Boost for Vodafone Junior Warriors tomorrow night

Two of the Vodafone Junior Warriors’ most experienced players – Carlos Tuimavave and Omar Slaimankhel – will be back on deck for tomorrow night’s ninth-round NYC clash against Brisbane at Mount Smart Stadium.
Slaimankhel has spent the last three weeks rehabbing from the knee injury which has bothered him since the third-round match against Canterbury-Bankstown while Tuimavave has recovered from a groin complaint which has restricted him to four appearances so far this year.
Both in their third season in the competition, Slaimankhel will play his 43rd match and Tuimavave his 42nd as the Vodafone Junior Warriors look to back up the impressive come-from-behind 26-18 win over Melbourne by one of the youngest combinations the club has fielded in the NYC.
While they return Vodafone Junior Warriors coach John Ackland has also handed a debut to second rower Michael Sio, another St Paul’s College product and Marist Saints junior. Sio will become the 17th newcomer to NYC football for the Vodafone Junior Warriors this season.
Named to start in the centres is Adam Tuimavave-Gerrard, coming into the run-on side for Sione Feao while Peta Hiku, who filled in at fullback while Slaimankhel was out, slots in on the left wing. Apart from Sio coming into the back row for last week’s debutant Kouma Samson, the rest of the starting forward pack is unchanged from the Melbourne victory.
There are two changes on the interchange with Eko Malu returning for Jethro Friend and Simi Kata joining fellow big men Albert Vete and Toka Likiliki.
The Vodafone Junior Warriors are just one point behind the leading three clubs Wests Tigers, Canberra and Penrith while the Broncos are 13th on six points.

VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v BRISBANE BRONCOS

Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
5.15pm, Saturday, May 05
Referee: Shane Rehm

VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS

1 OMAR SLAIMANKHEL
2 PETA HIKU
3 NGANI LAUMAPE
4 ADAM TUIMAVAVE-GERRARD
5 NGATAUA HUKATAI
6 CARLOS TUIMAVAVE
7 MASON LINO
8 LIGI SAO
9 SILIVA HAVILI
10 SIULONGOUA FOTOFILI
11 MICHAEL SIO
12 JOHN PALAVI (c)
13 DAVID BHANA
Interchange:
14 EKO MALU
15 SIMI KATA
16 ALBERT VETE
20 TOKA LIKILIKI

COACH: JOHN ACKLAND