Warriors team changes:
Lillyman called in for trip for Brisbane
Former Queensland State of Origin forward Jacob Lillyman has been called in as a replacement for the Vodafone Warriors’ third-round NRL encounter with Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.
Lillyman comes onto the interchange bench for 20-year-old Sione Lousi, who hasn’t yet fully recovered from a leg infection that ruled him out of contention for last weekend’s clash against Cronulla.
After featuring in the Vodafone Warriors’ trials, a foot injury kept Lillyman sidelined for the first two rounds of the season.
He will now travel with the squad when it flies out of Auckland for Brisbane early tomorrow morning. Also joining the team is second rower Ukuma Ta’ai, who made 10 NRL appearances last year but started this season turning out for the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup.
Meanwhile, halfback James Maloney was found not guilty of a grade one dangerous throw offence by the NRL’s judiciary last night.
Maloney was charged for his involvement in a tackle on Cronulla’s Anthony Tupou in the ninth minute of last Saturday night’s second-round clash at Mount Smart Stadium.
Maloney appeared on a video link hook-up in Auckland while he was represented at NRL headquarters in Sydney by senior counsel Geoff Bellew.
After a 45-minute hearing, the panel of Mal Cochrane, Mark Coyne and Michael Buettner deliberated for about 15 minutes before returning a not guilty verdict, clearing Maloney to line up against the Broncos as coach Ivan Cleary had hoped.
“I’m really relieved I’ll now be able to take my place in the team against the Broncos,” said Maloney, who’ll be playing his seventh NRL match on Sunday.
“I was confident I hadn’t done anything wrong in the tackle.
“I’m so grateful to the club for their support and for the job Geoff Bellew did representing me.”
Maloney faced a two-match suspension if he had been found guilty.
VODAFONE WARRIORS v BRISBANE BRONCOS
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
1.00pm, Sunday, March 28
Referees: Steve Lyons and Alan Shortall
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 LANCE HOHAIA
2 KEVIN LOCKE
3 BRENT TATE
4 JEROME ROPATI
5 MANU VATUVEI
6 JOEL MOON
7 JAMES MALONEY
8 JESSE ROYAL
9 AARON HEREMAIA
10 SAM RAPIRA
11 BEN MATULINO
12 SIMON MANNERING (c)
13 MICHEAL LUCK
Interchange:
14 WADE McKINNON
15 JEREMY LATIMORE
16 RUSSELL PACKER
18 JACOB LILLYMAN
18TH MAN: UKUMA TA’AI
COACH: IVAN CLEARY
http://www.warriors.co.nz/news/527/L...p-for-Brisbane
