More than 30 New Zealanders including 20 current or former Kiwis are studded through the eight teams launching the 2015 NRL finals this weekend.
The schedule kicks off tonight with the minor premiership-winning Sydney Roosters facing the fourth-placed Melbourne Storm at Allianz Stadium.
Heading the Roosters’ line-up is Vodafone Warriors-bound Kiwi fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck plus Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Sam Moa and Suaia Matagi, who were all in the Kiwis’ Four Nations squad last year. The other New Zealanders in the squad are loose forward Sio Siua Taukeiaho and interchange back rower Isaac Liu and hooker Matt McIlwrick.
Melbourne also has a strong New Zealand contingent with wing Matt Duffie, prop Jesse Bromwich, second rowers Kevin Proctor and Tohu Harris and interchanges forwards Kenny Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
The teams for all four finals are:
Qualifying Final
Roosters (1) v Storm (4)
7.55pm, Friday, September 11
Allianz Stadium
ROOSTERS
1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
2 Daniel Tupou
3 Michael Jennings
4 Blake Ferguson
5 Shaun Kenny-Dowall
6 James Maloney
7 Jackson Hastings
8 Sam Moa
9 Jake Friend (c)
10 Dylan Napa
11 Boyd Cordner
12 Aidan Guerra
13 Sio Siua Taukeiaho
Interchange:
14 Mitchell Aubusson
15 Isaac Liu
16 Kane Evans
17 Suaia Matagi
18 Matt McIlwrick
Coach | Trent Robinson
STORM
1 Cameron Munster
2 Marika Koroibete
3 Will Chambers
4 Kurt Mann
5 Matt Duffie
6 Blake Green
7 Cooper Cronk
8 Jesse Bromwich
9 Cameron Smith (c)
10 Tim Glasby
11 Kevin Proctor
12 Tohu Harris
13 Ryan Hinchcliffe
Interchange:
14 Kenny Bromwich
15 Christian Welch
16 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
17 Jordan McLean
Coach | Craig Bellamy
Elimination Final
Bulldogs (5) v Dragons (8)
5.50pm, Saturday, September 12
ANZ Stadium
BULLDOGS
1 Brett Morris
2 Curtis Rona
3 Josh Morris
4 Tim Lafai
5 Sam Perrett
6 Josh Reynolds
7 Moses Mbye
8 Aiden Tolman
9 Damien Cook
10 James Graham (c)
11 Josh Jackson
12 Frank Pritchard
13 Greg Eastwood
Interchange:
14 Sam Kasiano
15 Shaun Lane
16 David Klemmer
17 Tim Browne
19 Lloyd Perrett
Coach | Des Hasler
DRAGONS
1 Josh Dugan
2 Eto Nabuli
3 Euan Aitken
4 Peter Mata'utia
5 Jason Nightingale
6 Drew Hutchison
7 Benji Marshall
8 Leeson Ah Mau
9 Mitch Rein
10 Mike Cooper
11 Tyson Frizell
12 Jake Marketo
13 Trent Merrin
Interchange:
14 George Rose
15 Ben Creagh (c)
16 Mark Ioane
17 Jack de Belin
18 Justin Hunt
19 Nathan Green
21 Craig Garvey
Coach | Paul McGregor
Qualifying Final
Broncos (2) v Cowboys (3)
7.55pm, Saturday, September 12
Suncorp Stadium
BRONCOS
1 Darius Boyd
2 Corey Oates
3 Jack Reed
4 Justin Hodges (c)
5 Jordan Kahu
6 Anthony Milford
7 Ben Hunt
8 Sam Thaiday
9 Andrew McCullough
10 Adam Blair
11 Alex Glenn
12 Matt Gillett
13 Corey Parker
Interchange:
14 Jarrod Wallace
15 Mitchell Dodds
16 Joe Ofahengaue
17 Kodi Nikorima
Coach | Wayne Bennett
COWBOYS
1 Lachlan Coote
2 Kyle Feldt
3 Justin O'Neill
4 Kane Linnett
5 Antonio Winterstein
6 Michael Morgan
7 Johnathan Thurston (c)
8 Matthew Scott (c)
9 Jake Granville
10 James Tamou
11 Gavin Cooper
12 Ethan Lowe
13 Jason Taumalolo
Interchange:
14 Rory Kostjasyn
15 John Asiata
16 Scott Bolton
17 Ben Hannant
18 Ray Thompson
19 Matthew Wright
Coach | Paul Green
Elimination Final
Cronulla (6) v South Sydney (7)
4.10pm, Sunday, September 13
Allianz Stadium
SHARKS
1 Michael Gordon
2 Sosaia Feki
3 Gerard Beale
4 Ricky Leutele
5 Valentine Holmes
6 Jack Bird
7 Jeff Robson
8 Chris Heighington
9 Michael Ennis
10 Sam Tagataese
11 Luke Lewis
12 Wade Graham
13 Paul Gallen (c)
Interchange:
14 Ben Barba
15 Anthony Tupou
16 Andrew Fifita
17 Jayson Bukuya
18 Matt Prior
21 Tinirau Arona
22 David Fifita
Coach | Shane Flanagan
RABBITOHS
1 Greg Inglis
2 Alex Johnston
3 Dylan Walker
4 Kirisome Auva'a
5 Bryson Goodwin
6 Luke Keary
7 Adam Reynolds
8 Thomas Burgess
9 Cameron McInnes
10 David Tyrrell
11 Glenn Stewart
12 Chris McQueen
13 Kyle Turner
Interchange:
14 Jason Clark
15 Paul Carter
16 Chris Grevsmuhl
17 Tim Grant
Coach | Michael Maguire
