NRL: Duo return for Warriors

Elijah Taylor returns for the Warriors this weekend. Photo / Getty Images

Lance Hohaia and Elijah Taylor both return to the New Zealand Warriors' line-up for their NRL clash against the Panthers in Penrith on Saturday night.

Utility Hohaia will start from the bench in his first appearance since being sidelined with a knee injury against the Bulldogs on July 15.

Hohaia replaces Pita Godinet, who has been on the bench for the last four weeks.

Backrower Taylor is also back on the interchange.

He was rested last week after appearing in 17 consecutive matches since his NRL debut against Cronulla in the fourth round in April.

Taylor replaces Ukuma Ta'ai, who made his return to the NRL against Newcastle last week but faces suspension after being charged with a grade two striking offence. Ta'ai has taken an early guilty plea on the charge but the club is disputing the grading; it will be considered at an NRL judicial hearing tomorrow night.

With five wins in their six games since their second bye, the Warriors go into the Penrith game still in sixth spot on points for and against. They're level on 28 points with Wests Tigers, only one behind last year's premiers the St George Illawarra Dragons (fifth) and two behind North Queensland (fourth). The Warriors face the Dragons and the Cowboys in their last two regular season games.

"The Panthers are down the table (11th) but they're always dangerous and have the ability to make us pay if we don't pay attention to our own game," said Warriors head coach Ivan Cleary.

"We were guilty of a poor first half performance against the Knights last week but fortunately we got out of the game with a much better effort in the second spell. We can't let that happen again."

While welcoming back Hohaia, Cleary said Godinet had made a great contribution over the last month.

"Pita did really well for us, coming into the NRL out of the New South Wales Cup," he said.
The Vodafone Warriors will field the same backline they've used in each of their last four wins with Joel Moon again in the centres making his 48th appearance for the club.

The Warriors will field the same backline they've used in each of their last four wins with Joel Moon again in the centres.

Three players will extend their record of playing in every game this season, captain Simon Mannering, Feleti Mateo and Ben Matulino making their 22nd appearances this weekend.

Warriors lineup:
1 Kevin Locke
2 Bill Tupou
3 Joel Moon
4 Shaun Berrigan
5 Manu Vatuvei
6 James Maloney
7 Shaun Johnson
8 Russell Packer
9 Aaron Heremaia
10 Jacob Lillyman
11 Feleti Mateo
12 Simon Mannering (c)
13 Micheal Luck

Interchange
14 Lance Hohaia
15 Sam Rapira
16 Ben Matulino
17 Elijah Taylor
18 Lewis Brown

- HERALD ONLINE