DUFFIE CONFIRMED TO MAKE TEST DEBUT ON FRIDAY NIGHT
Melbourne winger Matthew Duffie will be the only debutant in the
Kiwis' line-up for Friday night's Anzac Test against the Kangaroos
at Skilled Park in Robina.
In confirming New Zealand's side this morning, coach Stephen
Kearney omitted Vodafone Warriors utility Lewis Brown and Brisbane
fullback Gerard Beale from the original 19-man squad named on
Sunday night. Brown is the 18th man.
Duffie will become Kiwi number 765 on Friday night, lining up on
the right wing outside Sydney Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall,
New Zealand's 2010 player of the year.
Vodafone Warriors captain Simon Mannering is also in the
centres, where he has been playing recently in the NRL. He also
lined up in the centres for the Kiwis in the 2008 World Cup win as
well as the Four Nations victory last year.
Vodafone Warriors prop Sam Rapira, who was unavailable for the
Four Nations campaign last year, returns to start in the front row
after last playing for the Kiwis in the 2010 Anzac Test in
Melbourne. Penrith's Sam Kendry is the other starting prop, as he
was in the Four Nations final, while St George Illawarra's Nathan
Fien runs on at hooker after being halfback in the Four
Nations.
The experienced Adam Blair (Melbourne), Bronson Harrison
(Canberra) and Jeremy Smith (Cronulla) will start in the back row.
The side includes 13 of the 17 players used in the Four Nations
final. Apart from Duffie and Rapira, the other two changes are
recalled Parramatta prop Fuifui Moimoi, who'll be playing his ninth
Test, and Manly halfback Kieran Foran, back after making his second
Test appearance in last year's Anzac Test. Foran and Moimoi were
both ruled out of the 2010 Four Nations with injuries.
"We've been able build some consistency in our selections in
recent years," said Kearney.
"The side has become more settled and we've also been able to
develop a little more in terms of experience and our
combinations.
"While we're improving in that area the Australians still lead
the way with representative experience and depth. They certainly
have an advantage there for a one-off match of this type but our
challenge is to try to keep building."
The Kiwis have never won the Anzac Test in Australia since the
first was played in Sydney in 1997. Their only success came at
North Harbour Stadium in 1998, the only time it has been played in
New Zealand.
The Kiwis have another training run this morning before their
final session at Skilled Park tomorrow morning.
England's Richard Silverwood has been named as Friday night's
referee.
ANZAC
TEST
KANGAROOS v
KIWIS
Skilled Park,
Robina
8.00pm, Friday, May 6,
2011
Referee: Richard Silverwood
(England)
KIWIS
|
1
|
LANCE HOHAIA (Vodafone Warriors)
|
|
2
|
MATTHEW DUFFIE (Melbourne)
|
|
3
|
SIMON MANNERING (Vodafone Warriors)
|
|
4
|
SHAUN KENNY-DOWALL (Sydney Roosters)
|
|
5
|
JASON NIGHTINGALE (St George Illawarra)
|
|
6
|
BENJI MARSHALL (c) (Wests Tigers)
|
|
7
|
KIERAN FORAN (Manly)
|
|
8
|
SAM RAPIRA (Vodafone Warriors)
|
|
9
|
NATHAN FIEN (St George Illawarra)
|
|
10
|
SAM McKENDRY (Penrith)
|
|
11
|
ADAM BLAIR (Melbourne)
|
|
12
|
BRONSON HARRISON (Canberra)
|
|
13
|
JEREMY SMITH (Cronulla)
|
|
|
Interchange:
|
|
14
|
ISSAC LUKE (South Sydney)
|
|
15
|
BEN MATULINO (Vodafone Warriors)
|
|
16
|
FUIFUI MOIMOI (Parramatta)
|
|
17
|
GREG EASTWOOD (Canterbury-Bankstown)
|
|
18
|
LEWIS BROWN (Vodafone Warriors)
|
COACH: STEPHEN
KEARNEY
KIWI SQUAD - 2011 ANZAC TEST
|
Player
|
Club
|
Kiwi No
|
Tests
|
Points
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gerard Beale
|
Broncos
|
-
|
0
|
0
|
|
Adam Blair
|
Storm
|
732
|
21
|
8
|
|
Lewis Brown
|
Warriors
|
762
|
0
|
0
|
|
Shaun Kenny-Dowall
|
Roosters
|
746
|
6
|
24
|
|
Matthew Duffie
|
Storm
|
765
|
0
|
0
|
|
Greg Eastwood
|
Bulldogs
|
737
|
17
|
8
|
|
Nathan Fien
|
Dragons
|
733
|
18
|
16
|
|
Kieran Foran
|
Sea Eagles
|
757
|
2
|
0
|
|
Bronson Harrison
|
Raiders
|
723
|
12
|
4
|
|
Lance Hohaia
|
Warriors
|
695
|
27
|
60
|
|
Issac Luke
|
Rabbitohs
|
749
|
16
|
38
|
|
Sam McKendry
|
Panthers
|
763
|
2
|
0
|
|
Simon Mannering
|
Warriors
|
731
|
24
|
16
|
|
Benji Marshall (c)
|
Tigers
|
717
|
20
|
86
|
|
Ben Matulino
|
Warriors
|
756
|
7
|
4
|
|
Fuifui Moimoi
|
Eels
|
741
|
8
|
0
|
|
Jason Nightingale
|
Dragons
|
747
|
10
|
32
|
|
Sam Rapira
|
Warriors
|
736
|
12
|
0
|
|
Jeremy Smith
|
Sharks
|
742
|
17
|
26
|