Live: Panthers boosted by late changes as Cleary and Yeo back up after Origin

What a start for the Warriors.

Demitric Vaimauga charged back with a thunderous hit-up.

He sent Tiger Sione Fainu flying backwards.

And it is a double-whammy for Fainu, who was penalised for a shoulder charge.

The Warriors march down the field, and produce an attacking kick at the end of the set.

The Tigers gather the ball on their own goal line.

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There is big news for the Penrith Panthers.

Co-captains Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo have been confirmed for the Panthers this afternoon against the Parramatta Eels.

They were part of State of Origin on Wednesday, and initially were named on an extended bench.

But the decision has been made for these two champions to play, as the Panthers try to end round 19 in the NRL’s top eight.

The Warriors have earned their eight-point lead at half-time.

Their new halves duo of Tanah Boyd and Chanel Harris-Tavita have been really solid.

Wests have had their moments, scoring two tries on the left flank.

But errors have cost the Tigers.

Wests Tigers had a scrum in the centre of the field, 30 metres from the Warriors’ goal line.

It came a knock-on by Warriors back Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

But the Tigers give away the ball on the first play.

They go wide to the right flank, and winger Charlie Staines goes for a grubber kick to the in-goal.

He probably had no choice, because he was about to be bundled into touch.

The ball goes dead-in-goal, and that ends any hope of points.

Returning Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has scored in the right corner.

It came off a scrum, 10 metres from the Wests goal line.

The Warriors shifted to the right, and with players in motion, the Warriors created a three-on-two overlap.

Te Maire Martin had just come on the field at right centre, as Rocco Berry comes off with what appears to be an upper arm, or pectoral issue.

Martin passes to Watene-Zelezniak, who completes the dive in the corner.

The conversion was unsuccessful.

NZ Warriors 16

Wests Tigers 8

Adam Doueihi has a try for the Tigers, after a period of sustained pressure.

Errors and penalties had put the Warriors under pressure.

The Tigers earned a repeat set following a nice grubber kick from Jarome Luai.

Off the next set, the Warriors right-edge defence was being put under pressure, like they were for the Tigers’ first try.

Doueihi broke out of the attempted tackle from Warriors’ halfback Tanah Boyd, and crashed over the line.

Doueihi’s conversion attempt is unsuccessful.

NZ Warriors 12

Wests Tigers 8

It was a simple try in the end.

Attacking the Tigers’ goal line, second-row forward Erin Clark gives a pop pass to his left, and five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita runs through a hole and scores.

The Warriors were given that chance on the goal line following a big break down the right flank by Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

The returning winger passed inside to his halfback, Tanah Boyd.

Two plays later, the Warriors were awarded a penalty for a high tackle.

Off the next set, the Warriors scored.

Conversion is successful.

NZ Warriors 12

Wests Tigers 4

Since the Warriors scored, the match has been played in the Tigers’ defensive half.

The Warriors’ defence has pinned the Tigers deep in their own end.

But the home side has been unable to convert this dominance into points.

The Warriors have had a few plays with the Tigers defending their goal line. But the Tigers have held firm.

The Tigers have been able to recover their own goal line drop-out, which ends the Warriors’ chances, for now.

 The Warriors strike with their first opportunity near the goal line.

Right centre Rocco Berry has crossed the line for the four-pointer.

The Warriors were given the opportunity after Tigers five-eighth Jarome Luai was penalised for obstructing the kick chase.

Luai obstructed Berry.

The Warriors take the tap and work it to the middle of the field.

The home side spins the ball right, a Tiger slips in defence, and Berry slices through to score.

Conversion is successful.

NZ Warriors 6

Wests Tigers 4

Tigers left winger Jeral Skelton has scored the first try of the match. The Warriors are yet to touch the ball.

Off the back of that early penalty, the Tigers have converted it into points.

They took four runs up the middle, then shifted the ball to the left.

Left centre Adam Doueihi threw the final pass to his winger, and it was a good pass. He was under pressure from a jamming defence, but held his nerve.

Doueihi misses the conversion attempt.

Wests Tigers 4

NZ Warriors 0

Referee Gerard Sutton blows his whistle. Let’s play rugby league.

The Warriors kick the ball to begin this round 19 contest.

Wests will have the first use of the ball, running to the right of your screen.

Prop forward Fonua Pole takes the first hit-up and he is met by strong defence.

The Warriors muscle-up on defence … PENALTY.

Gerard Sutton has found a strip, and the Tigers are able to kick into the Warriors territory.

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Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has just done an interview with broadcaster Fox Sports.

Despite the Warriors losing their previous two matches, he has little doubt that today will be a tough challenge.

“We’re playing a team at home, who are pretty hard to beat,” he says.

“We’ve got to be on our game today.”

The Warriors have a new halfback in Tanah Boyd.

Boyd has played 69 NRL matches for the Gold Coast Titans, and today will be his first match for the Warriors.

Marshall says his Tigers need to apply pressure to Boyd as he tries to settle in his NRL return.

“We’ve got to put him under pressure, challenge his kicking game, and make them come out of their half as much as possible.”

Need a refresh on all the action from Saturday in the NRL?

Tap the link below to read about what happened on and off the field.

— reporting by AAP

Sydney Roosters star Sam Walker has avoided spending even more time on the sidelines after dodging suspension for his cannonball-style tackle on David Klemmer.

Injury-stricken Walker was sin-binned during his first game for 314 days and so faced a nervous wait after the 31-24 defeat of St George Illawarra at Kogarah Oval.

After full-time on Saturday, the 23-year-old told reporters it was “a bit ridiculous” to have been sent for 10 minutes for the shot, which Roosters coach Trent Robinson also downplayed.

“It didn’t feel bad at all. I’ve made that tackle a million times and it’s never been a penalty,” Walker said.

“I personally think (the sin-binning) is a bit ridiculous … There’s not a world where I’m trying to hurt David Klemmer in a tackle like that.”

On Sunday, the match review committee opted against charging Walker altogether.

A cannonball tackle is a shot where a defender enters the tackle late and targets the legs of the standing ball-carrier.

The tackle can cause serious injury, with Roosters forward Siua Wong in the midst of a six-week lay-off with a knee issue caused by a cannonball tackle from North Queensland’s Karl Lawton, who copped a two-game ban.

On Saturday night, Klemmer went off after the shot but returned in the second half to finish the game.

Walker is now free to face Cronulla on Friday night and resume a season that has been significantly hindered by knee and thumb injuries.

 It’s good news for the New Zealand Warriors and Wests Tigers, they will line-up as advertised.

The Warriors welcome back Dallin Watene-Zelezniak from an ankle injury. The winger missed the Warriors’ last-start loss to the Broncos.

Kurt Capewell will not back up from State of Origin, after putting in a mighty effort for the Maroons on Wednesday.

For the Tigers, Jarome Luai is backing up from Origin.

Apisai Koroisau returns at hooker, a massive boost for Wests.

A month ago, the New Zealand Warriors looked destined to finish in the top four of the NRL.

But since a win over the Sharks in Cronulla in wound 14, the Warriors’ only competition points have come on bye weeks.

In the past month, they have had two losses and two byes.

The losses were at home to an under-strengthened Penrith, and to the Broncos in Brisbane.

But it is the casualty ward that might be the most concerning for the Auckland-based side.

NSW Origin forward Mitchell Barnett, and halfback Luke Metcalf, are both out for the season with ACL injuries.

Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is still a couple of weeks away from returning from an ankle injury.

These are three key players for the Warriors, and any more injuries over the next few weeks could derail their impressive season.

Here are the three matches on the cards this afternoon.

• 2pm: New Zealand Warriors vs Wests Tigers
• 4:05pm: Parramatta Eels vs Penrith Panthers
• 6:15pm: Gold Coast Titans vs Brisbane Broncos

*all times are AEST