Injuries sideline James Fisher-Harris and Leka Halasima for Sharks clash

Tuesday, 9 June 2026

The Warriors will play at Auckland's Eden Park on Anzac Day in 2027.

The second placed Warriors host the sixth placed Sharks in the club’s first game back in Auckland since April 18.

Warriors co-captain James Fisher-Harris and Leka Halasima have been ruled out, with Makaia Tafua, Kayliss Fatialofa and Jason Salalilo all possibilities to make their NRL debuts off the bench.

Warriors stars Mitchell Barnett and Kurt Capewell, plus Addin Fonua-Blake from the Sharks, miss the round 15 game due to State of Origin commitments.

A wave of new Warriors talent will sink or swim against the Sharks on Saturday night as injuries bite the Auckland-based side hard.

James Fisher-Harris has been sidelined with a calf injury.

Co-captain James Fisher-Harris (calf) and Leka Halasima (hamstring) are the latest two players to go down in what is a growing casualty ward. A return to play timeline for the pair is yet to be established but losing either or both for an extended period would be a huge blow.

Mitchell Barnett has retained his spot in NSW’s pack, meaning both he and Queensland’s Kurt Capewell will miss the Warriors clash with the Sharks on Saturday night.

On the other side of the equation, the Sharks, only one of three teams to beat the Warriors so far in 2026, will be without powerhouse prop Addin Fonua-Blake, who has been named on the NSW bench and Kiwis representative Briton Nikora, who will start for Queensland.

Coming off the bye, the Warriors have named potential debutants Makaia Tafua (hooker), Kayliss Fatialofa (edge forward) and Jason Salalilo (middle forward) on the interchange.

Warriors hooker Wayde Egan was in contention to replace the injured Blayke Brailey on the NSW bench but missed out to Apisai Koroisau. Given back-up hooker Sam Healey is currently sidelined with a broken thumb, Egan’s State of Origin omission is handy timing for the Warriors.

With both co-captains Barnett and Fisher-Harris out, Egan will captain the side.

Dragons bound halfback Luke Metcalf has again missed out selection, only included in the reserves. He could have been a possibility to have come back into the squad with one of the current halves, Chanel Harris-Tavita or Te Maire Martin, used in a utility role to cover Egan.

Metcalf has been named at halfback for the Warriors New South Wales Cup side.

However, 21-year-old Tafua, a product of the proud Linwood club in Christchurch, is a highly rated prospect at the Warriors and the nuggety No.9 has been a consistent performer in New South Wales Cup over the last season and a half.

With tidy distribution and a defensive attitude made for a NRL, a debut for Tafua will come as no surprise to those who have followed his career through the Warriors pathways system.

Saturday night’s Sharks encounter is the first time the Warriors have played at their home of Go Media Stadium in Auckland since way back in round seven, when they defeated the Titans 28-20 back on April 18.

It’s the second clash of the season between the two sides following the Sharks’ 36-22 round five victory in Sydney, way back on April 5.

Warriors: Taine Tuaupiki, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Ali Leiataua, Adam Pompey, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Te Maire Martin; Tanner Stowers-Smith, Wayde Egan, Jackson Ford, Marata Niukore, Jacob Laban, Erin Clark. Interchange: Makaia Tafua, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Demitric Vaimauga, Kayliss Fatialofa, Jason Salalilo, Jye Linnane. Reserves: Luke Metcalf, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jacob Auloa.

Sharks: William Kennedy, Samuel Stonestreet, Jesse Ramien, KL Iro, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Braydon Trindall, Niwhai Puru; Jesse Colquhoun, Jayden Berrell, Toby Rudolf, Billy Burns, Teig Wilton, Cameron McInnes. Interchange: Mawene Hiroti, Oregon Kaufusi, Siosifa Talakai, Thomas Hazelton, Hohepa Puru, Tuku Hau Tapuha. Reserves: Sione Katoa, Michael Gabrael, Blake Hosking.