Jacob Laban and Tanner Stowers-Smith are set to make their Test debuts while Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Scott Sorensen return to the international stage for the New Zealand Kiwis’ round two Rugby League World Cup encounter with the Cooks Islands at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Sunday (6.05pm kick-off).
Selection adds another layer to an outstanding year for the 22-year-old One New Zealand Warriors forwards Laban and Stowers-Smith, both named on the interchange bench.
Samoa-born, Wellington-raised Laban’s season was capped by him being voted the players’ player of the year after missing just one of the Warriors’ 26 NRL matches.
Christchurch-born and raised Stowers-Smith made 21 appearances, 18 of them off the bench.
Being chosen is especially poignant for St Bede’s College product Stowers-Smith who follows in the footsteps of his great grandfather Canterbury legend Pat Smith (Kiwi #301), whose 36 appearances for the Kiwis from 1947-1949 included 10 Tests, all as captain.
After missing the dramatic 22-24 World Cup-opening loss to the Kangaroos, another One New Zealand Warrior Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has been brought into the side in the centres by head coach Stacey Jones while four-times premiership-winning Penrith back rower Scott Sorensen comes into the second row after last playing for the Kiwis against Papua New Guinea in the 2024 Pacific Championships.
In all Jones has made six changes to the side that started against Australia.
The injured Kalyn Ponga is replaced at fullback by Keano Kini, Nicoll-Klokstad is in for last week’s Kiwi debutant Dane Gagai, Joseph Tapine is switched from loose forward to prop for Moses Leota, Sorensen and Xavier Willison start in the second row for regulars Isaiah Papali’i and Briton Nikora and Erin Clark is named in the #13 jersey.
It means captain James Fisher-Harris and hooker Jeremy Marshall-King are the only two players remaining from the run-on pack used.
The six-man bench features just one player named last week – utility Te Maire Martin – with Laban and Stowers-Smith joined by Leo Thompson, whose last Test was in 2024, and Papali’i and Nikora.
Filling out the extended bench are Gagai, Naufahu Whyte and Leota while all six One New Zealand Warriors in the squad have been selected – Fisher-Harris, Nicoll-Klokstad, Clark, Martin, Laban and Stowers-Smith.
New Zealand Kiwis v Cook Islands
One New Zeland Stadium, Christchurch
6.05pm, Sunday, October 25, 2026
1 Keano Kini
2 Jamayne Isaako
3 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
4 Casey McLean
5 Ronaldo Mulitalo
6 Kodi Nikorima
7 Jahrome Hughes
8 James Fisher-Harris (c)
9 Jeremy Marshall-King
10 Joseph Tapine (vc)
11 Xavier Willison
12 Scott Sorensen
13 Erin Clark
14 Te Maire Martin
15 Leo Thompson
16 Tanner Stowers-Smith
17 Jacob Laban
18 Isaiah Papali’i
19 Briton Nikora
20 Dane Gagai
21 Naufahu Whyte
22 Moses Leota
Head coach: Stacey Jones
