The 20-year-old, who hails from Keebra Park State High School – the same school as Benji Marshall – was on Tuesday named as the fullback replacement for the injured Tedesco, who the Tigers last night said could be out for as long as nine weeks. Blake Austin will play his first game for the club with five-eighth Braith Anasta suspended.

Coach Mick Potter contemplated shifting Pat Richards or Tim Simona into the custodian role, but Todd Payten – Rowe’s under-20s coach, and now Tigers assistant coach – said Rowe was impossible to ignore.

‘‘We had some other options available in the first grade squad if we wanted to shuffle things around,’’ Payten said. ‘‘We spoke as a coaching group and decided K deserved his shot. It’s a big thing to move players out of position. That was part of our conversation – he’s here at the club for a job and while he’s yet to experience first grade, he’ll handle it.

‘‘If we had have shuffled Patty [Richards] or Timmy Simona back there, they’re not full time No.1s. I think positioning-wise and talk-wise, I think we would have lost a little bit. And I think we would have lost a little bit in the centres and on the wing. I think we’ve come up with the right decision.’’

Rowe scored 26 tries in as many games for the Tigers in the Holden Cup last year and has spent the pre-season training with the NRL squad.

‘‘He’s certainly a try-scorer – that speed and that support definitely helps him find the line,’’ Payten said. ‘‘He’s a quiet kid, he’s respectful and he’s super fit – he’s a delight to coach. He’s willing to learn and he’s worked on his game continuously since he’s been at the club. I always believed he was a first grader, I just wasn’t sure when that would be.’’

New Warriors coach Andrew McFadden hasn’t wasted any time shaking things up at the club, wielding the axe over Feleti Mateo and Chad Townsend for his first game in charge against the Bulldogs. McFadden, who took over from Matt Elliott on Monday, dropped Mateo and Townsend to the NSW Cup and replaced them with Sebastine Ikahihifo and Thomas Leuluai respectively.

‘‘It’s tough on Chad, he has been doing a good job but Thomas is key player for us,’’ McFadden said. ‘‘He’s a leader and is ready to come back into the starting line-up. Feleti hasn’t been going well and knows he needs to play his way back into form with our NSW Cup side. That means Seb starts and he deserves it after the work he has done so far this season.”

Glenn Stewart has been named to return from concussion after missing last week’s shock loss to the Tigers. Winger Jorge Taufua hasn’t been named but is believed to be a chance of playing his first game of the year after suffering a shoulder injury in the trials.

Dragons coach Steve Price has dropped halfback Adam Quinlan to the bench, bringing back Michael Witt for his first game since injuring his shoulder in round one.

Broncos centre Justin Hodges, who played his first game of the year against the Eels last week, has been moved from the bench into the starting centre position with Lachlan Maranta omitted from the team.

Mitch Brown replaces the injured Chase Stanley (shoulder) on the wing for the Bulldogs, while Frank Pritchard is set to make his return from an ankle injury.