Watene-Zelezniak and Townsend only trained with the squad
for the first time on Monday, but they were always going to be picked, given their combined experience of 330 NRL games.
On the debit side, Reece Walsh will miss the match, due to the hamstring strain that forced him out of the second State of Origin clash on Sunday.
That means captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will start at fullback, for only the second time in the last five games, since Walsh's blazing arrival on the NRL scene.
Euan Aitken and Josh Curran were also unavailable for selection, as they serve time in isolation for the next two weeks.
Watene-Zelezniak will make his Warriors debut on the wing while Townsend takes the No 7 jersey in the first game of his second stint at the club.
Marcelo Montoya moves into the centres in place of Aitken while Tohu Harris has been selected at lock.
Coach Nathan Brown has brought Eliesa Katoa into the second row and moved Ben Murdoch-Masila onto the edge after using him as a starting prop in the loss to Newcastle last time out.
Wayde Egan is back at hooker after missing one game after a brutal head knock against the Storm while Jazz Tevaga reverts to the No 14 jersey. Leeson Ah Mau, Bunty Afoa and Bayley Sironen make up the rest of the game day interchange bench.
