Team Update:
Barnett on track
One New Zealand Warriors co-captain
Mitchell Barnett is on track to back up from State of Origin duty in Sunday’s round 13 NRL encounter with the Rabbitohs at Accor Stadium in Sydney (2.00pm kick-off local time; 4.00pm NZT).
He remains in the 19-man game day squad after three players were omitted as required 24 hours before kick-off.
The three left out were hooker
Sam Healey, prop
Tanner Stowers-Smith and fullback
Taine Tuaupiki.
Starting at prop in Origin I,
Barnett played a total of 41 minutes in two stints in the Blues’ 18-6 win over the
Morons at Suncorp Stadium, making 110 metres from 12 runs and 26 tackles.
He recovered to join his clubmates in Sydney yesterday afternoon.
It means the Warriors are set to have
Barnett and fellow co-captain
James Fisher-Harris back in harness after they both missed last Sunday’s tough encounter with Canberra (
Fisher-Harris serving a one-match suspension).
Also back in the lineup is centre
Rocco Berry who has been recalled for his fourth appearance of a disrupted season after suffering a hamstring strain just after halftime in the Magic Round clash against the Cowboys. He earlier sat out the match against the Broncos as he served a one-match suspension.
With
Berry back,
Ali Leiataua makes way while
Marata Niukore, who started at prop against Canberra, reverts to the second row alongside
Kurt Capewell and
Leka Halasima shifts to the interchange.
Named on the interchange with
Halasima are utility
Te Maire Martin and middle forwards
Demitric Vaimauga and
Jackson Ford.
Martin has been used in brief stints off the bench in the last three matches and also did the same against the Broncos in round seven. He’s in sight of his 100th career game as he eyes his 98th appearance on Sunday.
With their narrow loss on Sunday night the Warriors are in a share of second on the table but are third behind Canberra on points for and against, just two points behind the Bulldogs.
The Wayne Bennett-coached Rabbitohs are coming off a bye sitting sixth on the ladder on 14 points with a 6-5 win-loss record. They have two players in the New South Wales squad in centre Latrell Mitchell and 18th man Campbell Graham.
In 41 matches between the two clubs, South Sydney has 21 wins to the Warriors’ 20.
The Warriors won 34-4 when the two teams last met in round five last season but the Rabbitohs won the previous eight contests.