Source: Radio New Zealand
Mitch Barnett has been named among the Warriors reserves against Newcastle. Brett Costello
NRL: Newcastle Knights v NZ Warriors
Kickoff 5pm, Saturday, 21 March
MacDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Live blog updates on RNZ website
NZ Warriors co-captain Mitch Barnett moves a step closer to his NRL return, when his team visit Newcastle Knights this weekend.
After spending eight months rehabbing a season-ending knee injury, Barnett is among the reserves for Saturday’s encounter. If he eventually takes the field, he will bring up his 50th appearance for the Auckland club in his final season at Mt Smart, after being granted an early release for family reasons.
Five-eighth Luke Hanson has been named for his first-grade debut, as coach Andrew Webster is forced into injury changes to a line-up that has the Warriors off to a 2-0 start to their campaign.
Hanson replaces Chanel Harris-Tavita, who left the game early against Canberra Raiders last Friday with concussion. In his fourth year at the Warriors, Hanson, 22, starred in the reserves’ 2025 NSW Cup triumph and played both pre-season trials, with Harris-Tavita nursing a calf strain.
Webster has also lost the services of fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad with concussion, while second-rower Kurt Capewell hasn’t recovered from the hamstring strain that ruled him out during warm-ups last week.
They are replaced by Taine Tuaupiki and Leka Halasima respectively, while second-rower Marata Niukore is added to the interchange, after also missing the pre-season and early rounds with a calf strain.
Lurking among the reserves is Jett Cleary, son of former Warriors coach and current Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, and brother of Panthers star Nathan Cleary.
Webster has left a vacancy on his interchange and has so far included no backs on the bench, and will promote a reserve before kickoff.
Front-rower Jackson Ford, who currently leads Dally M Medal standings, will celebrate his 100th first-grade outing, including 33 for St George Illawarra Dragons, before he crossed the Tasman in 2023.
He led the Warriors in running metres and tackles in their season-opener against Sydney Roosters, and topped the tackle count again against the Raiders.
Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Luke Hanson, 7. Tanah Boyd. 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark
Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Demitric Vaimauga, 16. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 17. Marata Niukore, 18. Morgan Gannon
Reserves: 20. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 21. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 22. Jett Cleary, 23. Mitch Barnett
Meanwhile, new Knights coach Justin Holbrook has had to grapple with his own injury problems, including Kiwis half Dylan Brown and would-be NZ international Kalyn Ponga.
Both left the field during Newcastle’s win over Manly Sea Eagles last week, and have been ruled out for several weeks with knee and hamstring troubles respectively.
Knights: 1. Fletcher Hunt, 2. Dominic Young, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Bradman Best, 5. Greg Marzhew, 6. Fletcher Sharpe, 7. Sandon Smith, 8. Jacob Saifiti, 9. Phoenix Crossland, 10. Trey Mooney, 11. Dylan Lucas, 12. Jermaine McEwen, 13. Tyson Frizell
Interchange: 14. Thomas Cant, 15. Mat Croker, 16. Pasami Saulo, 17. Francis Manuleleua, 18. Tyson Gamble, 19. Harrison Graham
Reserves: 20. Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, 21. Cody Hopwood, 22. James Schiller
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
