LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The NZ Warriors have announced a much-changed squad for their final regular season match against the Dolphins.
The game will take place at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday, with a kick-off time of 3.00pm local time and 5.00pm NZT.
The team list, titled "Rd 27 Team List: Big moves," was reported by the warriors.kiwi website.
Out of the 17 players who featured in the Warriors' top four-clinching win over St George Illawarra last Friday night, seven will be absent this week.
Captain Tohu Harris will miss the match due to back spasms, which also put his participation in the club's week one finals match in doubt.
Standoff Luke Metcalf is sidelined with a moderate grade high hamstring strain, and his return timeline is yet to be determined.
Head coach Andrew Webster confirmed that fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, halfback Shaun Johnson, front rower Addin Fonua-Blake, and hooker Wayde Egan will also miss the game to recover from various niggling issues.
With Harris out, Dylan Walker will step in as the loose forward and will also captain the side.
The Warriors' previous encounter with the Dolphins resulted in a 30-8 victory for the New Zealand team.
This win marked the beginning of a successful run, with the Warriors winning 10 out of their last 11 matches, a record matched only by the Brisbane Broncos.
Since their loss to Penrith in the Magic Round on May 6, they have triumphed in 11 of their last 13 games.
The squad changes suggest that the Warriors are prioritizing player recovery and managing injuries ahead of the finals series.
While missing key players, they will be looking to continue their impressive form and secure a victory against the Dolphins, which would be their 11th win in 12 matches.