Mitchell Barnett, Kurt Capewell and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak return but Shaun Johnson is out for the One New Zealand Warriors’ NRL Heritage Round match against Brisbane at Go Media Stadium on Saturday (5.00pm kick-off; match day sponsor: One New Zealand).
Capewell is on Queensland’s interchange bench and Barnett is 18th man for New South Wales for Origin II in Melbourne tomorrow night.
In the expectation they’ll both back up for the Warriors three days later, Barnett slots back into the second row with Dylan Walker returning to the interchange while Capewell resumes the bench role he filled in his last two outings against North Queensland and Melbourne.
Watene-Zelezniak is also back after his one-match suspension replacing Edward Kosi in his regular spot on the right wing.
While boosted by the return of the trio, the One New Zealand Warriors will be without the services of the vastly experienced Johnson, who has been sidelined for at least four weeks with a chronic Achilles tendon injury.
His absence see Te Maire Martin switched to halfback and Chanel Harris-Tavita called into standoff; Harris-Tavita’s place on the bench is filled by hooker Freddy Lussick. Jazz Tevaga completes the interchange alongside Lussick, Walker and Capewell. Prop Tom Ale and back rower Jacob Laban slide onto the extended bench.
Other than Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in the centres for the injured Rocco Berry, the selected 17 is the same as the combination used in the 42-12 win over North Queensland on June 8.
First-year Warrior Capewell is in line to face his former Brisbane side for the first time in a match which will move him within one appearance of his 150-game milestone.
The One New Zealand Warriors will wear their 2024 heritage jersey against the Broncos, a replica of the club’s original 1995 away strip.
The day doubles as the Warriors’ annual old boys’ reunion with a big contingent of ex-players set to attend.