League: Finals players selected in Kiwis

Kevin Locke of the Warriors. Photo / Getty Images

Nine players involved in Sunday's NRL grand final and six who have yet to play a test have been named in a 23-man Kiwis' squad for the Four Nations tournament in England.

Fullback Kevin Locke, halfback Shaun Johnson and prop Russell Packer have all been selected after featuring for the Warriors in their NRL grand final loss to Manly last Sunday. The other three yet to play for the Kiwis are Brisbane utility Gerard Beale, Broncos teammate and back rower Alex Glenn and Melbourne's Kevin Proctor.

Locke was selected for the Kiwis' 2009 Four Nations campaign but didn't play a match, while Beale was 19th man for the Kiwis in this year's Anzac test and Glenn was in the Anzac test squad in 2009 and 2010 but didn't make the playing line-up.

Apart from Locke, Johnson and Packer, the other Warriors are centre/second rower Lewis Brown, second rower Simon Mannering, prop Ben Matulino and winger Manu Vatuvei.

Vatuvei hasn't played for the Kiwis since breaking his arm in the opening minutes of the Kiwis' first Four Nations match against England in Wellington last year.

"There's evidence again that our playing depth is building," Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney said. "As usually happens we've had a significant number of players who couldn't be considered due to injury but we've still been able to bring together a strong group of players, one we're really pleased with.

Of the 23 players selected, 14 were in the Kiwis' title-winning Four Nations squad last year.

Nine players weren't considered due to injury: Josh Hoffman (Brisbane), Lance Hohaia (Warriors), Sam Rapira (Warriors), Matt Duffie (Melbourne), Sam Perrett (Sydney Roosters), Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Sydney Roosters), Frank-Paul Nuuausala (Sydney Roosters), Greg Eastwood (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs) and Bronson Harrison (Canberra).

The Kiwis are due to assemble in Sydney on Sunday then to Newcastle for the Bill Kelly Cup test against the Kangaroos at Ausgrid Stadium on October 16.

They will return to Sydney before flying to England for their Four Nations matches against Australia in Warrington on October 28, Wales at Wembley Stadium in London on November 5 and England at KC Stadium in Hull on November 12. The final will be played at Elland Road in Leeds on November 19.

THE SQUAD

Gerard Beale (Broncos), Adam Blair (Storm), Lewis Brown (Warriors), Nathan Fien (Dragons) Kieran Foran (Sea Eagles), Alex Glenn (Broncos), Thomas Leuluai (Wigan), Kevin Locke (Warriors), Shaun Johnson (Warriors), Issac Luke (Rabbitohs), Sam McKendry (Panthers), Simon Mannering (Warriors), Sika Manu (Storm), Benji Marshall (c) (Tigers), Steve Matai (Sea Eagles), Ben Matulino (Warriors), Fuifui Moimoi (Eels), Jason Nightingale (Dragons), Russell Packer (Warriors), Kevin Proctor (Storm), Jeremy Smith (Sharks), Manu Vatuvei (Warriors), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters)