NRL: Price suffers injury setback

Warriors prop Steve Price’s return from injury has been put back a couple of weeks. Photo / Rotorua Daily Post

Former Warriors Skipper Steve Price has suffered a setback on his way to returning from injury for the 2010 NRL season.

Price was scheduled to return this week but team doctor John Mayhew says he aggravated his heel going for a run, which has put his return back a couple of weeks.

Mayhew says the heel is inflamed but it is a minor setback because he has been rehabilitating well.

Price had parts of the bone around his Achilles tendon removed at the end of last season.

The Warriors made one change to the side that beat Cronulla last week but could be forced to make another when halfback James Maloney fronts the judiciary tonight.

Maloney has been named in the starting 13 for the match against Brisbane despite facing a two-match ban if he fails to defend a grade one dangerous throw charge.

The Warriors opted against entering an early guilty plea that would have seen him miss the trip to Brisbane, but by contesting the charge he risks being ruled out of the next home match against Manly if found guilty.

Second rower Lewis Brown, who was also charged in relation to the tackle on Sharks forward Anthony Tupou, entered an early guilty plea and will not travel.

He has been replaced in the starting line-up by Ben Matulino, who is promoted from the interchange bench.

Sione Lousi, who made his first-grade debut in the opening round loss to the Gold Coast Titans, returns to the bench after recovering from a leg infection.

The Warriors are anxious to have Maloney available after his assured performance at halfback as a replacement for Brett Seymour, who is sidelined with a broken thumb.

Broncos
Corey Norman, Antonio Winterstein, Gerard Beale, Israel Folau, Denan Kemp, Darren Lockyer, Peter Wallace, Nick Kenny, Andrew McCullough, Scott Anderson, Ben Teo, Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker. Interchange: Alex Glenn, Matt Gillett, Mitchell Dodds, Josh McGuire, Lagi Setu. (One to be omitted)

Warriors
Lance Hohaia, Kevin Locke, Brent Tate, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei, Joel Moon, James Maloney, Jesse Royal, Aaron Heremaia, Sam Rapira, Ben Matulino, Simon Mannering (capt), Micheal Luck. Interchange: Wade McKinnon, Jeremy Latimore, Russell Packer, Sione Lousi.

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA