Saturday’s first NRL Round 15 match is between New Zealand Warriors and Brisbane Broncos with the opening kick to commence at 17:35 local time. The game is to be played at Mt Smart Stadium which see’s home team New Zealand Warriors hold favouritism in the market. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between New Zealand Warriors and Brisbane Broncos.
Where and when: 17:35 | Saturday 21/06/2014 @ Mt Smart Stadium
Preview:
With this match being the first of three straight home games for the Warriors, the New Zealand side will be looking to return from the bye in round 13 with a win here and take some momentum into the back end of the season.
The Warriors had to travel to Perth for the most recent match where they took on the Rabbitohs.
Having won four of their previous five matches, the Warriors were in line for another win after racing to a 10 – nil lead after only eight minutes.
A try early in the second half had them maintaining the lead (14 – 8) but four tries in the last quarter of the match to the Rabbitohs, saw the game take a dramatic turn and the Warriors end up with a disappointing loss, 34 – 18.
The Warriors first 60mins was great and final score wasn’t a true reflection of their efforts.
If they can, and this week they will have to, put it together for 80mins, they’re capable of matching it with any side in the competition.
TEAM Changes.
BRONCOS
The Broncos travelled to a cold Canberra in their last match and secured a good 28 – 4 win.
Dale Copley continued his sensational form, scoring cross to take his season tally to an impressive eleven tries from his thirteen games – four clear of the nearest Bronco try-scorers Ben Hunt and Matt Gillett.
It was the Broncos fourth straight win and more importantly for the Brisbane side, it continued their strong defensive efforts – an aspect of their game that was missing in a string of four losses from five games earlier in the season.
No team in the past month as been able to post more than fourteen points against them but the unpredictable Warriors – will be a great test.
Origin players………
HEAD TO HEAD
The Warriors have won three of the last four against the Broncos and five of the last six matches played at Mt. Smart Stadium between the two sides.
The Warriors have been scoring plenty of points since their season turnaround under new coach Andrew McFadden with halfback Shaun Johnson and winger Manu Vatuvei leading the charge.
Fresh from a bye, they might have a bit too much zip for the Broncos who have clocked up plenty of miles in the past fortnight and have several players backing up from Wednesday night.
Along with recent stats, the Warriors should be able to get the job done here.
Teams:
WARRIORS: 1.Sam Tomkins 2. David Fusitua 3. Konrad Hurrell 4. Ngani Laumape 5. Manu Vatuvei 6. Chad Townsend 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Jacob Lillyman 9. Nathan Friend 10. Sam Rapira 11. Jayson Bukuya 12. Simon Mannering 13. Sebastine Ikahihifo 14. Feleti Mateo 15. Suaia Matagi 16. Charlie Gubb 17. Ben Henry.
BRONCOS: 1. Ben Barba 2. Daniel Vidot 3. Jack Reed 4. Dale Copley 5. Lachlan Maranta 6. Josh Hoffman 7. Ben Hunt 8. Josh McGuire 9. Jake Granville 10. Ben Hannant 11. Alex Glenn 12. Corey Oates 13. Todd Lowrie 14. Jarrod Wallace 15. David Stagg 16. David Hala 17. Francis Molo.
News:
Fiery NSW playmaker Josh Reynolds went out of his way to ensure there was no bad blood between he and Johnathan Thurston, but the Queensland star says it was he who needed to apologise.
Thurston says he regretted his ugly brain snap on Wednesday night, which sent him after his opposite number in an embittered postscript to the end of the Maroons’ State of Origin reign.
“That’s not in my game at all. I apologised to him after the game for my actions … I am better than that,” Thurston said.
Blues players were surprised at Thurston’s uncharacteristic aggression, with his North Queensland teammate James Tamou claiming he’d never seen his club captain react like that on a football field.
Thurston jammed a forearm into Reynolds’ face on the ground and then, as players from both sides came together, the pair clashed heads and exchanged heated words in an incident that was put on report but cleared by the match review panel.
Reynolds barked “you headbutted me” at Thurston as the referees tried to take control.
But post-game, Reynolds said he’d gone straight to Thurston to make sure the Queensland ace knew how much respect he had for him.
“I don’t want any bad blood. When we’re on the field it’s different but I went and shook his hand after the game straight away so that’s how it’s,” Reynolds told AAP.
“I’m sure he’ll know it was a thing in the heat of the battle and I told him I very much look up to him as a player and I have that much respect for him. He knows that.”
NSW forward Greg Bird said seeing Thurston and the other Maroons so agitated as the clock wound down on their dynasty was a satisfying moment.
“We’ve been doing exactly the same thing to them over the last couple of years,” he said.
“To see them do it to us was a bit of a cherry on the cake at the end. To see the frustration that finally, finally we’ve been able to instil in them.”
