The Kiwi team for next Friday night’s Anzac Test in Brisbane will be named later today.
Of the winning 2014 Four Nations squad, North Queensland’s Jason Taumalolo left the field early with a knee injury in yesterday’s Anzac Day clash against Newcastle and won’t be available for the Suncorp Stadium encounter.
Kieran Foran returned from injury to help Manly upset Melbourne last night and utility Lewis Brown also came back from a lay-off for Penrith against Cronulla today.
The other 21 players have all been in action this weekend although Siliva Havili and Suaia Matagi have been playing in the New South Wales Cup (Matagi made one NRL appearance in the opening round of the season).
Among those back in contention after being unavailable for the Four Nations are Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Sam Moa and Ben Matulino. Penrith back rower Elijah Taylor is still on the injured list.
Also named tonight will be the Junior Kiwis and the Kiwi Ferns. They both beat the Australians the last time they played. The Kiwi Ferns meet the Jillaroos in the Anzac Test curtain-raiser on Friday night while the Junior Kiwis take on the Junior Kangaroos in Robina on Saturday night. It will precede a Pacific Test doubleheader with the Papua New Guinea Kumuls taking on Fiji Bati and Toa Samoa facing Mate Ma'a Tonga.
Those in the mix for the Anzac Test squad could include: Gerard Beale (Cronulla Sharks), Adam Blair (Brisbane Broncos), Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne Storm), Sosaia Feki (Cronulla Sharks), Lewis Brown (Penrith Panthers), Greg Eastwood (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Kieran Foran (Manly Sea Eagles), Alex Glenn (Brisbane Broncos), Bryson Goodwin (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Tohu Harris (Melbourne Storm), Siliva Havili (Vodafone Warriors), Peta Hiku (Manly Sea Eagles), Josh Hoffman (Brisbane Broncos), Konrad Hurrell (Vodafone Warriors), Isaac John (Penrith Panthers), Shaun Johnson (Vodafone Warriors), Sam Kasiano (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Sydney Roosters), Thomas Leuluai (Vodafone Warriors), Sam Lisone (Vodafone Warriors), Issac Luke (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Simon Mannering (Vodafone Warriors), Matt McIlwrick (Sydney Roosters), Sam McKendry (Penrith Panthers), Benji Marshall (St George Illawarra), Suaia Matagi (Vodafone Warriors), Ben Matulino (Vodafone Warriors), Manu Ma'u (Parramatta Eels), Sam Moa (Sydney Roosters), Jason Nightingale (St George Illawarra Dragons), Kodi Nikorima (Brisbane Broncos), Frank Paul Nuuausala (Canberra Raiders), Sam Perrett (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Frank Pritchard (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Kevin Proctor (Melbourne Storm), Curtis Rona (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Tim Simona (Wests Tigers), Iosia Soliola (Canberra Raiders), Sauaso Sue (Wests Tigers), Brad Takairangi (Parramatta Eels), Sio Siua Taukeiaho (Sydney Roosters), Martin Taupau (Wests Tigers), Bodene Thompson (Vodafone Warriors), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Sydney Roosters), Manu Vatuvei (Vodafone Warriors), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Sydney Roosters), Dallin Watene Zelezniak (Penrith Panthers), Dean Whare (Penrith Panthers).