Auckland, New Zealand, October 10, 2019 – Braden Hamlin-Uele, Corey Harawira-Naera, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Zane Tetevano are in line to make their debuts in the New Zealand Kiwis’ coming Tests against the Kangaroos and the Great Britain Lions.

The four players have all been named tonight in a squad which also features returns for winger Jamayne Isaako and back rowers Kevin Proctor and Joseph Tapine who weren’t involved in the June Test victory over Mate Ma’a Tonga at Mount Smart Stadium.

Tokoroa product Tetevano now has a third opportunity to play his first Test.

He was selected but then ruled out of last year’s end-of-season programme with injury and was then in the 19-man squad but didn’t make the playing 17 when the Kiwis beat Mate Ma’a Tonga 34-14 in June.

A premiership winner with the Sydney Roosters last year, the 28-year-old was a regular again throughout this season totalling 23 appearances but suffered further disappointment when, after being named for the grand final against Canberra, he was ultimately omitted.

Northland-raised Canterbury-Bankstown second rower Harawira-Naera has earned a second chance of making his Test debut. Like Tetevano, he was originally selected in last year’s squad for the home Test against Australia and the following three-match series in England only to be ruled out with injury.

He played for the New Zealand Māori Kiwis in the match against the Australian Indigenous All-Stars in Melbourne in January and went on to make 21 appearances in his first season with the Bulldogs.

After previously representing the Cook Islands at Test level, Nicoll-Klokstad comes into the Kiwi squad for the first time after a superb season for beaten grand finalists the Canberra Raiders. He scored 11 tries in 25 appearances.

Glenora Bears junior and former Junior Kiwi Hamlin-Uele earns selection after impressing in 21 interchange appearances for the Sharks this year.

Harawira-Naera, Hamlin-Uele, Nicoll-Klokstad and Tetevano are also in the Kiwis’ World Cup Nines squad, Tetevano coming into both sides today after James Fisher-Harris was forced to withdraw with injury and Nicoll-Klokstad being called in to replace Jordan Rapana. Rapana was originally chosen in both sides but has now been ruled out; his replacement in the Test squad is yet to be named.

Of the 19 players in the squad for the Tonga Test in June, 15 return for the internationals against the Kangaroos and the Lions. Four of the playing 17 are unavailable due to injury – captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, prop Jesse Bromwich, centre Esan Marsters and back rower Fisher-Harris.

Three players from the premiership-winning Roosters side are named – centre Joseph Manu, back rower Isaac Liu and prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves – along with Tetevano while the beaten Raiders provide Nicoll-Klokstad and Tapine.

In all 11 players in the Test squad are also in the Kiwis’ World Cup Nines side.

The Nines players assemble in Sydney on Monday with the Test squad gathering on Sunday week.

The Kiwis begin their Test campaign with their Oceania Cup clash against the Kangaroos in Wollongong on Friday, October 25 before flying to New Zealand for two Tests against the reformed GB Rugby League Lions (Great Britain).

The first of these will be the second match of an international tripleheader at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday, November 2, which also features the Kangaroos facing Tonga Invitational and Toa Samoa taking on Fiji Bati in Oceania Cup matches.

The Kiwis then move to Christchurch for the second Test at Orangetheory Stadium (formerly AMI Stadium) on Saturday, November 9.

 

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NEW ZEALAND KIWIS | v KANGAROOS & GB RUGBY LEAGUE LIONS

 

 

ITINERARY

 

Oceania Cup

Friday, October 25              7.30pm         v Australia               WIN Stadium

Wollongong

 

First Test

Saturday, November 2        5.00pm         v Great Britain          Eden Park

Auckland

 

Second Test

Saturday, November 9        8.00pm         v Great Britain          Orangetheory Stadium

Christchurch

 

NEW ZEALAND KIWIS | SQUAD

 

Player Club Kiwi No Tests for NZ
LEESON AH MAU Vodafone Warriors 812 6
NELSON ASOFA-SOLOMONA Melbourne Storm 804 6
KENNEATH BROMWICH Melbourne Storm 796 8
KIERAN FORAN Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 757 21
BRADEN HAMLIN-UELE Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
COREY HARAWIRA-NAERA Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
JAHROME HUGHES Melbourne Storm 819 1
JAMAYNE ISAAKO Brisbane Broncos 808 2
SHAUN JOHNSON Cronulla Sutherland Sharks 774 30
ISAAC LIU Sydney Roosters 805 8
JOSEPH MANU Sydney Roosters 815 5
BENJI MARSHALL Wests Tigers 717 28
KEN MAUMALO Vodafone Warriors 810 6
CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD Canberra Raiders
BRITON NIKORA Cronulla Sutherland Sharks 818 1
KEVIN PROCTOR Gold Coast Titans 771 21
BRANDON SMITH Melbourne Storm 816 5
JOSEPH TAPINE Canberra Raiders 800 10
ZANE TETEVANO Sydney Roosters
ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK Vodafone Warriors 779 17
JARED WAEREA-HARGREAVES Sydney Roosters 755 29

Kiwi Ferns head coach Justin Morgan has named a vastly-experienced side ahead of the much-anticipated Test match against the Jillaroos at WIN Stadium in Wollongong on Friday, October 25 (5.40pm kick-off local time; 7.40pm NZT).

The side includes Broncos NRLW grand final playmakers Lavinia Gould and Raecene McGregor, both named in New Zealand’s World Cup Nines squad yesterday.

They both scored in the Broncos’ impressive 30-6 win over St George Illawarra and are now joined by teammate and powerhouse prop Amber-Paris Hall in the Test squad.

The Warriors, the only team to beat the double premiership-winning Broncos, supply 13 of the 19 Ferns players, including Warriors captain Georgia Hale, star fullback and 2017 Kiwi Ferns player of the year Apii Nicholls, veteran hooker Krystal Rota and experienced front rowers Annetta Nuuausala and Aieshaleigh Smalley.

Warriors winger Madison Bartlett and halfback and NRLW Dally M finalist Charntay Poko, made their Kiwi Ferns debuts in the 46-8 victory over Fetu Samoa in June.

The selection also features much-decorated Warriors recruit, Honey Hireme-Smiler, who first donned the Kiwi Ferns jersey 17 years ago. She missed the NRLW season on compassionate grounds to support her seriously ill mother Caryn who sadly passed away on September 25.

Warriors centre Jules Newman was also named in the Ferns’ wider squad against Fetu Samoa and will be looking to earn a starting spot against the Jillaroos.

Sydney Roosters’ winger Kiana Takairangi, who scored a double on debut for the Ferns against the Samoans, will look to carry on her impressive form alongside Sydney teammate and experienced hooker Nita Maynard.

Winger/centre Atawhai Tupaea makes her return to the black and white while prop Billy-Jean Ale comes into the side after playing for Fetu Samoa in June.

“We are really lucky to have a team of this calibre,” says Morgan.

“There is a real valuable mix of experienced leaders and young talent in the squad, all of them eager to take the field and do their country proud.

“The last time we faced the Jillaroos it was a hard-fought battle until the end and that narrow loss stills hurt so I know the girls will be ready to come out firing and put that behind us. These players have been in impressive form throughout the NRLW competition, so I’m looking forward to what lies ahead.”

 

Click HERE for tickets to Australia v New Zealand Double Header in Wollongong,

 

 

NEW ZEALAND KIWI FERNS | AUSTRALIA V NEW ZEALAND TEST

 

Player Club Tests for NZ
BILLY-JEAN ALE Warriors
MADISON BARTLETT Warriors 1
TEUILA FOTU-MOALA Dragons 13
GEORGIA HALE Warriors 7
LAVINIA GOULD Warriors 1
AMBER-PARIS HALL Broncos 4
HONEY HIREME-SMILER Warriors 29
ONJEURLINA LEIATAUA Warriors 1
NITA MAYNARD Roosters 5
RAECENE MCGREGOR Broncos 3
JULES NEWMAN Warriors 0
APII NICHOLLS Warriors 5
ANNETTA NUUAUSALA Warriors 4
CHARNTAY POKO Warriors 1
KRYSTAL ROTA Warriors 9
AIESHALEIGH SMALLEY Warriors 3
KIANA TAKAIRANGI Roosters 1
CRYSTAL TAMARUA Warriors 2
ATAWHAI TUPAEA Warriors 5