NRL: Warriors unchanged for Eels test

Kieran Foran celebrates his try with team mates. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

An unchanged 21-man squad has been named for the Warriors' sixth-round NRL encounter with the Parramatta Eels at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday (4.00pm kick-off).

The Warriors are set to use the same combination which closed out a thrilling battle against the Gold Coast Titans 28-22 to register the second win of their 2017 campaign.

Second rower Bodene Thompson has been named in the second row after playing only the first half against the Titans. Warriors head coach Stephen Kearney brought James Gavet off the bench to start last weekend but he has again listed Charlie Gubb as veteran prop Jacob Lillyman's starting front row partner.

The extended bench comprises the same eight players selected last week.

Kearney reiterated he was pleased with the manner in which the players performed in the second half against the Titans - especially the forwards - after some concerns in a first half which saw the Warriors fall 12-22 behind.

A vastly-improved defensive display resulted in the Titans failing to add to their points tally in the last 45 minutes of the contest while the Warriors added 16 points through tries to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Kieran Foran and Ryan Hoffman with the match-winner in the 78th minute.

Kearney said the second half provided the kind of template the Warriors had been working on in the preseason and the opening rounds of the competition.

With a completion rate of 18 from 21 sets (86 per cent), the Warriors were able to dominate possession and field position in the second half, limiting the Titans to just 13 sets.

After making 19 errors in the loss to St George Illawarra, the Warriors cut their error rate to only five last Sunday.

They made 1783 metres with 10 players topping 100 - Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (209), Jacob Lillyman (169), Sam Lisone (147), Ken Maumalo (129), Kieran Foran (123), Issac Luke (119), Ryan Hoffman (112), James Gavet (105), Shaun Johnson (104) and David Fusitu'a (101). Charlie Gubb (99) and Blake Ayshford (97) were only just short of three figures.

The Warriors and the Eels come into the match with identical 2-3 win-loss records, the Warriors rebounding from three defeats to win last week while Parramatta has lost its last three to Gold Coast (14-26), Cronulla (6-20) and Canberra (18-30) after beating Manly and St George Illawarra in the opening two rounds.

The Eels hold a 20-16 advantage overall in contests between the two sides, winning at Mount Smart Stadium in the final round last year. The Warriors have won five of the last six encounters against Parramatta at Mount Smart Stadium.

WARRIORS v PARRAMATTA EELS
4.00pm, Sunday, April 9

WARRIORS
1Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c)
2Blake Ayshford
3David Fusitu'a
4Solomone Kata
5Ken Maumalo
6Kieran Foran
7Shaun Johnson
8Charlie Gubb
9Issac Luke
10Jacob lillyman
11Bodene Thompson
12Ryan Hoffman
13Simon Mannering

Interchange
14Nathaniel Roache
15James Gavet
16Sam Lisone
17ligi sao
18albert vete
20bunty afoa
21mafoa'aeata hingano
22mason lino