NZ Test Team

[Evil Borad]

Three debutants have been named by New Zealand selectors to take on the Kangaroos in Friday night's Centenary Test at the SCG in Sydney, while veteran backrower David Kidwell and Lance Hohaia have missed the cut.

Boom South Sydney hooker Issac Luke, Dragons winger Jason Nightingale and Roosters utility Setaimata Sa will be pulling on the Kiwi jersey for the first time to headline a team conspicuously devoid of Warriors players.

Just one of Ivan Cleary's New Zealand Warriors was selected in coach Stephen Kearney's 17-man squad, that being unheralded back-rower Simon Mannering.

Sydney Roosters players litter the backline (Sa, Iosia Soliola and Sam Perrett) while three of the battling Rabbitohs have been named in the starting forward pack (Roy Asotasi (c), Issac Luke and David Fa'alogo).

The New Zealand Team

1. Brent Webb
2. Jason Nightingale
3. Setaimata Sa
4. Iosia Soliola
5. Sam Perrett
6. Ben Roberts
7. Thomas Leuluai
8. Roy Asotasi (c)
9. Issac Luke
10. Nathan Cayless
11. Sonny Bill Williams
12. Simon Mannering
13. David Fa'alogo

14. Jeremy Smith
15. Dene Halatau
16. Adam Blair
17. Frank Pritchard

 

[Murphdogg1]

Not a bad side Cant wait to see how the debutants go - We haven't had a hooker as good as Luke in a while

Can't Wait!!!

 

[ozbash]

cant understand halatau getting in over hohaia but i'm not a selector.

good team, shame its a one-off.

 

[the rebel]

The kiwis have a very good forward pack but the backline looks a little thin on experience. Its a shame Benji, Inu, Ropati and Vatuvei are out with injury.

 

[International RL]

I would of put webb at 5/8th in order to get perrett more football.

I think Roberts isn't good enough at this level.

 

[Gibbo]

Geez Ben Teo must be getting close to a call up for the Kiwis, i reckon he would give Jeremy Smith a run for his money

I wonder if Luke and Roberts will alternate between half/hooker like Souths did with Luke and DeGois.

Halatau is good value off the bench-can carve up out of dummy half or play in the 2nd row or even centres if necessary.

My only worry is that neither of the halves have a great long kicking game, but Sa can chime in ther too i guess

Bring on Willie vs SBW and Bennett vs Australia!

 

[Murphdogg1]

Roberts - for all his faults - actually has a fairly big boot so he will take most of the midfield kicks i assume with Leuluai to chip in

Big game for Roberts and Leuluai - Roberts needs to take a big step forward in his development and has a great opportunity to do so and Thomas Leuluai needs to lead by example and use his experience to guide a young backline around

 

[joel caine number 1 fan]

cant understand halatau getting in over hohaia but i'm not a selector.

good team, shame its a one-off.

club form maybe???

Halatau been one of tigers best week in week out

 

[LeagueMad]

Good side but a few concerns, Both foward pack's are pretty even should be a good battle up front , My concern is our backline , nightengale and perrett are dwarf's compared to folau and inglis i think they can both expect a torrid night under the high ball , Sia and Sa , i'm a fan of both of them , but in the last few week's the roosters right side has leaked in more trys and been the focus of other teams attacking raids , expect to see block 2nd man plays on friday night both have been caught flat footed in recent weeks , this week they are against hodges and gasnier both have unbeleivable footwork , please sia don't sprint out of the line .

 

[nadera78]

Not a bad side form the Kiwis.

Never really understood what Smith and Pritchard bring to the table, one is an average club player, the other is just plain lazy and disappears when things go against him.

I'd have had Jason Cayles on the bench, he provides a lot of impetus when he comes on. And Lance Hohaia is very underrated.

And why does Mannering always get downplayed by people? He's consistently one of their best players, and really puts in 100% even when people around him go missing.

 

[shiznit]

mate you wont hear me downplaying mannering... i rate him highly...

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

mate you wont hear me downplaying mannering... i rate him highly...

We wish we just didnt hear you at all.

 

[Nz]

Don't mind the back line really, i mean, at least Perret and Nightingale can catch a high ball.

Also, Only the one warriors player? must be a record!

 

[Deleted member 10972]

If Brent Webb didn't come, Perrett > FB, SKD > wing. That would be 4 Roosters in the backline, wow...

 

[Alehana]

foreward packs alright, backline i'm concerned- but hopefully its a line up and a chance that pays off, there's every chance it can.
Hopefully fa'alogo and cayless can play well in the foreward pack- i dont have much confidence in them and hopefully they step up
Sa'a will play well- looking foreward to seeing him playing.
suprised about nightengale- wouldn't have picked him, but hes scoring lots of tries in a team thats sturggling- may be a blessing in disguise for us
I want to see soliola put on a BIG hit, hes renound for it, so lets see him do it.
halves need to drink a can of harden the f*** up and harden the f*** up and step up BIG time, if we have any chance.

I reckon we've got it over the aussies in the forewards but the backs they have it over us, however we are so unpreditable thats its not predictable and anything could happen, if aussies beat us in the forwards we will get killed, but if we beat them in the backs we will win (provided we win foreward battle) for the sake of the game i hope either gallen, bird, mason, crocker gets f***** up, i hate all of them when they play representative footy.

Altho it seems predictable that every year when this test comes up we say, kiwis have a chance then they get f*****, so this time i'm going to be definite, my hear is with kiwis, but my head says aussies will win, so hopefully this changes my prediction aussies by 12+

 

[no name]

Unbeleivable!

No room for Lucky Luke Covell!!!:lol:

 

[Billythekid]

I'm just worried about the wingers. How will they go against Inglis and Folau? Overall though i think it's a pretty good side, glad to see they came to their senses and didn't pick Kidwell.

 

[Alehana]

same, we always seem to have weaker wingers compared to aussies, i guess our best winger for deferring high bombs would have to be covell, but they would have picked him for sure if they were expecting that u'd think. hopefully thats what they practice alot this week, cause aussies have so much attacking options that they r good at and this is one we are sh!t at defending.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

I never saw what was wrong with Shontane Hape, always thought he was a good winger. Hes very dynamic, has great skill and is quiet athletic.

 

[Murphdogg1]

Not sure why they didn't pick Hape as Kearney said they were intent on picking the best side.

I reckon Hape is probably the Kiwis' best outside back. He carved up in the 2006 Tri Nations series especially his first game of the series against Aus in Melbourne

So i expect to see him at the World Cup