Vodafone Warriors Sam Lisone, Ken Maumalo, Jazz Tevaga and Bunty Afoa will all be back home at Mount Smart Stadium lining up for Toa Samoa against the New Zealand Kiwis in Saturday’s Rugby League World Cup encounter (8.10pm kick-off).
Maumalo starts on the left wing while Tevaga is at hooker for his Toa Samoa debut with clubmate Lisone starting in the front row alongside Canberra giant Junior Paulo.
Afoa, who debuted for Samoa last year, is on a bench which also includes ex-Vodafone Warriors Suaia Matagi and Pita Godinet as well as Brisbane's Herman Ese’ese, who has signed for Newcastle next season.
The Samoans boast four players who have previously represented the Kiwis or Kangaroos at Test level – halfback Ben Roberts, second rowers Josh Papalii and captain Frank Pritchard plus interchange prop Matagi.
Saturday’s match will be just the fourth between the two countries and the second time they’ve met at Mount Smart Stadium. The first was in 2010 ahead of the Kiwis’ successful Four Nations campaign when New Zealand won 50-6.
When they faced off at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, the Kiwis triumphed 42-24 in Warrington while they needed a late recovery to edge the Samoans 14-12 in a memorable Four Nations battle in front of 17,000 fans at Whangarei’s Toll Stadium in 2014.
Not included in Samoa’s extended 21-man squad for Saturday night’s match are Sam Tagataese, Jarome Luai and Matt Wright.
RLWC2017 | TOA SAMOA v NEW ZEALAND KIWIS
8.10pm, Saturday, October 28
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
TOA SAMOA
1 YOUNG TONUMAIPEA
2 PETER MATA'UTIA
3 TIM LAFAI
4 JOSEPH LEILUA
5 KEN MAUMALO
6 JOSEPH PAULO
7 BEN ROBERTS
8 JUNIOR PAULO
9 JAZZ TEVAGA
10 SAM LISONE
11 JOSH PAPALII
12 FRANK PRITCHARD (c)
13 LEESON AH MAU
Interchange:
14 PITA GODINET
15 HERMAN ESE'ESE
16 SUAIA MATAGI
17 BUNTY AFOA
18 ZANE MUSGROVE
19 RICKY LEUTELE
20 FRANK WINTERSTEIN
21 FA'AMANU BROWN
COACH | MATT PARISH
BUY TICKETS NOW | KIWIS v TOA SAMOA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, MOUNT SMART STADIUM (8.10PM)
