Kodi Nikorima beats out Ash Taylor to make first Warriors crew of 2022
David Neilson/Photosport
Kodi Nikorima is within the remaining 12 months of his present contract on the Warriors.
Kodi Nikorima has received the battle to begin within the halves alongside Shaun Johnson, as Ash Taylor is called on an prolonged interchange bench for spherical one of many 2022 NRL season.
Warriors coach Nathan Brown hinted final week that Nikorima would doubtless play at five-eighth towards the Dragons on Saturday night time and he’s adopted by means of with that in his first crew collection of the 12 months.
With Chanel Harris-Tavita enjoying fullback, changing the suspended Reece Walsh, it was a head-to-head battle as as to whether to go along with Nikorima or Taylor within the No 6 jersey and the earlier expertise Nikorima has enjoying with Johnson for the Kiwis proved to be a telling issue.
Addin Fonua-Blake has been named captain, a job he’s prone to hold till Tohu Harris return from his knee harm in a few months’ time.
READ MORE:
* NRL: Warriors in search of new chairman after Rob Croot departs
* New period at NZ Warriors begins as proprietor Mark Robinson makes his mark
* Warriors undecided whether or not they need tremendous coach or up-and-comer
Former Storm ahead Aaron Pene is the one participant set to make his Warriors debut within the recreation and he’ll begin off from the interchange bench. Johnson will make his first look for the Warriors since September 2018.
Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
Aaron Pene will make his debut for the Warriors on Saturday.
Brown has gone with two younger centres for the sport, with the 20-year-old Rocco Berry and 19-year-old Viliami Vailia getting the nod over Adam Pompey and Jesse Arthars.
Matt Lodge can also be suspended for this recreation, so Bunty Afoa, who’s 16 video games away from his one hundredth NLR look will begin at prop, together with Fonua-Blake.
The recreation will likely be performed at Sunshine Coast Stadium at 7.30pm NZ time on Saturday and it’ll grow to be the twelfth dwelling floor utilized by the Warriors.
David Rowland
Ken Reinsfield has grow to be the brand new chairman of the Warriors, taking up from Rob Croot.
Meanwhile, Ken Reinsfield, the previous supervisor and coach of Shane Cameron has been named as the brand new chairman of the Warriors.
The 64-year-old Reinsfield, who received a silver medal within the 74kg freestyle wrestling on the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, takes over the place from Rob Croot.
Croot left the position a month in the past after ending up as group CEO at Autex Industries, the corporate which owns the NRL membership.
Reinsfield has been concerned with the Warriors earlier than and labored because the membership’s wrestling coach, throughout the time when Tony Kemp and Ivan Cleary have been head coaches.
David Rowland/NZPA
Ken Reinsfield was beside Shane Cameron all through his boxing profession.
Following Reinsfield’s wrestling profession, he turned a basis member of the New Zealand Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission shaped in 1986 and he was additionally a New Zealand delegate on the Oceania Olympic Academy.
Reinsfield’s Instagram web page has on it a photograph from final 12 months of himself sporting a Warriors t-shirt, alongside the membership’s CEO Cameron George and proprietor Mark Robinson.
AT A GLANCE
Warriors: Chanel Harris-Tavita, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Viliame Vailea, Rocco Berry, Marcelo Montoya, Kodi Nikorima, Shaun Johnson; Addin Fonua-Blake (c), Wayde Egan, Bunty Afoa, Euan Aitken, Eliesa Katoa, Josh Curran. Interchange (from): Jazz Tevaga, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Aaron Pene, Bayley Sironen; Jack Murchie, Ash Taylor, Adam Pompey, Pride Petterson-Robati, Taniela Otukolo, Jesse Arthars, Edward Kosi.
