New Zealand squad for Test against Australia

by NRL

Seven players from the NRL Grand Final feature in the 19-man Kiwis squad named today to play the Kangaroos on October 13 in Townsville.

The victorious Melbourne Storm provides Jesse Bromwich and Kevin Proctor, while the stellar season of the Canterbury Bulldogs sees them contribute three forwards - Greg Eastwood, Sam Kasiano and Frank Pritchard - as well as the outside backs Krisnan Inu and Sam Perrett.

There are two newcomers to the Kiwis - Kasiano and Dean Whare, from the Manly Sea Eagles.

Kasiano was recently named the NRL's 'Prop of the Year' and is an Otahuhu Leopards junior. Whare, who was born in Rotorua, is a former Junior Kiwi who can play centre, wing or fullback. The only other uncapped member of the squad is Proctor, who toured with the Kiwis to the UK in 2011 but didn't take the field.

With five players, the Bulldogs have the most representatives of any club, followed by the Warriors with four. Two players come from the Brisbane Broncos and the Storm.

The Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney and his fellow selectors have retained the three players that made their national debuts in April - being Bromwich, Josh Hoffman and Shaun Johnson - and there have been recalls for Eastwood, Inu, Perrett, Proctor and the Warriors' Elijah Taylor. Kieran Foran, from the Sea Eagles, returns after missing April's VB Test through injury.

The Kiwis have 194 Test caps in their squad and will again be captained by the Wests Tigers Benji Marshall. Marshall is one of five players with over 20 caps.

New Zealand squad to play Australia in Townsville on October 13:

Benji Marshall [c] (Wests Tigers), Gerard Beale (Brisbane), Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne), Greg Eastwood (Bulldogs), Kieran Foran (Manly), Josh Hoffman (Brisbane), Krisnan Inu (Bulldogs), Shaun Johnson (Warriors), Sam Kasiano (Bulldogs), Issac Luke (South Sydney), Simon Mannering (Warriors), Ben Matulino (Warriors), Sam McKendry (Penrith), Sam Perrett (Bulldogs), Frank Pritchard (Bulldogs), Kevin Proctor (Melbourne), Jeremy Smith (Cronulla), Elijah Taylor (Warriors), Dean Whare (Manly).

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