Injury-depleted Warriors to contest Dylan Walker’s grade two dangerous contact charge

NRL Warriors v Roosters Where: MT Smart, Auckland. When: Sunday, April 30, 4pm. Coverage: Live Sky Sport 4, live updates on Stuff from 3.40pm

The injury-ravaged Warriors will roll the dice at the NRL Judiciary on Thursday and contest Dylan Walker’s two-game suspension.

Just hours after a brutal 30-22 loss to the Melbourne Storm in their traditional Anzac Day fixture at AAMI Park, Warriors coach Andrew Webster has named a depleted squad – that included Walker – for Sunday’s round nine clash with the Roosters in Auckland.

Earlier on Wednesday, the NRL’s match review committee charged Walker with a grade two dangerous contact charge.

Walker will be appearing via video link at 6pm (NZT) on Thursday. If the club fails to have the charge downgraded or dropped, the utility – who has been playing in the No. 6 jersey after Te Maire Martin suffered a broken leg – will be missing for a crippling three weeks.

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Captain Tohu Harris (knee), Jazz Tevaga (calf and Achilles) and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (head knock) are all missing through injury.

Following a review by the bunker, during Tuesday’s heartbreaking loss to the Storm, where Webster’s side finished the match without a fit player on the interchange bench, Walker was sent to the sin bin for an alleged head slam on former Warrior, Eliesa Katoa, two minutes before half-time.

Because of a previous charge, Walker faced a two-week suspension with an early guilty plea or his luck at the NRL Judiciary.

Webster said post-game he did not think there was an issue with Walker’s tackle and wasn’t expecting the sin-binning but also felt it was hard to have a definitive opinion on the run from his vantage point.

“I initially thought it was a good tackle drive, I didn’t see any arm around his head, or slamming his head to the ground.

“When you’re in the box you’re not seeing things clearly because you’re a bit biased, but I thought Dylan was fine,” Webster said.

Ronald Volkman is named on the extended bench but will likely join Shaun Johnson in the halves if Walker is not available.

Harris, Tevaga and Nicoll-Klokstad now join a causality ward that already features Martin, Mitchell Barnett, Luke Metcalf, Rocco Berry, Brayden Wiliame and Valingi Kepu.

In a rare piece of good news for the Warriors, hooker Wayde Egan returns to the starting side after he missed the loss to the Storm as a precaution following a head knock against the Knights that ruled him out of the round seven win over the Cowboys.

Fullback Taine Tuaupiki has been named to replace Nicoll-Klokstad at fullback despite leaving the field with what appeared to be a lower leg complaint in the Warriors’ 48-4 New South Wales Cup victory over the Eels at North Harbour Stadium on Sunday.

Teenager forward Demitric Sifakula is on the extended bench, at this stage, but must be a major chance of making his NRL debut on Sunday in a side missing the punch of Harris and Tevaga.

Meanwhile, Kiwis fullback and last year’s Golden Boot winner Joey Manu will remain in the No. 6 jersey for the Roosters this week after an impressive performance during a 27-26 victory over the Dragons on Tuesday, when replacing Sam Walker.

Following the annual Anzac Day clash, the Roosters will also be on a quick backup but do at close to full strength with Daniel Tupou (hamstring) their only loss from the win over the Dragons.

Warriors: Taine Tuaupiki, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Marcelo Montoya, Adam Pompey, Ed Kosi, Dylan Walker, Shaun Johnson; Addin Fonua-Blake, Wayde Egan (c), Bunty Afoa, Jackson Ford, Marata Niukore, Josh Curran. Interchange: Freddy Lussick, Bayley Sironen, Tom Ale, Viliame Vailea. Reserves: Demitric Sifakula, Ronald Volkman, Ali Leiataua, Kalani Going, Zyon Maiu’u.

Roosters: James Tedesco, Corey Allan, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Paul Momirovski, Jaxson Paulo, Joseph Manu, Luke Keary, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Brandon Smith, Lindsay Collins, Egan Butcher, Nat Butcher, Victor Radley. Interchange: Drew Hutchison, Angus Crichton, Sitili Tupouniua, Matthew Lodge. Reserves:Fletcher Baker, Sam Walker, Naufahu Whyte, Jake Turpin, Nathan Brown.

Referee: Chris Butler