Tuivasa-Sheck to bring up milestone

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck makes a break for the Warriors against the Roosters. Photo: Reuters
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck makes a break for the Warriors against the Roosters. Photo: Reuters
Twin milestones are in store for captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and prop Sam Lisone, while Solomone Kata returns from injury for the Warriors' encounter with the Panthers at Pepper Stadium in Penrith on Saturday (5pm NZT).

Tuivasa-Sheck's 16th appearance for the club will be his 100th career match while Lisone will reach his 50-game milestone after making his debut for the club in 2015.

Kata was forced off in the first half of the Anzac Day match against the Melbourne Storm with a hamstring injury, forcing him to miss the last outing - a 14-13 victory against the Sydney Roosters - as well as ruling him out of last week's representative round.

He has been named to return at left centre with Blake Ayshford and David Fusitu'a reunited on the right edge.

Rookie Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who had a solid debut against the Roosters, is included on the extended eight-man bench along with veteran wing Manu Vatuvei.

Nicoll-Klokstad impressed for the Cook Islands in last Saturday night's Pacific test against Papua New Guinea while Vatuvei had a strong debut for Tonga in their win over Fiji.

While Tuivasa-Sheck and Lisone eye landmark appearances this week, interchange prop Ben Matulino and second-rower Bodene Thompson move within one game of milestones.

They're set to jointly reach the marks next week against St George Illawarra at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton. This week Matulino, again named on the bench, plays his 199th career game - all for the Warriors - while Thompson makes his 49th appearance for the club (the 134th of his NRL career).

The Warriors are 11th on the NRL table, two points out of the top eight with a 4-5 win-loss record.

The Panthers are 15th with a 2-7 record after losing their last five games.

The Warriors have lost their previous four away matches against the Panthers with their last win being a 30-16 victory in Penrith in 2012.

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