Kia ora and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Warriors' final match of the regular season against the Dolphins in Brisbane.
Saturday's contest will decide where the Warriors rank heading into their first NRL finals series since 2018. A win would cement their current standing in third, while a loss would see them drop below the Storm into fourth.
Regardless of those stakes, which also include the chance to equal a club-record win streak of eight games, coach Andrew Webster has named a distinctly second-string side for the match.
Paul Roache and Kalani Going have promoted to make their first-grade debuts in a gameday squad missing - among others - regulars Shaun Johnson, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, and Addin Fonua-Blake.
The Dolphins have stuck with their starters for the last game of their inaugural season, which began with a bang but has ended with a six-game losing streak, which they're favoured by the bookies to snap on Saturday.
We'll have all of the action from 5pm.
TAB betting odds: NZ Warriors - $2.40 Dolphins - $1.54
Team line-up:
NZ Warriors: 1-Taine Tuaupiki, 2-Ed Kosi, 3-Rocco Berry, 4-Adam Pompey, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Te Maire Martin, 7-Ronald Volkman, 8-Bunty Afoa, 9-Freddy Lussick, 10-Mitchell Barnett, 11-Josh Curran, 12-Marata Niukore, 13-Dylan Walker (c)
Interchange: 16-Bayley Sironen, 17-Tom Ale, 18-Kalani Going, 23-Paul Roache
NZ Warriors pair Kalani Going, Paul Roache to make first grade debuts in rotated side confirmed to face Dolphins
By Alex Powell
Two players will make their first grade NRL debuts for NZ Warriors on Saturday, as the final 18 to face the Dolphins in Brisbane was confirmed.
As coach Andrew Webster opted to rest his stars for the final week of the regular season, so a new-look side will take to the field at Suncorp Stadium.
Among those will be the pair of Kalani Going and Paul Roache, both confirmed on the interchange bench for the first time.
Going, 26, has been named in the No.18 jersey, and comes onto the bench for Jackson Ford.
The back-rower has been a regular for the Warriors in the New South Wales Cup, playing 22 games, scoring nine tries and making 667 tackles while averaging 116 running metres per game.
Meanwhile, Roache, 24, should be a familiar face to Warriors fans, as the younger brother of former hooker Nathaniel.
Utility Roache has made 15 appearances in the New South Wales Cup this season, scoring once, creating six try assists, and making 388 tackles, covering hooker and halfback.
Roache takes the place of Brayden Wiliame on the bench, with the centre having not played since the round two defeat to Sydney Roosters before a calf injury.
The final line-up sees a break for first grade regulars Shaun Johnson, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Addin Fonua-Blake - all given a week off before the Warriors return to the NRL playoffs for the first time since 2018.
