Four Vodafone Warriors have been named alongside State of Origin players Dane Gagai, Kalyn Ponga, Jordan McLean and James Tamou in the inaugural Stacey Jones-coached New Zealand Maori Kiwis All-Stars to face the Australian Indigenous All-Stars at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Friday, February 15.
Peta Hiku has been selected at fullback, Tohu Harris and Adam Blair in the back row and Gerard Beale on the bench in a line-up which features Gagai on the wing, Ponga at standoff, McLean as a starting prop with Kiwi international Jesse Bromwich and Tamou on the interchange.
Head coach Jones also has Nathan Cayless with him as an assistant coach from the Vodafone Warriors’ coaching staff.
Apart from Gagai, Ponga, McLean and Tamou, the 20-man squad is laden with Kiwi internationals. The only players yet to play for New Zealand are halfback Jahrome Hughes and second rower Corey Harawira-Naera; Hughes was in the Kiwi squad for the end of season campaign without making an appearance while Harawira-Naera was selected but had to withdraw with injury.
Among the players unavailable or ruled out for selection were Kiwi captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Penrith), Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Sydney Roosters), Joseph Manu (Sydney Roosters), Issac Luke (Vodafone Warriors), Kodi Nikorima (Brisbane), Jordan Rapana (Canberra) and Te Maire Martin (North Queensland).
AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS ALL-STARS v MAORI KIWIS ALL-STARS
MAORI KIWIS ALL-STARS
1 PETA HIKU (Vodafone Warriors)
2 DANE GAGAI (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
3 ESAN MARSTERS (Wests Tigers)
4 DEAN WHARE (Penrith Panthers)
5 JORDAN KAHU (Brisbane Broncos)
6 KALYN PONGA (Newcastle Knights)
7 JAHROME HUGHES (Melbourne Storm)
8 JESSE BROMWICH (Melbourne Storm)
9 BRANDON SMITH (Melbourne Storm)
10 JORDAN MCLEAN (North Queensland Cowboys)
11 KEVIN PROCTOR (Gold Coast Titans)
12 TOHU HARRIS (Vodafone Warriors)
13 ADAM BLAIR (Vodafone Warriors)
Interchange:
14 DANNY LEVI (Newcastle Knights)
15 BRAD TAKARANGI (Parramatta Eels)
16 JAMES FISHER-HARRIS (Penrith Panthers)
17 JAMES TAMOU (Penrith Panthers)
18 GERARD BEALE (Vodafone Warriors)
19 COREY HARAWIRA-NAERA (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
20 JOSEPH TAPINE (Canberra Raiders)
HEAD COACH | STACEY JONES
AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS ALL-STARS
1 BEN BARBA (North Queensland Cowboys)
2 BLAKE FERGUSON (Parramatta Eels)
3 LATRELL MITCHELL (Sydney Roosters)
4 JAMES ROBERTS (Brisbane Broncos)
5 JOSH ADDO-CARR (Melbourne Storm)
6 CODY WALKER (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
7 TYRONE ROBERTS (Gold Coast Titans)
8 ANDREW FIFITA (Cronulla Sharks)
9 NATHAN PEATS (Gold Coast Titans)
10 RYAN JAMES (Gold Coast Titans)
11 DAVID FIFITA (Brisbane Broncos)
12 ADAM ELLIOT (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
13 TYRONE PEACHEY (Gold Coast Titans)
Interchange: Â
14 WILL CHAMBERS (Melbourne Storm)
15 LEILANI LATU (Gold Coast Titans)
16 CHRIS SMITH (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
17 ALEX JOHNSTON (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
18 JESSE RAMIEN (Newcastle Knights)
19 TYRELL FUIMAONO (Penrith Panthers)
20 KATONI STAGGS (Brisbane Broncos)
HEAD COACH | LAURIE DALEY
