Warriors missing players for Sharks clash
- 39 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Injuries and State of Origin commitments have forced a major reshuffle of the Warriors’ squad for their round 15 NRL encounter with the Cronulla Sharks at a sold-out Go Media Stadium on Saturday
Prop Mitchell Barnett (New South Wales) and second rower Kurt Capewell (Queensland)
are both unavailable on Origin duty while it has been confirmed fellow veteran and
co-captain James Fisher-Harris has been ruled out with a calf injury.
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Fisher-Harris joins other frontline players Leka Halasima (hamstring) and Sam Healey
(thumb) on the casualty list along with Tanah Boyd and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who are
now recovering from surgery following their season-ending knee injuries.
With those seven first-choice players unavailable, as many as four players are in the
frame for possible NRL debuts this week in a season in which the Warriors haven’t
introduced a new player since round three.
The backline used in the club’s last outing against Penrith on May 31 has been named
again while there are two changes in the listed starting pack with Tanner Stowers-Smith
in for Fisher-Harris at prop and the vastly-experienced Marata Niukore for Halasima in
the second row.
Of the four interchange players who had game time against the Panthers, prop Demitric
Vaimauga is the only one left.
The other five on the listed extended six-man bench are seven-game first grader Eddie
Ieremia-Toeava and four players yet to make an NRL appearance – hooker Makaia Tafua,
second rower Kayliss Fatialofa, middle forward Jason Salalilo and utility Jye Linnane.
Vaimauga, with 42 games, is the most experienced and oldest of the six at just 23 while
Ieremia-Toeava, Tafua, Fatialofa and Salalilo are all 21 and Linnane 20. Listed in jersey
#23 is another 21-year-old in rookie hooker Jaydee Auloa.
Completing the named reserves are halfback Luke Metcalf and fullback Charnze Nicoll-
Klokstad; Metcalf made his comeback with the New South Wales Cup side against Penrith
on May 31 while Nicoll-Klokstad hasn’t played since the 28-20 round seven win over the
Gold Coast Titans.
The Warriors have won four of their last six matches against the Sharks but suffered a
disappointing 22-36 loss when the two teams last met in Sydney in round five.
Warriors: Taine Tuaupiki, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Ali Leiataua, Adam Pompey, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Te Maire Martin; Tanner Stowers-Smith, Wayde Egan, Jackson Ford, Marata Niukore, Jacob Laban, Erin Clark. Interchange: Makaia Tafua, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Demitric Vaimauga, Kayliss Fatialofa, Jason Salalilo. Reserves: Jye Linnane, Luke Metcalf, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jacob Auloa.
