WARRIORS SQUAD NAMED FOR STORM TRIAL
Warriors fans will get their first look at new recruits Peta Hiku, Agnatius Paasi, Leivaha Pulu, Anthony Gelling (pictured) and Matiu Love-Henry when a relatively low-key squad takes on the Melbourne Storm in a Rotorua-hosted trial on Saturday.
Notable absentees from the 23-man group are big-name buys Tohu Harris, Adam Blair and Blake Green, as well as Round 1 certainties Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Shaun Johnson, Issac Luke and Simon Mannering.
Coach Stephen Kearney will be keeping a close eye on the performances of three-quarters Solomone Kata, Blake Ayshford, Ken Maumalo, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Gelling, who are effectively competing for two spots in the Warriors’ backline with David Fusitu’a and Hiku virtually guaranteed a starting jersey.
The absence of Johnson and Green gives Ata Hingano and Mason Lino – who has been handed the captaincy for this game – a chance to impress in the halves, as well as outstanding playmaking prospect Chanel Harris-Tavita, the linchpin of last year’s NYC squad. Fellow 18-year-old Hayze Perham is another young gun to watch out for.
With prop and back-row places at a premium ahead of the Warriors’ season-opening encounter with South Sydney on March 10, the likes of Sam Lisone, Albert Vete, Isaiah Papalii and Ligi Sao will be eager to shine against a second-string Storm outfit, with their top-liners taking on Leeds Rhinos in the World Club Challenge on Friday night.
Trial squad named to face Melbourne in Rotorua
v
[View] https://t.co/BcIjvfJXyE#WarriorNation #Rotorua #NRL pic.twitter.com/HJF60QqmBi
— Vodafone Warriors (@NZWarriors) February 13, 2018
WARRIORS v MELBOURNE STORM
Rotorua International Stadium
3.00pm, Saturday, February 17
BUNTY AFOA
BLAKE AYSHFORD
SAM COOK
DAVID FUSITU’A
ANTHONY GELLING
CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
PETA HIKU
MAFOA’AEATA HINGANO
SOLOMONE KATA
MASON LINO
SAM LISONE
MATIU LOVE-HENRY
KEN MAUMALO
CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
AGNATIUS PAASI
HAYZE PERHAM
CHRIS SATAE
ISAIAH PAPALI’I
LEIVAHA PULU
LIGI SAO
LEWIS SOOSEMEA
JAZZ TEVAGA
ALBERT VETE
The post WARRIORS SQUAD NAMED FOR STORM TRIAL appeared first on This Warriors Life.