The Cowboys and Warriors have made injury-enforced changes ahead of their encounter at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday, but both retain much the same line-up as last weekend.
The Warriors have lost four-try wing Michael Crockett who dislocated his left elbow against Manly and will be out upto six weeks.
So Todd Byrne gets his first start of the year on the right wing after playing for the Auckland Lions at centre for the past three weeks and missing much of 2006 with a broken arm.
The Cowboys have lost test second rower Luke O'Donnell for several weeks with a leg muscle tear. Jacob Lillyman moves up from the bench.
Steve Southern, who was a late withdrawal from the game against the Tigers after suffering back spasms, was declared fit to rejoin the second row. The Cowboys are also without test prop Carl Webb, broken jaw, and Webb also will miss the Anzac test.
The threat for the Warriors will again come from the opposition backs.
Cowboys fullback Matt Bowen is in scintillating form, five-eighth Jason Smith - at 35 the oldest in the NRL - steers the team well and Johnathan Thurston is always a threat, despite not yet reaching his best.
The home team will be pleased with their defensive effort of last Sunday against Manly, bar the five minute spell in the second half where the Eagles scored twice. But more variation needs to be produced on attack.
Louis Anderson (ankle) and Wairangi Koopu (shoulder) were not considered for selection this week.
NZ Warriors v Cowboys
Mt Smart Stadium, 2pm Sunday
Warriors
1. Wade McKinnon
2. Todd Byrne
3. Tony Martin
4. Lance Hohaia
5. Manu Vatuvei
6. Jerome Ropati
7. Grant Rovelli
8. Ruben Wiki
9. Nathan Fien
10. Steve Price (c)
11. Logan Swann
12. Simon Mannering
13. Micheal Luck
Interchange
George Gatis, Evarn Tuimavave, Epalahame Lauaki, Sam Rapira.
Cowboys
1. Matt Bowen
2. Brenton Bowen
3. Ashley Graham
4. Paul Bowman
5. Neil Sweeney
6. Jason Smith
7. J. Thurston (c)
8. Matthew Scott
9. Aaron Payne
10. Shane Tronc
11. Steve Southern
12. Jacob Lillyman
13. Justin Smith
Interchange
David Faiumu, Scott Bolton, Sione Faumuina, Ray Cashmere.
