PRESS RELEASE
Kiwis Team For Rugby League World Cup
Auckland, New Zealand, October 8, 2013 - Five players from the NRL grand final, including four from the champion Sydney Roosters side, feature in the 24-man
Kiwis squad named today to defend the Rugby League World Cup.
The starting props for the Roosters - Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sam Moa – will both pack their bags for the UK, as
will their clubmates Frank-Paul Nu’uausala and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Kieran Foran is the sole representative from
Sunday’s beaten finalists, the Manly Sea Eagles.
Moa and Tuivasa-Sheck are the only uncapped players in the Kiwis squad. Moa’s selection continues a breakthrough year
for the 2003/2004 Junior Kiwi, while Tuivasa-Sheck, who was 18th man for the Kiwis against the Kangaroos this year in
Canberra, is the youngest in the team at 20. Tohu Harris, at 21, is another in the squad to have risen through the ranks
quickly, having only made his first grade debut this year for the Melbourne Storm.
The Kiwis will be captained by Simon Mannering, who is one of seven Vodafone Warriors representatives in the team. With
30 Tests, Mannering is also the equal-most experienced player in the side, alongside Thomas Leuluai.
The Kiwis squad averages 10 Tests per player, with Frank Pritchard (24 Tests), Issac Luke (23) and the recalled Manu
Vatuvei (20) among those bringing plenty of international experience. Bryson Goodwin, Kevin Locke and Nu’uausala also
return to international rugby league, after not having featured for the Kiwis recently.
There are seven players from the 2008 World Cup-winning squad. They are Mannering, Vatuvei, Leuluai, Luke, Jason
Nightingale, Krisnan Inu and Greg Eastwood.
Players who weren’t considered for World Cup selection included Shaun Kenny-Dowall (due to a jaw injury suffered in
Sunday’s NRL grand final), Jeremy Smith (personal matters) and Sonny Bill Williams (other commitments).
2013 KIWIS – RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP SQUAD
PlayerClubKiwi No.TestsJesse BromwichMelbourne Storm7753Greg EastwoodCanterbury Bulldogs73718Kieran ForanManly Sea Eagles7579Alex GlennBrisbane Broncos7696Bryson GoodwinSouth Sydney Rabbitohs7524Tohu HarrisMelbourne Storm7781Josh HoffmanBrisbane Broncos7733Krisnan InuCanterbury Bulldogs7355Shaun JohnsonVodafone Warriors7742Sam KasianoCanterbury Bulldogs7771Thomas LeuluaiVodafone Warriors70430Kevin LockeVodafone Warriors7584Issac LukeSouth Sydney Rabbitohs74923Simon ManneringVodafone Warriors73130Ben MatulinoVodafone Warriors75614Sam MoaSydney Roosters--Jason NightingaleSt George Illawarra Dragons74717Frank-Paul Nu’uausalaSydney Roosters7549Frank PritchardCanterbury Bulldogs71824Elijah TaylorVodafone Warriors7704Roger Tuivasa-SheckSydney Roosters--Manu VatuveiVodafone Warriors72020Jared Waerea-HargreavesSydney Roosters75512Dean WharePenrith Panthers7762
The Kiwis assemble in Sydney this weekend and will train at the Sydney Academy of Sport & Recreation in Narrabeen at 10am Sunday (media details to follow) before flying to the UK on Monday. They begin their
tour with a pre-RLWC match against the Cook Islands on October 20 (UK-time) in Doncaster.
KIWIS/RLWC - SKY TV COVERAGE
New Zealand v Samoa – Monday 28 October – 6.45am - SKY Sport 2
New Zealand v France – Saturday 2 November – 7.30am - SKY Sport 2
New Zealand v Papua New Guinea – Saturday 9 November – 8.30am - SKY Sport 2
Quarter Final 1 – Saturday 16 November – 8.30am - SKY Sport 2
Quarter Final 2 – Sunday 17 November – 1.45am - SKY Sport 2
Quarter Final 3 – Sunday 17 November – 8.45am - SKY Sport 2
Quarter Final 4 – Monday 18 November – 3.45am - SKY Sport 2
Semi Final 1 – Sunday 24 November – 1.30am - SKY Sport 2
Semi Final 2 – Sunday 24 November – 4.15am - SKY Sport 2
Final – Sunday 1 December – 3.00am - SKY Sport 2
ENDS