Three return, three out for Warriors V Bunnies clash

Published 3:21pm 2 August 2022

The Vodafone Warriors will welcome three players back and have lost three to injury for their round 21 clash against South Sydney at Sunshine Coast Stadium this Saturday (3pm kick-off AEST).

Bayley Sironen, Aaron Pene and Jack Murchie are back, but the injured Chanel Harris-Tavita, Jesse Arthars and Jazz Tevaga will miss the game.

Sironen, Murchie and Pene all return in a new-look back row with interim head coach Stacey Jones moving regular second rower Euan Aitken to the centres for Adam Pompey and switching Josh Curran to the interchange.

Pene is named to start for Tevaga, who’s out with a shoulder injury he picked up against the Storm.

Hooker Wayde Egan will start at standoff where he was used for the last 52 minutes of Friday night’s clash against Melbourne after Harris-Tavita left the field with a knee injury.

Sironen returns from a broken eye socket while Murchie is back after staying in Australia last week to be with his partner for the birth of the couple’s daughter.

With Egan in #6, Freddy Lussick starts at hooker for the second time since his mid-season arrival. Providing back-up on the bench is Taniela Otukolo.

Jones had originally intended to use Aitken in his old role in the centres in the homecoming match against the Wests Tigers on July 3 but he was moved back to the second row when Murchie was ruled out with injury.

With Arthars nursing a thigh strain, Marcelo Montoya stays in the centres while Edward Kosi, fresh from his hat-trick feat against Melbourne, remains on the left wing.