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Stacey Jones - Source: Photosport -
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Veteran halfback Stacey Jones is set to play his first NRL match
in more than three and a half years when the Warriors face
defending premiers the Manly Sea Eagles in a second-round contest
at Brookvale Oval in Sydney on Sunday.
A niggling calf injury kept Jones (32) out of the club's
season-opening 26-18 victory over Parramatta but, with interchange
utility Lance Hohaia injured, he was today named on the bench for
what will
be his 239th first-grade appearance.
Also brought into the side are two new faces joining Jones on the
interchange bench.
Former Newcastle prop Jesse Royal (28), a late acquisition for the
2009 season, will become Warrior No 148 and Auckland Vulcans and
Mount Albert back rower Ukuma Ta'ai (22) will be No 149 when he
takes the field for his NRL debut.
While Jones replaces Hohaia, sidelined for three to six weeks with
knee ligament damage, Ta'ai effectively comes in for injured second
rower Ben Matulino (out for two to three weeks with an ankle
injury). Royal, a 29-game NRL player with the Knights in 2007-08,
replaces Leeson Ah Mau (19), who, after making his NRL debut last
week, will turn out for the Vodafone Junior Warriors in their NYC
encounter with the Sea Eagles.
The only change to the starting line-up is Jacob Lillyman coming
into the second row for Matulino. Lillyman (25) played a straight
stint of 61 minutes last Saturday night in his first NRL match
since June last year.
While disappointed to lose Hohaia and Matulino with injuries,
Warriors coach Ivan Cleary was encouraged by the depth in this
year's squad to cover their absences.
"We said from the outset that this season is very much about
working with a squad," he said.
"It's disappointing to be without Lance and Ben. They're both
important players in our mix but it's great to be able to bring in
players like Stacey, Jesse and Ukuma. It's an early test of our
depth."
However, Cleary said the Warriors faced arguably their most
difficult assignment in any season taking on Manly and especially
at Brookvale Oval.
"What happened to Manly against the Bulldogs last week is of little
significance to us," he said.
"They had a tough week leading up to that game but this week
they're back home in front of their own people. That'll make a huge
difference to them.
"The truth is we haven't been very good against them at all for
some time.
"They beat us four times last year, once in a trial and three times
during the season. Our last visit to Brookvale last year was one of
the most disappointing in our club's history. They really towelled
us up."
That clash finished up 52-6 to Manly, the heaviest loss in the
Warriors' history. They also lost at Brookvale in 2007.
While Ta'ai and Royal will play for the Warriors for the first time
on Sunday, halfback Nathan Fien will edge closer to becoming the
13th player to appear in 100 NRL matches for the club.
This will be his 98th outing and, with the injured Evarn Tuimavave
locked on 99, Fien is likely to reach three figures first; he's
also nearing his 200-game career milestone with what will be his
189th game.
Warriors: Wade McKinnon, Denan Kemp, Brent Tate, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei, Joel Moon, Nathan Fien, Sam Rapira, Ian Henderson, Steve Price (c), Simon Mannering, Jacob Lillyman, Micheal Luck.
Interchange: Stacey Jones, Russell Packer, Jesse Royal, Ukuma Ta'ai.
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