Locke’s NRL season over for Warriors

Young Warriors utility Carlos Tuimavave will replace injured fullback Kevin Locke, who has been ruled out for the rest of the NRL season.

Locke’s season ended 16 minutes into Saturday’s 52-12 loss to North Queensland in Townsville, the Warriors’ second successive heavy defeat following a 41-point flogging at the hands of Cronulla.

Tuimavave, 20, made his debut in place of injured five-eighth James Maloney early in the Sharks match. He shifted to fullback in Townsville when Locke exited with a high ankle sprain.

He scored a try and was voted player of the day by his teammates, providing one of the few bright points in another disastrous team performance.

“There weren’t many positives out of the North Queensland game but Carlos was certainly one of them,” Warriors’ coach Brian McClennan said.

Locke’s absence is another blow for the beleaguered New Zealand side as they prepare for Sunday’s match against Penrith in Auckland.

The Warriors are still missing captain Simon Mannering while he continues to recover from an ankle sprain.

Mannering’s last match was the loss to Newcastle on July 21 which started a four-game losing streak in which the Warriors slumped to 13th place and out of playoff contention.

Manu Vatuvei will captain the side for the fourth time in what will be his 150th match for the club – just the seventh player to reach that milestone.

Back in the starting team is loose forward Elijah Taylor, who missed the hammering in Townsville after returning home following the sudden death of his father.

He will start in the No.13 jersey, with Sebastine Ikahihifo on a five-man bench alongside Micheal Luck, Russell Packer, Steve Rapira and Pita Godinet.

Warriors: Carlos Tuimavave, Bill Tupou, Lewis Brown, Konrad Hurrell, Manu Vatuvei (capt), James Maloney, Shaun Johnson, Sione Lousi, Nathan Friend, Jacob Lillyman, Feleti Mateo, Ben Henry, Elijah Taylor. Res: Russell Packer, Sebastine Ikahihifo, Micheal Luck, Steve Rapira, Pita Godinet.

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