Team List: Walker returns, CNK plays 100th game
Utility Dylan Walker will return from an ankle injury while fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will mark his 100th career appearance when the One New Zealand Warriors face the Gold Coast Titans in just their second Anzac Day home game at Go Media Stadium on Thursday (4.00pm kick-off; match day partner: New Zealand Defence Force).
While Walker is set for just his third appearance of the season after last playing in the round two clash against Melbourne on March 16, his comeback is offset by the loss of experienced second rower Kurt Capewell.
The Queenslander played the full 80 minutes and made 43 tackles in Friday night’s loss to St George Illawarra but suffered a throat injury which has seen him ruled out. It’s yet to be confirmed how long he will be sidelined.
In his absence Wellington-raised rookie Jacob Laban, who turned 20 last week, has been brought off the bench to start for the first time. His first three appearances since his debut against South Sydney have been off the interchange.
Set to make his NRL debut from the bench is highly-regarded prop Zyon Maiu’u, also 20, who was originally signed at the same time as Laban in 2021; the pair were also re-signed last November through to the end of the 2026 season.
Match: Warriors v Titans
Round 8 -
home Team
Warriors
away Team
Titans
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Charnze Nicoll-KlokstadFullback for Titans is number 1 AJ Brimson
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Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-ZelezniakWinger for Titans is number 2 Alofiana Khan-Pereira
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Centre for Warriors is number 3 Rocco BerryCentre for Titans is number 3 Brian Kelly
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Centre for Warriors is number 4 Roger Tuivasa-SheckCentre for Titans is number 22 Aaron Schoupp
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Winger for Warriors is number 5 Marcelo MontoyaWinger for Titans is number 5 Jojo Fifita
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Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Te Maire MartinFive-Eighth for Titans is number 6 Tanah Boyd
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Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun JohnsonHalfback for Titans is number 7 Kieran Foran
Forwards
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Prop for Warriors is number 8 Addin Fonua-BlakeProp for Titans is number 8 Moeaki Fotuaika
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Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde EganHooker for Titans is number 9 Chris Randall
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Prop for Warriors is number 10 Mitchell BarnettProp for Titans is number 10 Jaimin Jolliffe
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Jackson Ford2nd Row for Titans is number 12 Beau Fermor
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2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Jacob Laban2nd Row for Titans is number 13 Klese Haas
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Lock for Warriors is number 13 Tohu HarrisLock for Titans is number 16 Isaac Liu
Interchange
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Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Dylan WalkerInterchange for Titans is number 11 David Fifita
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Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Tom AleInterchange for Titans is number 14 Sam Verrills
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Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Zyon Maiu'uInterchange for Titans is number 15 Erin Clark
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Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Paul RoacheInterchange for Titans is number 17 Josiah Pahulu
Reserves
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Replacement for Warriors is number 18 Adam PompeyReplacement for Titans is number 18 Joe Stimson
Match Officials
- Referee: Wyatt Raymond
- Touch Judge: Matt Noyen
- Senior Review Official: Liam Kennedy
Last updated:
Maiu’u appeared in all 27 matches for the club’s New South Wales Cup side which went within a win of the grand final last year and has added another five appearances this year.
As well as Maiu’u and Walker, who’ll play his 222nd match on Thursday, the other players listed on the interchange are prop Tom Ale and Paul Roache, who covers hooker and the halves.
Along with Capewell, also out of contention again this week is utility Chanel Harris-Tavita (calf) plus Marata Niukore (foot), Jazz Tevaga (hamstring), Bunty Afoa (hamstring), Luke Metcalf (leg) and Demitric Sifakula (knee).
The game will be a double celebration for Nicoll-Klokstad who, like all his teammates but Shaun Johnson, will experience playing an Anzac Day match at Go Media Stadium for the first time as well as bringing up his 100-game milestone.
He started his NRL career with seven games for the Warriors in 2017 before racking up 66 games for Canberra from 2019-2022.
In his first three outings this season he has averaged a phenomenal 287 metres a game – 263 against South Sydney, 341 against Manly Warringah and 258 against St George Illawarra.
This will be the One New Zealand Warriors’ 15th Anzac Day game and the third to fall on a Thursday after 2013 and 2019; of the previous 14, 13 have been played in Melbourne.
Johnson is the only survivor from either squad from the first Anzac Day match at Go Media Stadium against Gold Coast in 2015, a game the Titans won 38-24.
The two teams will again play for the Zae Wallace Shield, which honours the much-loved Aucklander and former Titans junior who passed away at the age of just 20 in 2019.
Go Media Stadium is sold out for the fourth consecutive match this season, the fifth straight home game sellout including the encounter the Warriors took to Christchurch against Canberra in round three. The club’s two trials in Christchurch and Auckland were also sold out.
The crowd attendances for the first three NRL matches in Auckland have been 24,076, 24,112 and 23,076 with a crowd of 17,249 witnessing the 18-10 win over the Raiders in Christchurch.
