Six players from the New Zealand Kiwis' 2023 title-winning side return for the opening match of the Pacific Championships. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
Kiwis vs Toa Samoa
6.05pm Sunday October 19
GO Media Stadium Auckland
Live blog updates on RNZ
Kieran Foran has been handed a starting jersey for first leg of his farewell tour as a Kiwi.
He is one of six players from the Kiwis' 2023 title-winning side returning for the opening match of the Pacific Championships against Toa Sāmoa at Go Media Stadium on Sunday.
Head coach Stacey Jones recalled the experienced Ronaldo Mulitalo, Dylan Brown, Kieran Foran, Moses Leota, Briton Nikora and Nelson Asofa-Solomona to kickstart the third edition of the Pacific series.
All were key contributors in the Kiwis' record 30-0 win over the Kangaroos in the 2023 final in Hamilton but were unavailable for last year's campaign.
Cronulla Sutherland's Mulitalo comes back on the left wing with Newcastle-bound Brown and retiring 35-year-old Gold Coast veteran Foran paired in the halves; Foran in a more familiar role after starting at hooker in the 2023 final.
Penrith prop Leota is reunited in the front row with former clubmate and Kiwis captain James Fisher-Harris while Nikora returns in the second row with Melbourne's Asofa-Solomona on the interchange.
Making a test comeback is hooker Jeremy Marshall-King, three years after making his only international appearances against Lebanon and Jamaica at the 2022 Rugby League World Cup.
The remaining 10 players included in the starting lineup and on the interchange were all used for the Kiwis when they beat Papua New Guinea 54-12 in Sydney last November.
Sunday's encounter will be the sixth between the two nations with the Kiwis winning the previous five, the last a 50-0 victory in their opening game of the 2023 tournament at Eden Park.
Kiwis team vs Toa Samoa
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Casey McLean 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Dylan Brown 7. Kieran Foran 8. James Fisher-Harris (C) 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Moses Leota 11. Briton Nikora 12. Isaiah Papali'i 13. Joseph Tapine 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Erin Clark 17. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 18. Xavier Willison 19. Keano Kini 20. Scott Sorensen 21. Sebastian Kris. Coach Stacey Jones.
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