Teams: Roosters make huge call to fit Leniu in
Kasey Badger has retained her spot as a lead referee heading into round 10 in a show of faith from the NRL officials.
Despite a poor showing during the Bulldogs vs Tigers clash last weekend, Badger has been appointed for Sunday’s match between the Roosters and Warriors.
The decision comes after widespread criticism of her performance, which included two players being sin-binned and a number of other controversial decisions.
Badger will also be in the Bunker for the game between the Panthers and Bulldogs.
Kasey Badger awards a penalty during the Bulldogs win over the Tigers.
In other news heading into the weekend, Spencer Leniu will be back on deck for the Sydney Roosters after an eight-game suspension for racial abuse directed towards Ezra Mam during the side’s trip to Las Vegas in the opening round.
Latrell Mitchell is also back from a three-game ban against the Dragons and it couldn’t have come at a better time for South Sydney, who are without a number of key names – including skipper Cameron Murray – as their injury crisis continues.
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Billy Slater sent a simple message to the Rabbitohs fullback, who had been “frustrated” with the side’s performances prior to being suspended for dangerous contact.
“Just go and play footy – that’s what he does best, he enjoys that,” he said on Nine’s Billy Slater Podcast earlier in the week.
“He’s a footy player and I’m sure he is looking forward to getting out there and having a bit of fun. Smile, go and enjoy yourself, play some footy. He’d been quite frustrated just before he got suspended and you could see that with some of his actions on the field.
Latrell Mitchell is set to return from suspension this weekend.
“His team has been in a hole and he hasn’t been playing his best football – but I think the game is better when Latrell is back and enjoying himself and playing well.”
Brisbane will be forced to make some changes to their backline, with Josh Rogers tipped to replace Adam Reynolds at halfback, while veteran Corey Oates is expected to return on the wing in place of the injured Jesse Arthars.
The injury cloud is still hanging over the head of Nathan Cleary, but the premiership-winning halfback has been named for Penrith’s clash with Canterbury on Friday night.
THURSDAY
Dolphins vs Manly Sea Eagles, Suncorp Stadium (7.50pm)
Dolphins: 1. Trai Fuller 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Jack Bostock 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Mark Nicholls 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Euan Aitken 13. Max Plath 14. Josh Kerr 15. Kenny Bromwich 16. Ray Stone 17. Connelly Lemuelu 18. Kurt Donoghoe 19. Sean O’Sullivan 20. Jarrod Wallace 21. Edrick Lee 22. Oryn Keeley
Sea Eagles: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Tolutau Koula 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Tommy Talau 6. Luke Brooks 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Karl Lawton 10. Josh Aloiai 11. Ben Trbojevic 12. Corey Waddell 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Gordon Chan Kum Tong 15. Toafofoa Sipley 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Matthew Lodge 18. Aaron Woods 19. Jakob Arthur 20. Jaxson Paulo 21. Raymond Tuiamalo Vaega 22. Ben Condon
FRIDAY
Penrith Panthers vs Canterbury Bulldogs, BlueBet Stadium (6pm)
Nathan Cleary is back for the Panthers.
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Paul Alamoti 4. Taylan May 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Luke Garner 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Jack Cole 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Liam Henry 17. Mavrik Geyer 18. Daine Laurie 19. Matt Eisenhuth 20. Brad Schneider 21. Preston Riki 22. Soni Luke
Bulldogs: 1. Blake Taaffe 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Matt Burton 7. Drew Hutchison 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Josh Curran 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jaeman Salmon 13. Kurt Mann 14. Bailey Hayward 15. Samuel Hughes 16. Kurtis Morrin 17. Jacob Preston 19. Poasa Faamausili 20. Blake Wilson 21. Toby Sexton 22. Connor Tracey 23. Jake Turpin
Parramatta Eels vs Brisbane Broncos, CommBank Stadium (8pm)
Eels: 1. Blaize Talagi 2. Maika Sivo 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Sean Russell 5. Bailey Simonsson 6. Ethan Sanders 7. Dylan Brown 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Joey Lussick 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Ryan Matterson 13. J’maine Hopgood 14. Bryce Cartwright 15. Makahesi Makatoa 16. Joe Ofahengaue 17. Kelma Tuilagi 18. Luca Moretti 19. Morgan Harper 20. Daejarn Asi 21. Wiremu Greig 22. Brendan Hands
Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Corey Oates 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Selwyn Cobbo 5. Deine Mariner 6. Ezra Mam 7. Joshua Rogers 8. Corey Jensen 9. Billy Walters 10. Payne Haas 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Xavier Willison 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Jack Gosiewski 18. Tristan Sailor 19. Fletcher Baker 20. Benjamin Te Kura 21. Jordan Pereira 22. Blake Mozer
SATURDAY
Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights, Scully Park (3pm)
Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Charlie Staines 3. Starford To’a 4. Justin Olam 5. Brent Naden 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Jayden Sullivan 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. David Klemmer 11. Samuela Fainu 12. John Bateman 13. Isaiah Papali’i 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Alex Twal 16. Alex Seyfarth 17. Fonua Pole 18. Tallyn Da Silva 19. Solomon Alaimalo 20. Asu Kepaoa 21. Alexander Lobb 22. Solomona Faataape
Knights: 1. David Armstrong 2. Greg Marzhew 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Enari Tuala 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Adam Elliott 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Dylan Lucas 17. Brodie Jones 18. Jack Hetherington 19. Jack Cogger 20. Mathew Croker 21. Jed Cartwright 22. Krystian Mapapalangi
St George Illawarra Dragons vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, Kogarah Oval (5.30pm)
Dragons centre Moses Suli.
Dragons: 1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Zac Lomax 3. Moses Suli 4. Jack Bird 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Hame Sele 11. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Tom Eisenhuth 14. Fa’amanu Brown 15. Blake Lawrie 16. Jack de Belin 17. Ben Murdoch-Masila 18. Michael Molo 19. Mathew Feagai 20. Toby Couchman 21. Luciano Leilua 22. Jesse Marschke
Rabbitohs: 1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Gehamat Shibasaki 3. Jack Wighton 4. Michael Chee Kam 5. Izaac Thompson 6. Cody Walker 7. Dion Teaupa 8. Davvy Moale 9. Damien Cook 10. Sean Keppie 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Siliva Havili 14. Peter Mamouzelos 15. Tallis Duncan 16. Tom Burgess 17. Matt French 18. Bayleigh Bentley-Hape 19. Leonard Skelton 20. Liam Le Blanc 21. Chase Chapman 22. Alex Johnston
Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks, AAMI Park (7.35pm)
Storm: 1. Sualauvi Faalogo 2. William Warbrick 3. Reimis Smith 4. Nick Meaney 5. Grant Anderson 6. Tyran Wishart 7. Cameron Munster 8. Christian Welch 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero 14. Bronson Garlick 15. Joe Chan 16. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 17. Alec MacDonald 18. Kane Bradley 19. Jack Howarth 20. Dean Ieremia 21. Chris Lewis 22. Tui Kamikamica
Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Kayal Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Daniel Atkinson 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Thomas Hazelton 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Jack Williams 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Royce Hunt 17. Braden Hamlin-Uele 18. Tuku Hau Tapuha 19. Mawene Hiroti 20. Samuel Stonestreet 21. Kade Dykes 22. Billy Burns
SUNDAY
Sydney Roosters vs New Zealand Warriors, Allianz Stadium (2pm)
Spencer Leniu will return for the Roosters.
Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 4. Joseph Manu 5. Dominic Young 6. Luke Keary 7. Sam Walker 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Angus Crichton 12. Nat Butcher 13. Victor Radley 14. Connor Watson 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Terrell May 18. Sandon Smith 19. Egan Butcher 20. Sitili Tupouniua 21. Siua Wong 22. Fetalaiga Pauga
Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Bunty Afoa 11. Jackson Ford 12. Mitchell Barnett 13. Tohu Harris 14. Dylan Walker 15. Tom Ale 16. Jazz Tevaga 17. Adam Pompey 18. Jacob Laban 20. Taine Tuaupiki 21. Zyon Maiu’u 22. Edward Kosi 23. Freddy Lussick
Gold Coast Titans vs North Queensland Cowboys, Cbus Super Stadium (4.05pm)
Titans: 1. AJ Brimson 2. Phillip Sami 3. Brian Kelly 4. Harley Smith-Shields 5. Jojo Fifita 6. Chris Randall 7. Kieran Foran 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Sam Verrills 10. Jaimin Jolliffe 11. David Fifita 12. Beau Fermor 13. Isaac Liu 14. Keano Kini 15. Erin Clark 16. Klese Haas 17. Josiah Pahulu 18. Alofiana Khan-Pereira 19. Keenan Palasia 20. Joe Stimson 21. Jacob Alick-wiencke 22. Aaron Schoupp
Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Viliami Vailea 5. Semi Valemei 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Griffin Neame 11. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Heilum Luki 15. Thomas Mikaele 16. Sam McIntyre 17. Jason Taumalolo 18. Jake Granville 19. Jake Clifford 20. Harrison Edwards 21. Braidon Burns 22. Jaxon Purdue