Confirmed lineup: Bench move
Adam Pompey has been brought onto the interchange bench for the One New Zealand Warriors’ ninth-round NRL encounter with the Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle today (2.00pm kick-off local time; 4.00pm NZT).
Pompey, set to make his fourth appearance of the season, replaces rookie second rower Jacob Laban who becomes the 18th man.
Kurt Capewell (throat) and Bunty Afoa (hamstring) came through a full week’s training to be confirmed for the match.
After missing the Anzac Day encounter against Gold Coast following a blow to his throat in the seventh-round against the Dragons, Capewell makes his 146th appearance to restore the team’s first-choice starting pack.
Afoa has missed the last three fixtures against Manly Warringah, St George Illawarra and Gold Coast after leaving the field with a hamstring injury 25 minutes into the fifth-round win over South Sydney on April 6.
Together Capewell and Afoa provide a major injection of experience to the team with 279 NRL appearances between them.
With Capewell back, four-game rookie Jacob Laban moves back to the interchange after his first starting appearance against the Titans last week.
Afoa rejoins the interchange alongside Laban, utility Dylan Walker and front rower Tom Ale.
The match against the Knights is the first of three consecutive Sunday games in Australia for the One New Zealand Warriors with the Sydney Roosters to follow at Allianz Stadium on May 12 and then the ‘home’ game against three-time premiers the Penrith Panthers during the NRL’s Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium on May 19.
Both teams go into this week’s contest on the back of indifferent form.
The Warriors have followed their 34-4 fifth-round win over South Sydney with their 22-22 golden point draw with Manly Warringah, a 12-30 reverse against St George Illawarra and an agonising 24-27 loss to the Titans.
After beating the Dragons in round five, the Knights have lost 20-22 to the Roosters and 12-36 to Canterbury-Bankstown but beat the Dolphins 18-14 in Brisbane last Sunday.
The rivals sit one spot apart on the ladder, the Warriors 12th on seven points while the Knights are 13th on six points.
Despite their recent form, the One New Zealand Warriors are to the fore in a number of performance measures.
After eight rounds they lead all teams for most metres gained (14,964) – almost1000 metres more than the next best – most runs (1655) and most kick return metres (1806). They’re top for most kicks (186), second for total kick metres (4988), first for most decoy runs (428), third for most post-contact metres (4964), second for most line engaged runs (221), second for completion rates (82 per cent), third equal for most tackle breaks (266) and in the top four for possession (52%).
In individual statistics, Addin Fonua-Blake leads all players for most post-contact metres (601) and is third behind fullbacks Dylan Edwards and Tom Trbojevic for most metres (1538).
Shaun Johnson has the best numbers for line engaged runs (83), line break assists (9), kick metres (4637), kicks (163) and attacking kicks (88) and is second for most try assists (8).
On the milestone front, winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak his 198th career game this week leaving him in line to reach his 200th against his original club Penrith.
