League: Warriors coach Stephen Kearney forced into changes

Adam Blair and Ken Maumalo both return to the Warriors starting side. Photo / Getty Images

The Warriors will be without forwards Tohu Harris and Bunty Afoa for at least the next month as the pair recover from injuries sustained in last Friday's loss to Cronulla.

Harris has a torn meniscus in his knee and will miss the next four weeks while Afoa dislocated his elbow and is facing a six-week stint on the sidelines.

Those injuries, plus the return of first choice players Adam Blair and David Fusitua, have seen coach Stephen Kearney make a number of changes to his side to face the Penrith Panthers in Western Sydney on Friday night.

Blair returns from his suspension while Fusitua has been named after recovering from an ankle injury he picked up in the lead-in to the Warriors win over the North Queensland Cowboys nearly three weeks ago. The try-scoring winger was named to play against the Sharks but was ruled out on the day of the game.

Also coming back into the side is Kiwi test winger Ken Maumalo, who sat out the Sharks game after returning late from the Denver test match.

Peta Hiku moves to the centres, replacing Anthony Gelling, while Gerard Beale shifts to the bench.

The club's forwards depth will be tested with their best edge player [Harris] and go-forward merchant [Afoa] absent for the tough run of games against the Panthers, Broncos and Storm over the coming weeks.

Simon Mannering moves from lock to the second row while Ligi Sao comes onto the bench as a replacement for Afoa. Sao has played well for the club's ISP side and gained 158 metres from 15 runs while making 32 tackles in 60 minutes last week against competition leaders Mounties.

Joseph Vuna, Karl Lawton, Sam Lisone and Mason Lino have been included on an extended bench for the Warriors.

The fourth-placed Panthers will be under-strength for the round 17 clash at Pepper Stadium – key halves Nathan Cleary and James Maloney as well as bench utility Tyrone Peachey are on NSW State of Origin duty while prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard is still out injured.

At full strength the Panthers look to be one of the competition favourites but the Warriors have managed to get them at a good time.

After sitting comfortably inside the NRL top four for almost all of the season the Warriors dropped to fifth with their loss to the Sharks. They had been on a two-game winning streak prior to that however.

Warriors: 1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2. David Fusitua, 3. Peta Hiku, 4. Solomone Kata, 5. Ken Maumalo, 6. Blake Green, 7. Shaun Johnson, 8. James Gavet, 9. Issac Luke, 10. Agnatius Paasi, 11. Isaiah Papali'i, 12. Simon Mannering, 13. Adam Blair. Bench: Jazz Tevaga, Chris Satae, Ligi Sao, Gerard Beale, Joseph Vuna, Sam Lisone, Karl Lawton, Mason Lino.