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Warriors v Sea Eagles
Kick-off: 8pm, Friday 16 August
4 Pines Park, Sydney
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Playing for pride will be the flavour of the month for the Warriors. Jazz Tevaga and Addin Fonua-Blake are moving on in 2025, with Shaun Johnson retiring at season's end. The squad still has a solid reason to turn up and at least put on a show for the fans - not to mention a few more losses to end the season will pose some serious job security questions around the head coaching role.
Playing Manly away will be a serious test, but the Warriors will be welcoming back a group of much-needed reinforcements in Adam Pompey and Luke Metcalf. A Warriors win would restore some positivity to the side.
Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel
Here's a look at the teams:
Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicole-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Adam Pompey 4. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Freddy Lussick 10. Mitchell Barnett (C) 11. Marata Niukore 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Dylan Walker
Interchange: 14. Chanel Harris-Tavita 15. Tom Ale 16. Jazz Tevaga 17. Demitric Sifakula
Sea Eagles: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Tommy Talau 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Lehi Hopoate 6. Luke Brooks 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Josh Aloiai 11. Haumole Olakau'atu 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic
Interchange: 14. Gordon Chan Kum Tong 15. Ethan Bullemor 16. Nathan Brown 17. Toluatu Koula
Warriors selections
Shaun Johnson is back, partnering five-eighth Luke Metcalf who returns from a broken leg that means he's missed the majority of the 2024 season. Hopefully this will bring a spark to the Warriors offence and make for some brilliant viewing. Also back in the starting line-up is arguably the Warriors' most improved player of the year, Adam Pompey, alongside the return of the country's newest podcast sensation Marcelo Montoya on the wing.
Adam Pompey of the Warriors makes a run during the NRL Round 27 match between the Redcliffe Dolphins and the New Zealand Warriors. Photo: Jono Searle / www.photosport.nz
Sea Eagles selections
Former Warriors Karl Lawton and Toafofoa Sipley drop out of the Manly 17, with the third Trbojevic brother Ben coming into the second row. Also Josh Aloiai and Tolu Koula return to the first grade side with Nathan Brown moved back onto the bench.
Past results
Warriors 22 - 22 Manly
The game itself was pretty painful for the most part as both teams piled on handling errors and missed opportunities, with the Sea Eagles in control for almost all of the game. A late Dallin Watene Zelezniak try in the corner followed by a sideline conversion from Johnson left them two points shy, then the Warriors were controversially awarded a penalty that Johnson kicked to secure a draw.
Prediction
That hard-fought draw was a total outlier for the Warriors season. Otherwise, they've failed to the seal the deal at the end of games. In fact, 10 games have been decided within a margin of two points and the Warriors only ending up on the right side twice.
This could definitely be a high scoring affair at 4 Pines Park this evening. Both teams haven't been shy to throw around the pill in the past few games with last weekend's games being absolute try-fests from both sides with the Sea Eagles absolutely thumping a dejected Raiders while the Warriors comeback was in vain against the Dolphins.
Expect fireworks and hopefully a few SJ side steps.