NRL: Trio return for Warriors

Brett Seymour. Photo / Getty Images

Prop Jacob Lillyman and second rower Ukuma Ta'ai return from injury while halfback Brett Seymour earns a recall for the New Zealand Warriors' annual Anzac Day NRL clash against the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park next Monday.

Minor injuries ruled Lillyman and Ta'ai out of last Saturday night's clash against Manly but they have both been cleared to reclaim their places in the squad after featuring in the preceding wins against Cronulla and the Sydney Roosters.

NRL STANDINGS

The experienced Seymour has been playing for the Auckland Vulcans in the New South Wales Cup over the last three rounds, helping them to three straight victories over the Windsor Wolves, the Newtown Jets and the Central Coast Centurions. They're now running second in the competition with five wins from six starts.

Seymour comes back into halfback, James Maloney moves to standoff and Feleti Mateo, who has been at No 6 the last three games, is named in the second row. Lillyman starts at prop again while Ta'ai is among five players named on the interchange alongside Alehana Mara, Ben Matulino, Russell Packer and Jeremy Latimore. The player to drop off the bench won't be confirmed until an hour before kick-off next Monday night.

With Shaun Berrigan sidelined for six weeks with a broken left hand, Lewis Brown has been moved into the centres. Joel Moon, a 74-game NRL player, wasn't considered after suffering a hip injury playing for the Vulcans last weekend.

"There's never any let-up in the NRL and playing the Storm in Melbourne is as tough as any away game in the competition," said Warriors coach Ivan Cleary.

"While we generally defended well again against Manly, we can still improve there and we know we'll need to be a lot better in every area against an opponent like the Storm. They've established themselves as one of the most impressive teams with really good performances over the last three weeks."

Berrigan and Moon have joined a growing injured list which includes Manu Vatuvei, Jerome Ropati, Glen Fisiiahi and Steve Rapira.

The Warriors started the sixth round in 11th spot and finished in the same position with four of the five teams below them all losing while three immediately ahead of them - Wests Tigers, Cronulla and the Roosters - were also beaten.

Warriors side to face Melbourne:
1 Lance Hohaia
2 Bill Tupou
3 Lewis Brown
4 Simon Mannering (c)
5 Krisnan Inu
6 James Maloney
7 Brett Seymour
8 Sam Rapira
9 Aaron Heremaia
10 Jacob Lillyman
11 Feleti Mateo
12 Elijah Taylor
13 Micheal Luck

Interchange:
14 Alehana Mara
15 Jeremy Latimore
16 Ben Matulino
17 Ukuma Ta'ai
20 Russell Packer

- HERALD ONLINE