Harris-Tavita in, Metcalf out for Warriors vs Storm
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
Standoff Chanel Harris-Tavita’s inclusion for the injured Luke Metcalf is the only change to the starting lineup named for the New Zealand Warriors’ round six NRL encounter with the Storm at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Saturday
With playmaker Metcalf sidelined with a hamstring injury, Harris-Tavita is back in the #6
jersey he wore in the first three rounds alongside halfback Tanah Boyd.
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The 27-year-old Harris-Tavita will make his 98th career appearance on Saturday night
which would leave him in line to reach his 100-game milestone in the Anzac Day clash
against the Dolphins at Hnry Stadium in Wellington.
Centre Adam Pompey has been named after being charged with a grade two dangerous
contact offence following Sunday’s 22-36 loss to the Cronulla Sutherland.
A guilty plea has been entered to the incident involving Sharks back rower Briton Nikora
but the grading is being disputed at a judiciary hearing.
The first four players listed on the interchange in jerseys 14-17 are the same as the four
used against the Sharks – hooker Sam Healey, back rower Marata Niukore and middle
forwards Demitric Vaimauga and Tanner Stowers-Smith.
Back rower Eddie Ieremia-Toeava is again named as a reserve while winger Alofi’ana
Khan-Pereira takes the sixth spot.
The three players in the extended squad are second rower Morgan Gannon, standoff
Luke Hanson and centre Ali Leiataua, who were all on New South Wales Cup duty in last
Saturday’s win over Newtown.
The Warriors and Melbourne both go into the contest coming off disappointing results.
After averaging 40 points a game in their three season-opening wins over the Sydney
Roosters, Canberra and Newcastle, the One New Zealand Warriors have suffered back-
to-back losses to the Wests Tigers and Cronulla-Sutherland to slip to fifth.
The Storm were the early pacesetters scoring 98 points in two big wins over Parramatta
(52-4) and St George Illawarra (46-20) but have, for the first time since 2002, suffered
three straight losses to Brisbane (14-18), North Queensland (24-28) and Penrith (10-
50).
No matter what the Storm’s form might be, they remain the Warriors’ most challenging
opponents with Melbourne boasting 17 straight wins since 2015, the longest active head-
to-head streak in the competition.
This is the third time in the last four seasons that the Warriors face the Storm only once
in the regular, each of the one-off meetings being scheduled in Melbourne.
Warriors: Taine Tuaupiki, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Adam Pompey, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Tanah Boyd, James Fisher-Harris (capt), Wayde Egan, Jackson Ford, Leka Halasima, Jacob Laban, Erin Clark; Interchange: Sam Healey, Marata Niukore, Demitric Vaimauga, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava. Reserves: Morgan Gannon, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Ali Leiataua.
