Confirmed Lineup: Laban to debut, RTS on wing
Wellington-raised second rower Jacob Laban will make his NRL debut while milestone man Roger Tuivasa-Sheck starts on the right wing in the One New Zealand Warriors’ fifth-round encounter with South Sydney at Accor Stadium today (3.00pm kick-off local time, 5.00pm NZT).
The 19-year-old Randwick Kingfishers junior has been added to the interchange replacing back-up hooker Freddy Lussick, who played for the club's New South Wales Cup side against the Rabbitohs in today’s early game.
Laban will become Warrior #286 having been 18th man twice, first in the final regular season match against the Dolphins last year and again in the third-round game against Canberra in Christchurch on March 22.
It’s back to the future for Tuivasa-Sheck (Warrior #203) who has been moved to the right wing for his 200th career appearance.
In replacing injured try-scoring ace Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, he returns to the position where he started his NRL career with the Sydney Roosters before being moved to fullback.
Adam Pompey will again be at left centre where he lined up against Newcastle last week when Tuivasa-Sheck was used at fullback.
Yesterday the Warriors confirmed Watene-Zelezniak and Marata Niukore had been ruled out of today’s game.
It means the Warriors are without five frontline players after earlier losing utility Dylan Walker (ankle), second rower Kurt Capewell (concussion) and half Luke Metcalf (broken leg). See the Maxigesic Recovery Report for full details.
In Niukore’s absence through a new foot injury, Mitchell Barnett has been switched to the second row with Bunty Afoa starting in the front row.
In the side for the first time this season is #1 fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
A hamstring injury kept Kiwi international Nicoll-Klokstad out of the club’s Preseason Challenge match against the Dolphins on February 24 and then the opening four rounds of the NRL season.
The 28-year-old comes back into the #1 jersey to move within three games of his 100th NRL career appearance.
Nicoll-Klokstad hasn’t had a game since his man of the match performance in the Kiwis’ record 30-0 win over the Kangaroos in the Pacific Championships final in Hamilton on November 4, a day when the fullback made 277 metres from 30 runs (101 post-contact metres) with two line break assists, a try assist, six tackles breaks and four off loads.
With Metcalf unavailable, One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster has called in Te Maire Martin to start in the halves alongside Shaun Johnson, reprising the partnership he used for the opening four rounds last season before Martin missed the following round with concussion and was then sidelined for a lengthy part of the season after breaking his fibula in the sixth round match against Newcastle.
Martin, who has played for the club’s New South Wales Cup side three times in the opening four rounds this season, was influential in Sunday’s 26-12 win over Newcastle with three line break assists, two try assists, 26 runs for 144 metres and 24 tackles without a miss.
Harris-Tavita, brought onto the interchange last Sunday, played the last 71 minutes of the match replacing Metcalf and scoring a try as well as creating one for Marcelo Montoya.
