Saturday has three NRL matches with the first game for Round 21 is between New Zealand Warriors and Cronulla Sharks with the opening kick to commence at 3.00pm local time. The game is to be played at Mt Smart Stadium with the favourite for the match being New Zealand Warriors. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between New Zealand Warriors and Cronulla Sharks.

WHERE AND WHEN: Mt Smart Stadium, 3.00pm

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Opening odds comparison:

New Zealand Warriors	1.42	1.45	1.42	1.45	1.42	1.46
Cronulla Sharks	2.95	2.75	2.95	2.75	2.95	2.88

Preview:

The first Saturday game is between the Warriors and the Sharks, kicking off at 3.00pm at Mt Smart Stadium. The Warriors will go into this match as favourites, despite the impressive performance shown by the Sharks last weekend. It has not been a good week off the field for Cronulla, with the walkout of CEO Bruno Cullen and the onset of ASADA interviews. The Warriors should be able to win here at home, with a lot of momentum on their side after defeating the premiers last week. This will be a hard fought game though, with the 6th placed Sharks needing to hang on to their top eight spot.

Teams:

New Zealand Warriors:
Kevin Locke, Ngani Laumape, Dane Nielsen, Konrad Hurrell, Manu Vatuvei, Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Ben Matulino, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (capt), Elijah Taylor. Interchange: Suaia Matagi, Jacob Lillyman, Todd Lowrie, Dominique Peyroux.

Cronulla Sharks:
Michael Gordon, Sosaia Feki, Ben Pomeroy, Jonathan Wright, Nathan Stapleton, Todd Carney, Jeff Robson, Andrew Fifita, John Morris, Bryce Gibbs, Jayson Bukuya, Wade Graham, Paul Gallen (capt). Interchange: Isaac De Gois, Chris Heighington, Sam Tagataese, Ben Ross, Tyrone Peachey (one to be omitted).

Warriors unchanged and injury-free

Things are positive for the Warriors in the medical tent as well as on the field, allowing coach Matthew Elliott to name an unchanged team to face the Cronulla Sharks.

A Warriors side who have grabbed 18 out of a possible 20 NRL points over the past 2-1/2 months will wheel out the same starting players in Auckland on Saturday who impressed in beating the defending champion Melbourne Storm 30-22 last weekend. The interchange is the same as well.

That result at Mt Smart Stadium saw the Warriors notch a seventh win in eight games since round 10. They have picked up four points from two byes during the same period to improve to ninth place.

“While we had a setback a week ago losing (wing) Glen Fisiiahi for the season, to come out of the Melbourne match with not only two points but also no injuries is a really big positive at this stage of the campaign,” Elliott said.

“We’ve also got two of our injured players in Russell (Packer) and Charlie (Gubb) set to come back from injury and Sam (Lousi) shouldn’t be too far away either.”

The Warriors sit ninth on the same points total (22) as eighth-placed Newcastle. The Sharks are just two points ahead in sixth, one of three teams on 24.

The Sydney club have won their last three games against the Warriors – the last two by heavy margins.

They were 28-4 winners in round three this year and blitzed the hosts 45-4 in Auckland, nearly a year ago to the day from this crucial fixture.

Cronulla rebounded from 0-40 loss to the Sydney Roosters by thumping top eight hopefuls the Penrith Panthers 38-10 last weekend.

Warriors: Kevin Locke, Ngani Laumape, Dane Nielsen, Konrad Hurrell, Manu Vatuvei, Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Ben Matulino, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (capt), Elijah Taylor. Interchange: Suaia Matagi, Jacob Lillyman, Todd Lowrie, Dominique Peyroux