Panthers take on Warriors without Origin stars

Joel Gould |

Brad Schneider will play in the halves for defending champions Penrith against the Warriors.
Brad Schneider will play in the halves for defending champions Penrith against the Warriors.

It’s one of the toughest road trips in the NRL and Penrith will have to play the Warriors away without five of their finest players.

NSW guns Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Brian To’o, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin were all absent from the squad named by Ivan Cleary for the clash in Auckland on Saturday afternoon.

It was always a bridge too far to get the five from Perth to New Zealand and give them a reasonable recovery time.

The coach alluded to it, and the unkind draw, after last week’s win over Wests Tigers.

“The Origin players won’t be playing because they can’t. I don’t think it’s fair that we can’t play them but through flights we just can’t get them there,” Cleary said.

Brad Schneider (half), Daine Laurie (fullback) Matthew Eisenhuth (lock), Paul Alamoti (wing) and Isaiah Papali’i (second-row) have all been elevated into the starting side.

In other team news, NSW centre Bradman Best makes his return from a hamstring injury for Newcastle against the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday while winger Dom Young makes his return to the Knights on the wing after playing last week for Sydney Roosters before getting a release.

Best
Bradman Best will make his return from injury for Newcastle against the Dolphins in Perth. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

Canberra winger Jed Stuart, son of Ricky Stuart, makes his NRL debut away to Wests Tigers on Friday night after replacing the injured Savelio Tamale.

South Sydney have named Cody Walker (groin) and Campbell Graham (back spasms) on an extended bench for the home clash with Melbourne on Saturday night, with Englishman Lewis Dodd getting a recall to replace Jayden Sullivan (calf).

Brisbane welcome back-rower Jack Gosiewski’s return on the bench from a broken arm against Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

North Queensland and Sydney Roosters have named all of their Origin players for the showdown at Accor Stadium.

Parramatta will have a new-look halves pairing of Joash Papalii and Dean Hawkins at home to replace Dylan Brown (suspended) and Mitch Moses (calf) in the final match of the round against Gold Coast on Sunday night.

The Titans have listed boom second-rower David Fifita at No.18 in his possible return from ankle surgery.

AAP