Warriors players return to face Broncos in Brisbane
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Co-captain Mitchell Barnett heads a group of four players who return to the New Zealand Warriors’ squad for their NRL Magic Round encounter with the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday
The veteran has been named to start in the front row for the first time this season where
he is reunited with fellow co-captain James Fisher-Harris.
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In his previous four appearances this year Barnett was on the interchange bench as he
made his comeback from his season-ending knee injury suffered against South Sydney
last June (the last time he and Fisher-Harris started a match together).
Barnett missed the round nine win over Parramatta as he was subject to NRL head injury
protocols following a head knock in the Anzac Day victory against the Dolphins.
His selection as a starting prop sees the impressive Jackson Ford switched to the bench
after being in the run-on side for the first nine rounds.
Returning in the centres is Ali Leiataua, who missed the Parramatta match due to a head
knock against the Dolphins; he replaces Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who has been sidelined by
a shoulder injury he suffered late in the contest against the Eels.
Wayde Egan left the field with a head injury 29 minutes into the Parramatta game and
was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the encounter; he has also been cleared.
The fourth player included after coming off the injury list is prop Tanner Stowers-Smith
(hamstring) who is on the six-man bench with Sam Healey, Ford, Demitric Vaimauga,
Jacob Laban and Te Maire Martin.
While a significant number of players have spent time on the sideline so far this season
nine players are set to make their 10th consecutive appearances in the highly-anticipated
clash against the Broncos, the seventh and second-to-last course of the football feast
that is the Magic Round.
This is the seventh serving of the concept – all played at Suncorp Stadium – with the
Warriors being the nominal home team each time as they still will be again this week
despite playing the Broncos on their turf for the first time in the Magic Round.
Previously the Warriors have played the Dragons (2019), Eels (2021), Rabbitohs (2022),
Panthers (2023), Panthers (2024) and Cowboys (2025).
Coming off their first bye last week, the Warriors remain second on the ladder with a 7-2
record lying two points behind Penrith.
The last time they beat the Broncos at Suncorp was in 2018 with a draw and three losses
in their last four visits. The Warriors have won seven of the last 14 games between the
two sides while Brisbane has a 28-22 advantage plus a draw in 51 clashes since 1995.
Warriors: Taine Tuaupiki, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Ali Leiataua, Adam Pompey, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Tanah Boyd; James Fisher-Harris, Wayde Egan, Mitchell Barnett, Leka Halasima, Kurt Capewell, Erin Clark. Interchange: Sam Healey, Jackson Ford, Demitric Vaimauga, Jacob Laban, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Te Maire Martin. Reserves: Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Luke Hanson, Makaia Tafua.
