Changes to Warriors to face Broncos at home
- Dave Worsley
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Injury and suspension have forced several changes for the NZ Warriors for Saturday night’s Round 7 NRL clash against the Brisbane Broncos.
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Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (concussion), co-captain James Fisher-Harris (pectoral), out for 4-6 weeks, and centre Rocco Berry (suspended) will be missed from the match at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart (kick-off 7.30pm).
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Taine Tuaupiki moves from the right wing to fullback, Jackson Ford replaces Fisher-Harris in the front row, second rower Kurt Capewell into the centres for Berry, Edward Kosi onto the right wing and Leka Halasima into the second row.;
Capewell was in the centres for most of the second half against the Storm on Sunday after Nicoll-Klokstad was forced off the field.
The promotion of Ford and Halasima from the bench sees second rower Jacob Laban and
halfback Te Maire Martin replacing them on the interchange.
With Fisher-Harris, Nicoll-Klokstad and Berry joining Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (wrist),
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (hamstring) and Tom Ale (foot) on the unavailable list this week, meaning the Warriors are without a total of 840 matches in NRL experience.
The most seasoned specialist back left standing, 26-year-old Tuakau-raised aDAM Pompey
has been one of the club’s quiet achievers since making his debut in the Warriors’ 19-18
win over Cronulla Sutherland in Wellington in 2019.
He becomes the 31st player to reach the 100-game mark for the club, he’ll join Simon Mannering (301), Jerome Ropati (145) and Bunty Afoa (140) as the only players on the 100 list to have played their entire first-grade careers for the Warriors.
In the Warriors first home outing in four weeks, the Warriors’ 30th anniversary encounter with
their original opponents.
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The Warriors went down to the Melbourne Storm 14-42 while Brisbane side also smarting after a 16-26 loss to the Roosters at Suncorp Stadium which leaves the Broncos on the same number of points as the Warriors (8).
Warriors: 1.Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Ed Kosi, 3. Kurt Capewell, 4. Ali Leiataua, 5. Adam Pompey, 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7. Luke Metcalf, 8. Jackson Ford, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Mitch Barnett (c), 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Marata Niukore, 13.Erin Clark Interchange (from): 14: Bunty Afoa, 15. Jacob Laban, 16. Demetric Vaimauga, 17. Te Maire Martin, 18. Tanah Boyd, 20. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 21. Sam Healey, 22. Freddy Lussick, 23. Morgan Harper