🚨 The lineup for game one has landed! Get down to the first game for free this Friday and support the Turbos and Cyclones! Six players will make their starting debut for the Manawatū Turbos in their season opener against Counties Manukau at Central Energy Trust Arena at 7.05pm on Friday. The match, which will be free to attend, is the first of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC season. Co-captains Brayden Iose and Jason Emery will lead the team into battle for the first time. Four of the six debutants come with Super Rugby experience in Blues hooker Ray Niuia, Crusaders prop Harrison Allan, Crusaders first five-eighth Brett Cameron and Crusaders and Highlanders wing Tima Fainga’anuku. Wing Taniela Filimone and halfback Logan Henry will play their first province match. Filimone transferred to the region from Bay of Plenty early this year. The 21-year-old had a strong club season for Feilding Old Boys-Ōroua. Fellow FOBO teammate Henry also had a starring club campaign having transferred from Wellington. The debutants join a strong line-up of returning players. Samoan international Tietie Tuimauga rounds out the front row, with Micaiah Torrance-Read and Liam Mitchell bringing plenty of experince at lock. The loose forwards are TK Howden, Shamus Hurley-Langton and Iose. Fresh off a hat-trick in the final preseason game, Josiah Maraku will line up at centre outside Emery. Feilding Yellows standout and Manawatū Club Rugby Best and Fairest winner Drew Wild gets a chnace to stamp his mark at fullback. A further five players will make their Manawatū debuts from the bench in hooker Ben Strang, props Jarred Adams and Flyn Yates, lock Veikoso Poloniati and wing Ed Fidow. Yates was not named in the initial squad but was called in after an injury to Ropate Rinakama. Also on the bench are flanker Johnny Galloway, first five-eighth Stewart Cruden and halfback Griffin Culver. #WeAreManawatu #Turbos