Warriors skipper Simon Mannering will sit out this weekend's Auckland Nines at Eden Park.

Coach Andrew McFadden confirmed that Mannering, the club's player of the year last season, was being placed in cotton wool for what will be "another demanding NRL season".

Mannering was one of four players cut from the Nines training squad to make the 22-man group for the tournament.

The others were Dominique Peyroux and Sebastine Ikahihifo plus new signing Jonathan Wright, who is still serving a suspension imposed late in his 2014 campaign with Cronulla.

Superstar halfback Shaun Johnson captains the side in Mannering's place.

The Warriors squad includes nine players who appeared in the inaugural tournament last year and includes new recruits Ryan Hoffman and Bodene Thompson. The pair will make their club debut at the tournament.

Also lining up will be Nathaniel Roache. At 18 he will be among the youngest players involved; he's one of five players from the 2014 NYC premiership-winning Junior Warriors.

WARRIORS AUCKLAND NINES SQUAD

Shaun Johnson, Matthew Allwood, Nathan Friend, Ben Henry, Ryan Hoffman, Solomone Kata, Ngani Laumape, Sam Lisone, Tuimoala Lolohea, Sione Louisi, Suaia Matagi, Ben Matulino, Ken Maumalo, Nathaniel Roache, Bodene Thompson, Sam Tomkins, Chad Townsend, Manu Vatuvei.