Three Vodafone Warriors NRL players and nine Warriors WNRL players have been named to line up in the Oceania Cup double header at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, back in the Kiwis for the first time since 2017, is joined by club-mates and 2018 Kiwi regulars Ken Maumalo and Leeson Ah Mau for the Oceania Cup Test against Mate Ma'a Tonga.
Included in the starting line-up for the Kiwi Ferns are Warriors Apii Nicholls, Hilda Mariu, Raquel Anderson-Pitman, the entire front row of Annetta Nuuausala, Krystal Rota and Aeishaleigh Smalley, loose forward Georgia Hale and interchange players Amber Kani and Crystal Tamarua.
The key feature of the Kiwi side is Benji Marshall and Shaun Johnson as the starting halves combination.
Head coach Michael Maguire has named Marshall (34) in the No 7 jersey for his 28th Test, seven years after his last.
Johnson is listed in the No 6 jersey for his 30th international.
The Kiwis were required to submit their team on Tuesday despite having just their first field session at Mount Smart Stadium.
Of the starting team used in the 34-0 third Test win over England in Leeds last November, four players are missing.
Captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has been named on the wing replacing Jamayne Isaako with Tuivasa-Sheck at fullback.
Marshall replaces the unavailable Kodi Nikorima while debutant Briton Nikora and Kenny Bromwich – on the interchange in Leeds – come into the starting back row to replace the injured Kevin Proctor and Adam Blair.
The extended bench comprises Jahrome Hughes, Leeson Ah Mau, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, James Fisher-Harris, Zane Tetevano and Kieran Foran.
Kiwi Ferns coach Justin Morgan has also named his team to take on Fetu Samoa in the curtain-raiser on Saturday (3.10pm). It features debutante Madison Bartlett on the wing.
The Kiwi Ferns also trained at Mount Smart Stadium on Tuesday.
NEW ZEALAND KIWIS v MATE MA’A TONGA
5.40pm, Saturday, June 22, 2019
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
Referee: Ben Cummins (Australia)
NEW ZEALAND KIWIS
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (Vodafone Warriors)
2 KEN MAUMALO (Vodafone Warriors)
3 ESAN MARSTERS (Wests Tigers)
4 JOSEPH MANU (Sydney Roosters)
5 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK (c) (Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs)
6 SHAUN JOHNSON (Cronulla Sutherland Sharks)
7 BENJI MARSHALL (Wests Tigers)
8 JESSE BROMWICH (Melbourne Storm)
9 BRANDON SMITH (Melbourne Storm)
10 JARED WAEREA-HARGREAVES (Sydney Roosters)
11 KENNY BROMWICH (Melbourne Storm)
12 BRITON NIKORA (Cronulla Sutherland Sharks)
13 ISAAC LIU (Sydney Roosters)
Interchange:
14 JAHROME HUGHES (Melbourne Storm)
15 LEESON AH MAU (Vodafone Warriors)
16 NELSON ASOFA-SOLOMONA (Melbourne Storm)
18 ZANE TETEVANO (Sydney Roosters)
19 KIERAN FORAN (Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs)
HEAD COACH | MICHAEL MAGUIRE
KIWI FERNS v FETU SAMOA
3.10pm, Saturday, June 22, 2019
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
Referee: Paki Parkinson (New Zealand)
KIWI FERNS
1 APII NICHOLLS
2 MADISON BARTLETT
3 HONEY HIREME (c)
4 KIANA TAKAIRANGI
5 HILDA MARIU
6 RAQUEL ANDERSON-PITMAN
7 RAECENE McGREGOR
8 ANNETTA-CLAUDIA NUUAUSALA
9 KRYSTAL ROTA
10 AEISHALEIGH SMALLEY
11 KATHLEEN WHARTON
12 TEUILA FOTU-MOALA
13 GEORGIA HALE
14 NITA MAYNARD
15 AMBER PARIS HALL
16 AMBER KANI
17 CRYSTAL TAMARUA
18 CHARNTAY POKO
19 JULES NEWMAN
HEAD COACH | JUSTIN MORGAN
