The Warriors have included most of their biggest names in a preliminary squad of 22 players revealed today for the NRL Auckland Nines at Eden Park later this month.
Halfback Shaun Johnson will again captain the side over the weekend of January 31-February 1, alongside club captain and Kiwis skipper Simon Mannering, and together with record-try-scoring winger Manu Vatuvei, fullback Sam Tomkins, front rower Ben Matulino and hooker Nathan Friend plus all four new signings, Ryan Hoffman, Jonathan Wright, Bodene Thompson and Matt Allwood.
Other established NRL players named are Ben Henry, Sione Lousi, Sebastine Ikahihifo, Ngani Laumape, Suaia Matagi, Chad Townsend and Dominique Peyroux.
Making up the balance of the squad are five of the club's most exciting young prospects from the 2014 NYC premiership-winning Junior Warriors - Tuimoala Lolohea, Solomone Kata, Sam Lisone, Ken Maumalo and Nathaniel Roache (Lolohea and Kata were both in the club's 2014 NRL Nines team).
A total of 12 of the initial squad played at the inaugural 2014 Nines - Johnson, Tomkins, Lousi, Ikahihifo, Lolohea, Kata, Laumape, Matagi and Peyroux all turned out for the Warriors while Hoffman captained the Melbourne side, Wright was in Cronulla's line-up and Thompson was in the Wests Tigers squad.
Last year the Warriors stormed through their pool matches beating Canberra 25-14, Manly 27-4 and North Queensland 28-23. They edged South Sydney 17-16 but were eliminated by the Cowboys 8-0 in the semi-finals (the Cowboys going on to win the final).
Warriors 2015 NRL Auckland Nines preliminary squad: Shaun Johnson (c), Matthew Allwood, Nathan Friend, Ben Henry, Ryan Hoffman, Sebastine Ikahihifo, Solomone Kata, Ngani Laumape, Sam Lisone, Tuimoala Lolohea, Sione Lousi, Simon Mannering, Suaia Matagi, Ben Matulino, Ken Maumalo, Dominique Peyroux, Nathaniel Roache, Bodene Thompson, Sam Tomkins, Chad Townsend, Manu Vatuvei, Jonathan Wright.