Injury-plagued Jerome Ropati is ready to play his first NRL match in more than three months after being named in the Warriors' team for Saturday's NRL clash against the Gold Coast Titans in Robina.
Ropati, whose last NRL game was also against the Titans when the Warriors won by one point at Mount Smart, has been selected on the right wing replacing rookie Ngani Laumape.
Ropati's May 5 appearance was the 28-year-old international's second NRL match back from knee surgery, only to be sidelined by a hamstring complaint.
"Jerome has been working his way back to a return to the NRL," Warriors coach Matthew Elliott said in a statement.
"He has been a part of all our training lately and it was only a matter of time before he came back into the side."
In other changes to the Warriors' line-up, Suaia Matagi has been named in the run-on side, Elijah Taylor moves from loose forward to start in the second row, Todd Lowrie will wear the No.13 jersey and Feleti Mateo is on the interchange alongside Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman, Dominique Peyroux and Laumape.
Dane Nielsen is named in the centres despite before being forced off with an ankle sprain just 12 minutes into Sunday's 24-28 loss to Penrith.
Warriors: Kevin Locke, Jerome Ropati, Dane Nielsen, Konrad Hurrell, Manu Vatuvei, Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Suaia Matagi, Elijah Taylor, Simon Mannering (captain), Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman, Feleti Mateo, Dominique Peyroux, Ngani Laumape.
