Match Preview: Pre-season Challenge vs Warriors

Twelve months on and again we face the Warriors in our first hit-out of the year, this time in Christchurch.

It’s a new-look squad that will take on the Warriors, featuring several new recruits, half a dozen who are on train and trial contracts, and a handful of players on development contracts.

Of the new recruits, Aidan Sezer and Jayden ‘Bud’ Sullivan will get first chance to impress in the halves. 

Lachlan Galvin, who was set to play a utility role, has returned to Sydney for scans after picking up a calf injury in Queenstown. 

Galvin’s place in the 28-man squad will be filled by Iverson Matai, a talented young halfback who joined Wests Tigers last year from Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

Matai joined the squad in Christchurch on Friday, along with a handful of players who are on train and trial contracts.

Samuela Fainu is another preparing to play his first game at his new club, alongside older brother Sione.  Younger brother Latu will sit out the match in Christchurch, serving a one-game suspension.

There are ten players in Wests Tigers 28-strong squad on either development, or train and trial contracts, including starting centres Solomona Faataape and Declan Casey. 

Casey played a handful of games for the Bulldogs a couple of years back, while Faataape was super impressive last season for Queensland Cup premiers, Brisbane Tigers.

Wests Tigers boast a vastly more experienced pack than the Warriors, led by Api Koroisau, David Klemmer, Stefano Utoikamanu and Isaiah Papali’i, four of 18 players in the squad with NRL experience.

The Warriors will roll out the red carpet for the return of former captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, with Chanel Harris-Tavita also making his return to the club.

Tuivasa-Sheck has been named to start in the centres and Harris-Tavita at halfback in a squad which includes 13 players with first-grade experience.

Tuivasa-Sheck is paired alongside left winger Marcelo Montoya, who bagged a hat-trick in the corresponding fixture last season.