Warriors Captain Simon Mannering, winger Manu Vatuvei and centre Dane Nielsen have all been ruled out of the Anzac Day NRL match against the unbeaten Melbourne Storm because of injury.
Veteran Vatuvei is out for up to three weeks after aggravating his sternum injury during the warm-up for the Warriors’ last match, the loss to Canberra on April 13.
He went on to play 80 minutes and score two tries but club medical staff said he would now need time out to recover.
Second-rower Mannering hasn’t recovered from the calf injury which forced him to miss leading the Kiwis for the first time in last Friday night’s Test loss to Australia, while Nielsen is still troubled by the rib complaint which forced him off the field early in the Canberra match.
Winger Glen Fisiiahi is restored in place of Vatuvei for Thursday’s AAMI Park match while four others return from injury as options on a five-man interchange bench – forwards Jacob Lillyman, Elijah Taylor and Pita Godinet and back Jerome Ropati.
Veteran centre Ropati is poised to play his first NRL game of the season. Since undergoing knee surgery he has played for the second-tier Auckland Vulcans side in the New South Wales Cup over the past month.
Fisiiahi played in the Warriors’ first two games but went on bereavement leave following the death of his sister and has played the last two weeks for the Vulcans.
Lillyman’s return ensures the Warriors will have their experienced front row rotation – also comprising Ben Matulino, Russell Packer and Sam Rapira at work for the first time in 18 matches stretching back to midway through last season.
Ben Henry will take Mannering’s second-row starting spot while Ngani Laumape returns to centre in place of Nielsen.
Warriors: Kevin Locke, Bill Tupou, Ngani Laumape, Konrad Hurrell, Glen Fisiiahi, Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Russell Packer, Feleti Mateo, Ben Henry, Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Elijah Taylor, Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman, Pita Godinet, Jerome Ropati (one to be omitted)