The New Zealand Kiwis have announced a squad to play the Leeds Rhinos in a World Cup warmup at Headingly Stadium on Saturday night.
Despite just being a prelude to the Kiwi's World Cup campaign the match will hold special significance as New Zealand honours and farewells Thomas Leuluai.
Leuluai, a veteran of both the NRL and English Super League as well as an experienced test player for New Zealand, will captain the Kiwis in his final game before retirement.
New Zealand coach, Michael Maguire, has named a strong lineup for the exhibition but has withheld a couple of key names before the beginning of the tournament.
Fullback Joseph Manu will not participate in the fixture as well as 6 other NRL players that played in Sunday's Grand Final, including James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota, Scott Sorensen, Dylan Brown, Isaiah Papali'i and Marata Niukore.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will also not take the field due to suspension, however he will be able to serve one of his three matches in the warm-up affair.
In their place, Raiders back Sebastian Kris and newly-minted Dolphin Jeremy Marshall-King make their debut in the black and white.
The Kiwis play their first fixture in the Rugby League World Cup on October 16th, when they play Lebanon before Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington.
New Zealand Kiwi 19-man squad to take on the Leeds Rhinos:
- Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
- Jordan Rapana
- Peta Hiku
- Sebastian Kris
- Ronaldo Mulitalo
- Kieran Foran
- Thomas Leuluai (c)
- Jesse Bromwich
- Brandon Smith
- Nelson Asofa-Solomona
- Kenneath Bromwich
- Briton Nikora
- Isaac Liu
- Jahrome Hughes
- Joseph Tapine
- Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
- Jeremy Marshall-King
- Dean Whare
- Willie Isa
