5 Apr 2023

Martin returns for Warriors but Niukore cops ban

7:14 am on 5 April 2023
Te Maire Martin of the Warriors.
North Queensland Cowboys v One New Zealand Warriors, NRL Premiership Rugby League match at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville, Australia on Saturday 18 March 2023. Photo: NRL Photos

Te Maire Martin. Photo: NRL Photos

Te Maire Martin and Shaun Johnson will be reunited in the halves but second rower Marata Niukore has been suspended for two games and will miss the Warriors NRL match at Newcastle this weekend.

Martin returns from concussion to replace Ronald Volkman, with Niukore pleading guilty to a dangerous contact charge from last weekend's win over the Sharks.

Niukore, who scored his first try for the club on Sunday, is replaced by Bayley Sironen.

Captain Tohu Harris has been named in the hope he will recover from the knee injury which ruled him out of the victory at Cronulla.

Josh Curran, who made a telling late impact against Cronulla, is on the interchange after being a late replacement for Harris last weekend.

In another feature highly-experienced Kiwi winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is included on the extended bench as he returns from the calf injury which side-lined him following the club's second trial against Melbourne in Christchurch in February.

A significant points-scoring milestone is within reach of Johnson this weekend.

After picking up 16 points against the Sharks, he's on 997 points for the Warriors needing just three more to become the first player in history to reach the 1000-point mark for the club.