ADAM POMPEY (237) | 8 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| LEIVAHA PULU (226) | 13 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 6 | 0 | 24 |
| NATHANIEL ROACHE (207) | 26 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| JAMAYNE TAUNOA-BROWN (241) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| JAZZ TEVAGA (209) | 59 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 4 | 0 | 16 |
| ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (203) | 85 | 22 | 1 | 90 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 169 | 50 | 1 | 202 |
| KING VUNIYAYAWA (243) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Categories: Team News + Stats, WARRIORS NEWS
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