The Vodafone Junior Warriors will take an unchanged line-up into their NYC preliminary final against minor premier Penrith at Suncorp Stadium tonight (7.15pm kick-off NZT).
Coach Kelvin Wright has confirmed player of the year Bunty Afoa will take his place in the front row despite being forced off the field with more knee trouble in last week’s 45-10 win over the Brisbane Broncos.
Afoa played the first 30 minutes but wasn’t able to return. However, he came through the final team run in Brisbane yesterday and will start his 51st NYC career game.
Erin Clark will again start at hooker with Kauri Aupouri and Ata Hingano in the halves.
The Vodafone Junior Warriors are within reach of making their third consecutive NYC grand final – and doing so from the bottom half of the top eight.
They lost the grand final to Penrith in 2013 before beating Brisbane to claim the title last year.
Tonight’s match is their fifth consecutive away game in as many weeks as they seek to beat the competition’s top side this season.
The Vodafone Junior Warriors lost their only regular season meeting with the Panthers this season.
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v PENRITH PANTHERS
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
5.15pm, Friday, September 25
Referees: Matt Noyen and Jon Stone
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 BRAD ABBEY
2 TOMAS AOAKE
3 MARATA NIUKORE
4 SEMISI TYRELL
5 PAUL ULBERG
6 ATA HINGANO
7 KAURI AUPOURI
8 BUNTY AFOA
9 ERIN CLARK
10 PAUL TULI
11 OFAHIKI OGDEN
12 MATIU LOVE-HENRY
13 JAZZ TEVAGA (c)
Interchange:
14 TYLER MOHI
15 MATTAIS HEIMULI
16 AMONI TUFUI
17 TUALIMA TUALIMA
COACH | KELVIN WRIGHT
