Back-to-back NRL Telstra Premiership winners James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota and Scott Sorensen are among six Grand Finalists named in the New Zealand Kiwis official 24-man squad for the Rugby League World Cup in England.
The Penrith players are joined by Dylan Brown, Isaiah Papali’i and Marata Niukore from the beaten Eels side following Sunday night's 2022 decider.
All six players were in the Kiwis’ extended squad which went into camp for the June Test against Mate Ma’a Tonga at Mount Smart Stadium, a match which saw Brown, Niukore and Leota make their New Zealand Test debuts alongside the previously capped Fisher-Harris and Papali’i while Sorensen was on the extended bench.
“Selecting the squad for the World Cup was a real challenge given the quality of players in contention,” said Kiwis had coach Michael Maguire. “There were some tough calls to make but we’re excited about the group we’ve settled on."
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The only new face in the squad is centre Sebastian Kris, who has scored 25 tries in his 44 NRL appearances for Canberra.
The Kiwis, minus the six Grand Final players, assembled and trained in Sydney this week before the advance party of 18 players plus staff flew to England on Friday. They’re based in Leeds this week for a warm-up match against the beaten Super League grand finalists the Rhinos at Headingley on Saturday night.
The six players involved in the NRL grand final are due to arrive in Leeds next Saturday but won’t be involved in the match against the Rhinos.
New Zealand Kiwis squad
- 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 Sharks)
- Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Canberra Raiders)
- Briton Nikora (Cronulla 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 (Warriors)