LUKE NAMED AS HORDE OF STARS RETURN
The Warriors have potentially pulled a bit of a swifty ahead of their Round 9 showdown with Wests Tigers, naming Issac Luke after the on-fire hooker was reported by the club to be facing a four-week stint on the sideline yesterday.
But Luke, who left the field with a knee injury in the first half of the heavy defeat to Melbourne, trained on Monday has been listed in the No.9 jumper. Ironically, in-form utility Jazz Tevaga – Luke’s dummy-half stand-in against the Storm – has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Tevaga’s absence brings former Gold Coast Mr. Fix-it Karl Lawton, who has been excelling at hooker in reserve grade, onto the bench – which suggests he will be moved into the starting side if Luke belatedly pulls out. If that happens, Sam Cook – who made his NRL debut off the bench in Round 1 – and Mason Lino shape as the most likely options to join the interchange.
If all that wasn’t enough, the Warriors also welcome back four first-choice stars to the 17.
Shaun Johnson (leg), Tohu Harris (concussion), Solomone Kata (ankle) and James Gavet (hamstring) have all been named to return, which sees, Lino, Anthony Gelling, Round 8 debutant Joseph Vuna and an unlucky Albert Vete slip out of the line-up.
Bully named, four players return and utility set to make club debut.
[Team] https://t.co/kt3XR1p1oh pic.twitter.com/Ij160RBe0O
— Vodafone Warriors (@NZWarriors) May 1, 2018
WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS
7.30pm, Saturday, May 01, 2018
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
Referees: Ben Cummins and Grant Atkins
WARRIORS
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (c)
2 DAVID FUSITU’A
3 PETA HIKU
4 SOLOMONE KATA
5 KEN MAUMALO
6 BLAKE GREEN
7 SHAUN JOHNSON
8 BUNTY AFOA
9 ISSAC LUKE
10 AGNATIUS PAASI
11 SIMON MANNERING
12 TOHU HARRIS
13 ADAM BLAIR
Interchange:
14 KARL LAWTON
15 SAM LISONE
16 ISAIAH PAPALI’I
17 JAMES GAVET
18 ANTHONY GELLING
20 MASON LINO
21 ALBERT VETE
22 SAM COOK
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