One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster has made two key spine changes for tonight’s Indigenous Round encounter with the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium in Sydney (7.35pm kick-off local time; 9.35pm NZT).
After confirming captain James Fisher-Harris’ return at the 24-hour deadline, Webster revealed changes in the halves and at hooker an hour out from kick-off.
Te Maire Martin, named on the interchange on Tuesday, comes off the bench to start in the halves with Tanah Boyd omitted (he played for the club’s New South Wales Cup side today).
Webster has also made a swap at hooker with Freddy Lussick brought in to start with Sam Healey switched to the interchange. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava is named 18th man.
Fisher-Harris last week’s loss against the Dolphins but comes back into the side along with standoff Chanel Harris-Tavita and middle forward Demitric Vaimauga who were also sidelined last week.
Harris-Tavita (calf) comes back into the halves alongside Tanah Boyd with front rower Vaimauga (knee) included on the interchange.
With Fisher-Harris back, Marata Niukore moves into the second row and Leka Halasima is switched to the interchange.
While Harris-Tavita, Vaimauga and Fisher-Harris are in the mix, hooker Wayde Egan is sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder injury and second rower Jacob Laban will be out for six weeks with a leg fracture he suffered in a tackle by Dolphins prop Felise Kaufusi.
Taine Tuaupiki will start at fullback again with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad backing up in the centres for the second straight week.
The Warriors and Bulldogs both go into the much-anticipated encounter on the back of defeats, the Warriors suffering a heartbreaking 18-20 loss to the Dolphins while the Bulldogs went down 14-28 to the Wests Tigers.