NRL: Moon back in Warriors' centres

Joel Moon. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Joel Moon returns to the centres and Ukuma Ta'ai is included on an extended five-man bench for the Warriors' 23rd-round National Rugby League (NRL) match against Newcastle Knights at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland on Saturday night.

Moon, who was in the line-up for the previous three wins against Canterbury-Bankstown, South Sydney and Canberra, missed the 20-21 Brisbane defeat after originally being named to play.

He stayed home after his son spent a night in hospital after falling ill.

This week he's back on the left edge after utility Lewis Brown was used in the role against the Broncos.

Ta'ai is in line to make his NRL return after being sidelined with a knee injury for several weeks.

He has made only six NRL appearances this season, the last of them in the 12-6 11th-round win against South Sydney on May 22.

Ta'ai was 18th man in Brisbane last weekend and comes onto the bench for Elijah Taylor, who is being rested after excelling in his NRL rookie season, making 17 consecutive appearances since his debut against Cronulla in round three.

"Elijah has been really great for us but we're giving him a break this week to rest up a few little niggles," Warriors coach Ivan Cleary said.

The Warriors are sixth in the NRL after 22 rounds, locked on 26 points with Newcastle and Wests Tigers.

The Warriors can all but secure a spot in the NRL playoffs with victory this weekend.

With eight points against the Broncos, standoff James Maloney has now gone past 150 points for the second straight year, his total sitting on 154, six behind the competition's leading points-scorer Chris Sandow who notched a 20-point haul in South Sydney's 56-6 trouncing of Parramatta last night.

Team: Kevin Locke, Bill Tupou, Joel Moon, Shaun Berrigan, Manu Vatuvei, James Maloney, Shaun Johnson, Russell Packer, Aaron Heremaia, Jacob Lillyman, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (captain), Micheal Luck. Interchange: Pita Godinet, Sam Rapira, Ben Matulino, Ukuma Ta'ai, Lewis Brown.

- NZPA