Warrior Kevin Locke is set to make his first starting appearance of the NRL season against Gold Coast at Robina on Saturday.

Locke has been selected on the wing in the one personnel change to the Warriors 13 that began the 16-12 defeat to competition leaders Canterbury in Hamilton on Sunday.

The eight-Test Kiwi, who is leaving at the end of the year to join English Super League club Salford, has come off the bench in the past two rounds after missing the early part of the year with a knee injury.

His inclusion means prop Suaia Matagi drops to the bench, with coach Andrew McFadden making three positional switches.

Ben Matulino, who has shown dynamic form as a backrower, returns to prop; Ben Henry goes from centre to take over Matulino’s place in the second row; and Ngani Laumape shifts from wing to centre.

McFadden says Henry, who scored a late try that got the Warriors back in with a chance of victory over the Bulldogs, has been doing a great job in the centres.

“But just for the dynamic of our team, I wanted to push Ben Matulino back into the front row,” he said.

“He’ll be having a roaming role.”

Hooker Siliva Havili, who made his Kiwis debut in this year’s Anzac Test, is added to a five-man bench after two games in the New South Wales Cup.

Meanwhile, the knee injury that forced utility forward Sione Lousi off against the Bulldogs is not as bad as first feared.

Scans have shown that Lousi avoided serious damage to the right knee he had surgery on last year and he is expected back in three to four weeks.

Warriors: Sam Tomkins, Kevin Locke, Konrad Hurrell, Ngani Laumape, Manu Vatuvei, Chad Townsend, Shaun Johnson, Jacob Lillyman, Nathan Friend, Ben Matulino, Jayson Bukuya, Ben Henry, Simon Mannering (capt). Interchange (from): Siliva Havili, Suaia Matagi, Feleti Mateo, Sebastine Ikahihifo, Nathaniel Peteru.