NRL: Inu and Mateo to start for Warriors against former club

Krisnan Inu will start for the Warriors against his former club Parramatta. Photo / Getty images

Feleti Mateo and Krisnan Inu are both set to start for the Warriors against their former club Parramatta in their second-round NRL encounter at the Eels' home ground next Monday night.

With the two clubs meeting only once last year it will also be the first time Inu has played against the Eels after missing last year's first-round meeting at Eden Park.

Inu, who turns 25 on the eve of the match, was today called into the Warriors' line-up to replace the injured Jerome Ropati. He'll partner 20-year-old Konrad Hurrell in the centres.

In the only other change to the starting line-up originally named for last Sunday's clash against Manly at Eden Park, Sione Lousi has been chosen as a starting prop alongside Kiwi international Ben Matulino with 2011 Kiwi Russell Packer set to come into the Monday Night Football battle from the interchange.

Hurrell has again been listed in the starting line-up although he subsequently went to the bench at Eden Park with former Junior Warriors captain Ben Henry running on in the centres.

Hurrell marked his debut by being voted the player of the day by his peers, his 53 minutes on the field highlighted by an exceptional work rate of 14 runs - the most by any Warriors players - and a game-high 154 metres gained.

Head coach Brian McClennan has opted to name a seven-man interchange bench as he did for the Manly match.

"It's early in the week to be naming a side after just coming off a Sunday match, especially with us not playing the Eels until next Monday night," he said.

"We've got a long turnaround for this game and there are still some things we'll be having a look at when the players return to training tomorrow morning."

Inu's return, forced by Ropati's injury, follows his outing for the Auckland Vulcans last Saturday when he scored a try and kicked three conversions in their opening-round 18-24 loss to Newcastle in the New South Wales Cup.

The return to familiar surroundings in Parramatta will mark his 19th NRL appearance for the Warriors while ex-Eels team-mate Mateo will extend his record to an unbroken sequence of 30 after playing in each of the Vodafone Warriors' 38 games last year.

While Lousi and Packer swap places, the other players among the first-named on the interchange bench are the same as those selected for the Manly match - prop Ukuma Ta'ai, Henry and Lewis Brown.

Glen Fisiiahi and Alehana Mara are again included on the extended bench along with 2010-2011 Junior Kiwi Sebastine Ikahihifo, a back-to-back NYC premiership-winner with the Junior Warriors.

The referees for Monday night's match will be Gavin Badger and Brett Suttor.