Warriors juggle injuries for Dragons clash
- Dave Worsley
- 6 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Experienced wings Dallin Watene-Zeleniak and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck are in the selection mix for the Warriors round 10 away clash against the St George Illawarra Dragons at WIN Stadium in Wollongong on Saturday.
Head coach Andrew Webster has named 212-game veteran Watene-Zelezniak to make
his first NRL appearance of the year after breaking his wrist in the Preseason Challenge
match against Cronulla Sutherland more than 12 weeks ago.
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The 29-year-old has been selected in his customary position on the right wing with his
stand-in Taine Tuaupiki switched to the left flank.
At the same time 216-game campaigner Tuivasa-Sheck (31) has been included on the extended bench as he moves closer to returning from the hamstring injury that forced him off the field 55 minutes into the third-round encounter with the Sydney Roosters on
March 21.
While Watene-Zelezniak and Tuivasa-Sheck are in contention, Webster has been forced to make backline adjustments with three outside backs sidelined before and after last
Saturday’s pulsating 30-26 win over North Queensland in last weekend’s Magic Round.
Preferred centres Ali Leiataua (ankle) and Rocco Berry (hamstring) are both out for a term.
Leiataua’s injury, picked up in training last Thursday, sees him out of action until round
13-14 while Berry is scheduled to return in round 14-15.
Not only that, back-up winger Edward Kosi is out with a chest injury he picked up early
in the match against the Cowboys but courageously played out the full 80 minutes. The
extent of the injury is yet to be confirmed.
With Leiataua and Berry both unavailable, second rower Kurt Capewell has been moved
to the centres again where he filled in after Berry left the field in the 52nd minute; he was
also used in the centres in the round seven win over Brisbane.
With Capewell moved, Marata Niukore, who started in the front row against Newcastle
and North Queensland, reverts to the second row with Jackson Ford to start at prop.
Hooker Sam Healey is named in No 14 after making his NRL debut against the Cowboys
with second rower Jacob Laban returning to the interchange after standing down last
week as he followed concussion protocols.
Sitting third on the ladder on 14 points, the Warriors are seeking their seventh win in
nine matches this season and their fourth on end but WIN Stadium has proved to be one
of their most difficult venues historically with 11 losses there against the Dragons in 13
attempts.
Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Kurt Capewell, 5 Taine Tuaupiki, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Luke Metcalf, 8 Jackson Ford, 9 Wayne Egan, 10 Mitch Barnett, 11 Leka Halasima, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark Interchange: 14 Sam Healey, 15 Jacob Laban, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Bunty Afoa Reserves: 18 Te Maire Martin, 20 Tanah Boyd, 21 Tanner Stowers-Smith, 22 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 23 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava