KEY POINTS:
The Warriors will kick off their NRL season against Parramatta at Mt Smart on Saturday with eight Australians in their starting line-up.
That number has doubled from last year's corresponding fixture when just four Aussies - five if you count Brent Webb - were in the starting side that lost to Melbourne Storm.
It's also a massive advance on the club's first fixture against the Broncos in 1995 when Greg Alexander and Phil Blake were the only Australians in the starting 13. The predominance of Australians was more by accident than design and was not the result of a conscious decision, coach Ivan Cleary said. "That's just the way it is."
With Jerome Ropati still unavailable due to a niggling back injury, Cleary has opted to pair Grant Rovelli and Michael Witt in the halves.
There are just two New Zealanders in the backline, with Lance Hohaia starting at centre alongside wing Manu Vatuvei.
New signing Michael Crockett partners Tony Martin on the opposite flank and Wade McKinnon makes his competitive debut for the club at fullback. In the pack, converted centre Simon Mannering picks up where he left off for the Kiwis in last year's tri-nations with a start in the second row alongside Logan Swann.
Micheal Luck will lock the scrum and George Gatis is preferred at hooker ahead of Nathan Fien, who will come off a bench that also includes Evarn Tuimavave, Epalahame Lauaki and Louis Anderson. Sam Rapira is the 18th man.
"The guys that have been picked pretty much picked themselves and that's the way we like it," Cleary said. For now, Mannering's switch to the pack was a temporary move, he added.
"We've had a few injury worries and we're still a little bit concerned about how many minutes we might get out of some guys, so Simon will probably spend some time in the centres as well."
Leaving out wing Todd Byrne in favour of the comparatively inexperienced Crockett was the toughest call Cleary had to make.
"It was a really tight call but you can only pick one," he said.
The Eels will be without workhorse second rower Nathan Hindmarsh and wing Eric Grothe Jnr, who are both expected to return from injuries in round two.
Hindmarsh will be replaced by his brother Ian, while rookie Joel Reddy slots in on the wing.
The Eels' major off-season signing, Brett Finch, will start at five-eight looking to put a chequered career with the Roosters behind him, while former Warrior P.J. Marsh is on the bench.
WARRIORS V EELS
Mt Smart Stadium, Saturday 7.30pm
WARRIORS
Wade McKinnon
Michael Crockett
Tony Martin
Lance Hohaia
Manu Vatuvei
Michael Witt
Grant Rovelli
Ruben Wiki
George Gatis
Steve Price (c)
Simon Mannering
Logan Swann
Micheal Luck
EELS
Luke Burt
Jarryd Hayne
Ben Smith
Timana Tahu
Joel Reddy
Brett Finch
Tim Smith
Nathan Cayless (c)
Mark Riddell
Fuifui Moimoi
Ian Hindmarsh
Chad Robinson
Daniel Wagon
Warriors: Nathan Fien, Evarn Tuimavave, Epalahame Lauaki, Louis Anderson, Sam Rapira (18th man)
Eels: PJ Marsh, Josh Cordoba, Todd Lowrie, Aaron Cannings.
