NZ Warriors welcome back several players for their final match of the season - and for some, final match for the club - against Gold Coast Titans at Auckland on Saturday.
Euan Aitken, Wayde Egan, Marcelo Montoya, Jesse Arthars and Rocco Berry all return for the soldout encounter at Mt Smart Stadium, which will double as a farewell for departing players.
Aitken and Arthars, as well as fullback Reece Walsh, standoff Chanel Harris-Tavita and second rower Eliesa Katoa will all finish with the club this weekend.
Egan (back spasms) and Montoya (knee contusion) were late injury withdrawals for Friday's 46-12 drubbing against Penrith Panthers, while Aitken was unavailable for personal reasons.
Arthars and Berry replace Viliami Vailea and Adam Pompey as the starting centre combination.
Arthars missed the last five games with a quad injury and illness, while Berry has been with feeder club Redcliffe in the Queensland Cup, since his last first-grade appearance against Cronulla Sharks in June.
Shaun Johnson has overcome the calf issue that forced him from the field at halftime against the Panthers and will take his regular No.7 jersey, while forward Bunty Afoa will become the only Warriors player to appear in all 24 matches this season.
Named on the extended bench is departing second rower Jack Murchie, who missed last week’s match with injury. Also named are standoff Daejarn Asi and prop Jackson Frei, who are both leaving the club as well.
The Warriors currently sit 14th on the NRL ladder, with just two competition points separating them from the 15th-placed Titans.
Warriors: 1-Reece Walsh, 2-Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3-Jesse Arthars, 4-Rocco Berry, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7-Shaun Johnson, 8-Addin Fonua-Blake, 9-Wayde Egan, 10-Tohu Harris, 11-Euan Aitken, 12-Josh Curran, 13-Bunty Afoa
Interchange: 14-Freddy Lussick, 15-Ben Murdoch-Masila, 16-Eliesa Katoa, 17-Tom Alex, 18-Jack Murchie, 20-Daejarn Asi, 21-Adam Pompey, 22-Edward Kosi, 23-Jackson Frei
Join us at 5pm Saturday for live updates of the NZ Warriors v Gold Coast Titans NRL clash
