NRL: Mara and Ta'ai called up for critical Warriors match

Back rower Ukuma Ta'ai has been called up for the Warriors' last match of the NRL regular season against the Cowboys on Saturday. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Hooker Alehana Mara and back rower Ukuma Ta'ai have been called up for the Warriors' last match of the NRL regular season against the Cowboys on Saturday night as they jostle for a favourable finishing position in the top eight.

Mara comes in for regular hooker Aaron Heremaia, who has been ruled out for up to two games with a hand injury, while Ta'ai returns from a two-match suspension replacing Elijah Taylor on the interchange bench.

The match is of critical importance to both the Warriors (seventh) and Cowboys (fifth) as the top eight is finalised. The Warriors could finish anywhere from fourth to seventh and will want to avoid a tough first-round playoffs match - the two lowest-placed losers are eliminated from the first week of the playoffs.

Mara will be making his seventh NRL appearance of the season and his 10th in total after spending most of the year playing for the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup. The most recent of his NRL appearances this season was against Melbourne on June 26.

Ta'ai will be playing his eighth game of the year. His previous seven appearances were all in a winning side.

In another change, Sam Rapira is named to start in the front row while Russell Packer has been included on the bench.

The Warriors will host former players on Saturday night in what has now become a traditional old boys' day and it will also signal the final regular season match for departing players Lance Hohaia, Heremaia, Shaun Berrigan, Joel Moon, Brett Seymour and Jeremy Latimore as well as head coach Ivan Cleary. The match will be of special significance for Cleary as he marks his 150th game as the club's NRL coach since he started in the role at the start of the 2006 season.

"We'll need to improve for the finals after letting ourselves down in some key areas against the Dragons."

Moon will play his 50th game for the Warriors this week - his 81st career appearance - while fullback Kevin Locke will be lining up for his 49th for the club.

Locke backed up his brilliant display against Penrith with another superb effort against the Dragons to earn the players' player of the day award for the second straight week. As well as scoring his 17th career try, Locke had a try assist, two line breaks, 13 tackle breaks, two off loads and he made 138 metres from 14 runs.

Warriors: Kevin Locke, Bill Tupou, Joel Moon, Shaun Berrigan, Krisnan Inu, James Maloney, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Alehana Mara, Jacob Lillyman, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (c), Micheal Luck. Interchange (one to be omitted) Lance Hohaia, Russell Packer, Ben Matulino, Ukuma Ta'ai, Lewis Brown.