By CONNOR O’BRIEN, courtesy Gold Coast Bulletin
A MURWILLUMBAH crowd of thousands is expected to see an array of NRL prodigies in action for the first time in Tweed Heads colours on Saturday.
Lamar Liolevave, Lindon McGrady (both Canterbury), Ezra Howe (Manly) and Carne Doyle-Manga (Wyong) will all get a crack at Newcastle at Stan Sercombe Oval, having joined the Seagulls from their respective NRL/NSW Cup clubs in the off-season.
Add to the mix – which already includes a handful of promising returning Seagulls – Gold Coast fringe prop Kurt Bernard and under-20s centre Phillip Sami and you have a 24-man side capable of posing some headaches for the Knights.
Doyle-Manga is the most recent signing, arriving at Tweed on Thursday after spending much of the pre-season training with the New Zealand Warriors.
The powerful front-rower lined up for Sydney Roosters feeder Wyong last year and represented the Cook Islands in 2015.
That same year edge back-rower Liolevave made his NRL debut with the Wests Tigers, before the Keebra Park product switched to Belmore.
Hooker Sam Meskell is likely to captain the side, though no firm decision has been made on the year-long leadership.
Damian Sironen won’t play against his former club as he continues his recovery from shoulder surgery while 2016 Melbourne under-20s back Talor Walters has been ruled out after rolling his ankle at training on Monday night.
The preliminary squad (to be confirmed Thursday):
|
Lindon McGrady |
|
David Sheridan |
|
Tevita Folou |
|
Peter Lee |
|
Jayden Baker |
|
Sione Alofi |
|
Michael Burgess |
|
Ethan Price |
|
Sam Meskell |
|
Shane Gillam |
|
Lamar Liolevave |
|
Jackson Clarke |
|
Dane Clarke |
|
Mackenzie Reid |
|
Jordan Aiono |
|
Ezra Howe |
|
Nic Harrold |
|
Sam Carson |
|
Carne Doyle-Manga |
|
Tikiko Noke |
|
Kobi Annand |
|
Adam Barnes |
|
Kurt Bernard |
|
Phillip Sami |
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