Superstar halfback Shaun Johnson will captain the Warriors’ Auckland Nines team, with the NRL club’s regular skipper Simon Mannering to sit out this weekend’s tournament.

McFadden said in a statement he had originally intended to include Kiwis skipper Mannering but made a late decision not to field the industrious forward ahead of a demanding NRL campaign.

Johnson will lead the side which contains nine players who were involved in the inaugural tournament last year, including new signing Ryan Hoffman, who represented the Melbourne Storm.

Warriors: Shaun Johnson (capt), Matthew Allwood, Nathan Friend, Ben Henry, Ryan Hoffman, Solomone Kata, Ngani Laumape, Sam Lisone, Tuimoala Lolohea, Sione Lousi, Suaia Matagi, Ben Matulino, Ken Maumalo, Nathaniel Roache, Bodene Thompson, Sam Tomkins, Chad Townsend, Manu Vatuvei.