Veteran prop Adam Blair is a notable omission from the Warriors side to face the Panthers this Friday night. It means his long-anticipated 300th career NRL match will be pushed back another week at least, with the earliest possible fixture for the milestone being the round 13 clash with his old club, the Melbourne Storm.
It’s an unchanged team otherwise, with Nathaniel Roache retaining his spot at hooker. The inclusion of Jazz Tevaga and Karl Lawton means there’s once again no room for Issac Luke, the latest sign that he’s on the outer with coach Stephen Kearney.
The Warriors go in to the match on Friday night after a morale-boosting 26-18 win over the Dragons in the NRL Magic Round in Brisbane. While it didn't improve their place on the NRL ladder (they are sitting in 12th position), it certainly improved the mood of fans about the prospects of this season. The Warriors are 3-6 so far in 2019, but have two very winnable games coming up. The Panthers are currently second-last after a horror start to the season, then next week the Warriors host the struggling Broncos at Mt Smart.
Two consecutive wins have eluded the Warriors so far this year, but there is a very real possibility of three in a row before the team heads into the Origin period.
Warriors team v Panthers, 8pm Friday, Panthers Stadium
- Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c)
- David Fusitu'a
- Peta Hiku
- Patrick Herbert
- Ken Maumalo
- Kodi Nikorima
- Blake Green
- Agnatius Paasi
- Nathaniel Roache
- Leeson Ah Mau
- Isiah Papali'i
- Tohu Harris
- Lachlan Burr
Interchange
- Jazz Tevaga
- Bunty Afoa
- Ligi Sao
- Karl Lawton
Reserves: Gerard Beale, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Issac Like, Adam Blair