Last night news came through that Shaun Johnson and Solomone Kata had been ruled out of the Dragons game tonight, with Mason Lino and Anthony Gelling coming into the starting team. That's not ideal for a game against the team with the best record in the NRL, although with the length of the season in mind, these changes only add further intrigue to an already juicy encounter.

I may be similar to you in feeling as though a Warriors team without Johnson is still a competitive team. First and foremost; that's a beautiful thing and both these inclusions, along with Albert Vete sneaking on to the bench (Leivaha Pulu out, Simon Mannering to start, opening a bench spot) is just another example of the solid depth that has been built at Mt Smart.

Much of the good vibes for Lino's inclusion stem from his performance against the Roosters and now Lino faces a far stiffer test. Against the Roosters, Lino was playing on the front foot and could do as he pleased, which is unlikely to be the case against the rampant Dragons. With Lino coming in, this is also about how Blake Green steers the Warriors around; can Lino do his job against a confident team and we get another glimpse at the Warriors led by Green.

Lino will again play on the right side, with Green taking care of the first receiver duties more often than not. The right edge is still intact, meaning that Lino will again be working with Tohu Harris and Peta Hiku.

Other than playing a lot of footy over in England, we don't know too much about Gelling and what he offers as an NRL centre. Having a few years experience in professional footy is handy and Gelling isn't a young buck, that's why I like him as a depth option but we simply don't know how he holds up under examination from the Dragons. Gelling will play left centre, putting him up against Euan Aitken who is an absolute monster and the Dragons will be giving Aitken plenty of action.

Lost in the inclusions of Lino and Gelling is Chris Satae coming on to the bench, taking Gelling's spot. In my video preview, I highlighted that the Warriors will have a smaller forward pack and the good/bad of having a forward pack when coming up against a bloody impressive pack like that of the Dragons.

Satae changes that slightly. He's a big body coming off the bench and while Satae is unlikely to get more than 15-20 minutes, his game time will probably come alongside Adam Blair and Jazz Tevaga, giving the Warriors balance of a power forward and grafters in the middle.

Satae will joined by Vete as two middle forwards who will be eager to make an impression. This is Satae's second opportunity of the season after a brief stint vs Roosters (7runs/72m) and Vete is in for his first game of the season. When you consider that no one really knows what the best combination of middle forwards is for the Warriors, depending on injuries and suspension, Satae and Vete are playing for future bench spots; competition for selection is high.

Ligi Sao and James Gavet featured early in the season, Sam Lisone has had consistent game time without being spectacular and Tevaga has a niche role. Leivaha Pulu will be in the mix at some point as well and even though I always have Gavet in my top-17, the work of Bunty Afoa and Agnatius Paasi has been great and Gavet's got to earn his spot again.

Excluding Blair and Tevaga, the Warriors have Afoa, Paasi, Gavet, Lisone, Vete, Satae, Sao and Pulu competing for two starting spots and three bench spots. This week the focus is on Vete and Satae to offer impact off the bench while also adjust to the vibe of the game, doing their job and contributing to a win.

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Peace and love 27.