Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney will be able to consider all 23 players for the first time on tour when his side face Wales in the first match of Saturday's Four Nations double-header at Wembley Stadium in London.
In the first two internationals of this end-of-season campaign, Kearney was without thesuspended Adam Blair, one of his most experienced forwards, for both tests against Australia. On Saturday, prop Russell Packer, who made his debut in Newcastle on October 16, was also suspended.
With those two players available again and the other 21 all fit, Kearney will have his full complement of players to choose from, for a match the defending Four Nations champions must win to stay in contention for a place in the final at Elland Road on November 19.
The Welsh lost 42-4 to England in their opening match on Saturday.
"It's helpful having everyone available for selection," Kearney said. "But, no matter who plays this week, a priority against Wales will be trying to find a way to start our games better. We need to learn from what happened against the Australians [on Saturday] and also in Newcastle when we weren't able to start the way we wanted."
In Newcastle, Kevin Locke, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Gerard Beale, Packer and Alex Glenn were all handed their debuts with Locke, Faifai Loa, Beale and Glenn all backing up in Warrington on Saturday while Packer was banned.
Of the eight rookies named in the original squad, Kevin Proctor (Melbourne), Elijah Taylor (Warriors) and Bill Tupou (Warriors) are yet to make their international debuts but come into contention this week. Taylor was 18th man against the Kangaroos in Newcastle and Proctor was 18th man on Saturday.
