Warriors aim for three-in-a row against Newcastle
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Co-captain Mitchell Barnett’s comeback moves closer while young halfback Luke Hanson will make his NRL debut when the NZ Warriors face the Knights in Saturday’s top-of-the-table round three clash in Newcastle
As well as Barnett’s possible return and Hanson’s maiden appearance, the match-up
between the two unbeaten sides will see in-form Warriors prop Jackson Ford make his
100th career appearance.
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Returning to his former club, Barnett has been included on the extended bench in jersey
23 as his eyes his first game after recovering from the knee injury that ended his 2025
campaign in the Warriors’ round 13 encounter with South Sydney.
Now in his fourth season with the Warriors, 22-year-old Penrith junior Hanson comes
into the lineup for injured standoff Chanel Harris-Tavita (concussion) after starring for
the club’s triple crown-winning New South Wales Cup side last year.
He has banked 37 NSW Cup appearances while he started at six in each of the Warriors’
Pre-season Challenge matches against Manly and the Dolphins last month.
Ford (28), the NRL’s front rower of the moment, was signed in 2023 after just 33 games
for St George Illawarra across four seasons but has become a mainstay of the Warriors’
pack as he looks ahead to his 67th game for the club just three rounds into his fourth
year in Auckland.
In the opening two rounds of the season he has played 144 of a possible 160 minutes –
all but four against Canberra last Friday night – while averaging 186 metres a game and
making a total of 65 tackles.
The quality of his performances in the wins over the Roosters (42-18) and Raiders (40-6)
saw him collect the maximum six Dally M points in each game to top the leaderboard on
12 points.
As well as Harris-Tavita, the Warriors are missing fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad as he also follows concussion protocols while veteran second rower Kurt Capewell
is sidelined with a calf injury;
Harris-Tavita and Nicoll-Klokstad will be available again
next week but Capewell isn’t expected to return until round six.
In Nicoll-Klokstad’s absence, Taine Tuaupiki starts at fullback with Leka Halasima again
named in the second row.
Added to the interchange is Marata Niukore after turning out for the New South Wales
Cup side last Friday night. Morgan Gannon and Alofi’ana Khan-Pereira are the other two
players on the six-man bench.
As well as Barnett, second rower Eddie Ieremia-Toeava and halfback Jett Cleary are
listed as the reserves.
Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Luke Hanson, 7. Tanah Boyd. 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark
Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Demitric Vaimauga, 16. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 17. Marata Niukore, 18. Morgan Gannon
Reserves: 20. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 21. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 22. Jett Cleary, 23. Mitch Barnett
