Kiwis name squad for Four Nations league
World Cup-winning Kiwis dominate a 45-man train-on squad named on Wednesday ahead of the Four Nations rugby league tournament in England and France later this year.
National selectors and coach Stephen Kearney have included 20 of the 24-man squad that beat Australia in last year's World Cup final.
The missing World Cup players are captain Nathan Cayless, now retired from international football, Sika Manu, Evarn Tuimavave and David Kidwell.
Manu is sidelined with a broken leg, Tuimavave has only just returned from a long injury lay-off and Kidwell has been playing the New South Wales Cup recently.
Also selected are five players who were ruled out of the World Cup with injury - Roy Asotasi (South Sydney), Jeff Lima (Melbourne), Frank Pritchard (Penrith), Iosia Soliola (Sydney Roosters) and Brent Webb (Leeds).
Among others named are a number who last played for the Kiwis in the end of seasons Test's in 2007 - Louis Anderson (Warrington), Luke Covell (Cronulla), Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Sydney Roosters), Fuifui Moimoi (Parramatta), Ben Roberts (Bulldogs), Chase Stanley (St George Illawarra) and Taniela Tuiaki (Wests Tigers).
English Super League clubs provide three players in Anderson, Webb and World Cup winner Thomas Leuluai (Wigan).
While 32 of the squad have Test experience, the other 13 are some of the most promising New Zealand-eligible players in the NRL as well as more established first graders who have won recognition.
"The squad we've named reinforces the quality and depth of players we have to choose from when looking to select New Zealand teams these days," Kearney said.
"We've named 45 players but there are plenty with good claims that haven't been included."
A host of uncapped players were named including Kieran Foran, Alex Glenn, Kevin Locke, Ben Matulino, Eddie Pettybourne, Russell Packer and Bulldogs winger Bryson Goodwin.
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