Ford returns for Warriors playoff clash vs Dolphins
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Warriors coach Andrew Webster rs finally able to call on Jackson Ford for Saturday's qualifying final against the Dolphins at a sold-out Mt Smart Stadium.
He returns for the first time since June after suffering a pectoral injury in round 16. He is set to make his comeback on the bench.
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Before he was injured and missed the last 10 matches of the regular season Ford had played in evey game this season for the Warriors and Webster thought he had been unlucky to miss out on State of Origin duty.
"It's a good headache to have players returning, some experience, one of the best players in the competition - he was the best player at the time in the competition," Webster said of Ford.
Ford has been named in the 17 jersey in a squad which also sees centre Leka Halasima, second rower Kurt Capewell and hooker Wayde Egan back on deck after missing last week's final regular season match against the Sea Eagles.
While they return, winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak isn't yet available after breaking his right clavicle in the round 25 game against South Sydney last month.
With Watene-Zelezniak still sidelined, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will again line up on the right wing for what will be his 150th career appearance, his 84th for the Warriors.
Nicoll-Klokstad will hit the 150-game milestone, Halasima, still only 20 years old, becomes the second of the club's young guns to make 50 appearances for the Warriors.
Loose forward Erin Clark will stretch his run of consecutive appearances for the club to 50 since returning home last season and 74 all up counting the 24 unbroken games he played for thew Titans in 2024; the last time he missed a game was at the end of the 2023 season.
ust lean into the fact that we've got a lot of experience, a lot of confidence, a lot of players that we believe in, just bring your best football and the rest takes care of it."
The Warriors and Dolphins met twice this year with only two points separating the sides each time, the Warriors prevailing 20-18 in round eight on Anzac Day in Wellington before the Dolphins stole a 26-24 victory with a late try in the round 17 meeting at Suncorp Stadium.
Throughout their rivalry, the clubs have shared results each season.
In 2023 the Warriors won 30-8 at Go Media Stadium and lost 10-34 at Suncorp Stadium while in 2024 they prevailed 24-20 at home and lost 32-34 in Brisbane. Last year they won 16-12 at Suncorp Stadium then lost 18-20 in Auckland.
Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Leka Halasima, 5. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7. Te Maire Martin, 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Mitchell Barnett, 11. Kurt Capewell, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark
Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 16. Demitric Vaimauga, 17. Jackson Ford, 18. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 20. Adam Pompey
