1 May 2012

Ropati and Hurrell return to Warriors line-up

4:19 pm on 1 May 2012

Jerome Ropati returns at fullback for the Warriors National Rugby League clash with the Broncos at Mt Smart Stadium after a tepid performance by Krisnan Inu in last week's loss to the Storm.

Konrad Hurrell also returns and takes his place in the centres for Saturday night's match.

Ropati has recovered from the hamstring strain that ruled him out of the Anzac Day clash in Melbourne.

Also returning to the line-up as expected is halfback Shaun Johnson, who missed the Melbourne game with a shoulder injury he picked up in his Kiwi debut in the Anzac Test.

Prop Russell Packer has been named as a starting front rower while coach Brian McClennan has also slightly shuffled his back row options, with regular loose forward Elijah Taylor named as a starting second rower and Feleti Mateo named at No 13.

McClennan says Jacob Lillyman, who has been sidelined since February with a bicep injury, was in contention to play but still needed to be cleared.

Inu, who started his 99th NRL match in the centres last week before moving to fullback, has been dropped to a five-man bench.

The Broncos come into the match as one of the competition's outstanding sides of the season to date.

They lost their second game to North Queensland but have since won six on end to lie second on the ladder behind the unbeaten Melbourne Storm.