[VIDEO] New Zealand Warriors vs Brisbane Broncos Highlights: NRL scores, blog

Roar Guru

29th March, 2015

5177 Reads

Kickoff: 12.00pm (AEDT)
Venue: Mount Smart Stadium
TV: Live, Nine Network
Betting: Warriors $1.57, Broncos $2.40
Last Meeting: Broncos 28-22 Warriors
Head-to-Head: 30 Played; Warriors 15, Broncos 15
Warriors Last 3 Games: 14-24 vs Newcastle, 18-6 vs Canberra, 29-16 vs Parramatta
Broncos Last 3 Games: 6-36 vs South Sydney, 10-2 vs Cronulla, 44-22 vs North Queensland

Warriors
1 Tuimoala Lolohea 2 Jonathan Wright 3 Matthew Allwood 4 Solomone Kata 5 Manu Vatuvei 6 Chad Townsend 7 Shaun Johnson 8 Jacob Lillyman 9 Thomas Leuluai 10 Ben Matulino 11 Bodene Thompson 12 Ryan Hoffman 13 Simon Mannering (c)

Interchange: 14 Nathan Friend 15 Ben Henry 16 Sam Lisone 17 Albert Vete 18 Dominique Peyroux

Broncos
1 Jordan Kahu 2 Corey Oates 3 Jack Reed 4 Justin Hodges (c) 5 Lachlan Maranta 6 Anthony Milford 7 Ben Hunt 8 Josh McGuire 9 Andrew McCullough 10 Adam Blair 11 Alex Glenn 12 Matt Gillett 13 Corey Parker

Interchange: 14 Jarrod Wallace 15 Joe Ofahengaue 16 Sam Thaiday 17 Kodi Nikorima 18 Todd Lowrie

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Justin Hodges is free to play, an that's good for the game. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan)

Riley Pettigrew

Roar Guru

29th March, 2015

202

5177 Reads

Match result:

New Zealand Warriors 16
Brisbane Broncos 24

Match preview:

The New Zealand Warriors will be looking to go two from two at home this afternoon as they take on the Brisbane Broncos at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland. Join The Roar from 11.45am (AEDT) for live coverage.

The Warriors will look to win their second match at home for the 2015 season however, they will need to improve on last week’s second half.

Despite a 90 per cent completion rate, New Zealand’s halves must put boot to ball and improve their kicking metres considerably. Andrew McFadden and the Warriors football department must work on their attack if they are to crack Brisbane’s tough defence.

Brisbane’s defence was outstanding for the second week running, as they beat North Queensland for their first win in Brisbane for 2015. The Broncos will look to dominate in the kicking department, with Ben Hunt’s big boot set to test young Warriors fullback, Tuimoala Lolohea, who moves to fullback in place of English star Sam Tomkins who is sidelined for four to six weeks with a knee injury.

Look to Chad Townsend and Thomas Leuluai to continue their great form for this season as they battle the Broncos’ Ben Hunt, hungry for his third Australian jersey ahead of the Anzac Test in early May. Tuimoala Lolohea must step up if the Warriors are going to win this match. Fullback is Lolohea’s natural position, however he has made some big mistakes at the back in the past.

Matthew Allwood will make his Warriors debut in the centres. In the only other change for the Warriors, Dominique Peyroux has been added to a five-man bench.

The Broncos have named an unchanged side from their huge win over the Cowboys, with Todd Lowrie added to a five-man bench.

Both teams have won 15 games apiece in their battles against each other since 1998, however the Broncos have poor form at Mount Smart Stadium, winning only 4 of their last 14 matches. Last time the two teams met, the Broncos beat New Zealand 28-22 in a gruelling encounter in Brisbane.

Prediction
Even without star backs Sam Tomkins, Konrad Hurrell and Glen Fisiiahi, the young Warriors show no sign of slowing down.

Warriors by 10.

Join The Roar from 11.45am (AEDT) for score updates and debate in our live blog.

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