Sam Burgess has made five changes to his Warrington Wolves starting XIII to take on Wakefield Trinity this afternoon. The Wolves will be reeling from their loss in Las Vegas last weekend and they’ll be determined to get back to winning ways against Daryl Powell’s side.
Matty Ashton and Toby King were both left out of the initial 21-man squad after picking up injuries at the Allegiant Stadium. Therefore, Rodrick Tai and Alfie Johnson have been given the nod in the outside backs, with the latter making his competitive debut for the club after impressing in pre-season.
Lachlan Fitzgibbon was also injured in America and while he was named in the squad, he misses out. The same can be said for Matt Dufty, with Cai Taylor-Wray being selected at full-back, while Stefan Ratchford is preferred to Oli Leyland in the halves.
With Fitzgibbon missing out, Burgess has shuffled up his pack, with Ben Currie moving from loose-forward to back-row. Luke Yates will take up the number 13 spot, while James Harrison starts. Adam Holroyd has been named on the bench.
Powell has made a couple of changes to his line-up, with Matty Russell returning to the fold in place of Lachlan Walmsley. There’s no Jay Pitts either and that has prompted a shake up in the forwards, with Mike McMeeken going to loose-forward, Matty Storton moving to the middle and Jack Croft coming into the side to play at second-row.
Thomas Doyle and Olly Russell have dropped off the bench with Mathieu Cozza, Harvey Smith and Caius Faatili stepping in.
Warrington Wolves: Cai Taylor-Wray; Josh Thewlis, Arron Lindop, Rodrick Tai, Alfie Johnson; George Williams, Stefan Ratchford; James Harrison, Danny Walker, Paul Vaughan; Ben Currie, Dan Russell, Luke Yates.
Bench: Sam Powell, Jordy Crowther, Joe Philbin, Adam Holroyd.
Wakefield Trinity: Max Jowitt; Matty Russell, Oliver Pratt, Corey Hall, Tom Johnstone; Jake Trueman, Mason Lino; Matty Storton, Liam Hood, Caleb Hamlin-Uele; Isaiah Vagana, Jack Croft, Mike McMeeken.
Bench: Renouf Atoni, Mathieu Cozza, Harvey Smith, Caius Faatili.
