Wests Tigers forwards Adam Blair and Martin Taupau have been named in the New Zealand side to play Samoa this Saturday, while teammate Bodene Thompson is 18th man.
New Zealand will all but seal a place in the Four Nations final with a victory on Saturday in Northland, after defeating heavyweights Australia 30-12 last week.
Thompson is one step closer to making his Test debut as 18th man after being a late call-up to the final Kiwi squad.
Blair, who played his junior football for the Northland Carvers, will play his 29th Test cap in front of a hometown crowd.
In other changes for the Kiwis, Warriors prop Suaia Matagi is set to make his Test debut in place of Greg Eastwood, while the squad is further boosted by the return of hooker Isaac Luke and winger Manu Vatuvei.
The NZ Kiwis side to face Toa Samoa in Whangarei on Saturday are:
1 |
Peta Hiku |
2 |
Jason Nightingale |
3 |
Dean Whare |
4 |
Shaun Kenny-Dowall |
5 |
Manu Vatuvei |
6 |
Kieran Foran |
7 |
Shaun Johnson |
8 |
Jesse Bromwich |
9 |
Issac Luke |
10 |
Adam Blair |
11 |
Simon Mannering (captain) |
12 |
Kevin Proctor |
13 |
Jason Taumalolo |
14 |
Lewis Brown |
15 |
Suaia Matagi |
16 |
Martin Taupau |
17 |
Tohu Harris |
18 |
Bodene Thompson |
