As the World Cup draws closer and closer, squad selections from each country are making considerable waves especially after Shaun Wane named his squad on Friday which caused plenty of conversation amongst supporters.
Now another former Wigan boss, Michael Maguire, has named his squad for the tournament selecting his 24-man New Zealand squad as the Kiwis look to emulate the success of 2008 when they shocked Australia to win the World Cup.
The squad is named in the wake of the NRL Grand Final and sees six of the players from yesterday’s decider included in James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota and try scorer Scott Sorensen from Penrith whilst Dylan Brown, Isaiah Papali’i and Marata Niukire are included from the Parramatta squad.
Those six players will not join up with the squad just yet whilst the other 18 assembled last week in Sydney before journeying over to Leeds on the Friday. This is ahead of their warm-up game which comes against beaten Super League Grand Finalists the Leeds Rhinos on Saturday.
The Rhinos will include former player Adam Cuthbertson in their side as he ends his career and it will also be the farewell game for Thomas Leuluai. The Wigan Warriors legend is set to join the coaching staff at Wigan in 2023 and will play his final game for the Kiwis at Headingley.
He will be joined by teammate Willie Isa as well as 19-test veteran Dean Whare of the Catalans Dragons who is, ironically, widely expected to join Isa at Wigan in 2023.
Here’s the squad for the World Cup in full:
NELSON ASOFA-SOLOMONA Melbourne Storm, JESSE BROMWICH Melbourne Storm, KENNEATH BROMWICH Melbourne Storm, DYLAN BROWN Parramatta Eels, JAMES FISHER-HARRIS Penrith Panthers, KIERAN FORAN Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, PETA HIKU North Queensland Cowboys, JAHROME HUGHES Melbourne Storm, SEBASTIAN KRIS Canberra Raiders, MOSES LEOTA Penrith Panthers, ISAAC LIU Gold Coast Titans, JOSEPH MANU Sydney Roosters, JEREMY MARSHALL-KING Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs, RONALDO MULITALO Cronulla Sutherland Sharks, CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD Canberra Raiders, BRITON NIKORA Cronulla Sutherland Sharks, MARATA NIUKORE Parramatta Eels, ISAIAH PAPALI’I Parramatta Eels, JORDAN RAPANA Canberra Raiders, BRANDON SMITH Melbourne Storm, SCOTT SORENSEN Penrith Panthers, JOSEPH TAPINE Canberra Raiders, JARED WAEREA-HARGREAVES Sydney Roosters, DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK Vodafone Warriors.
