League: Kiwis' injury concerns ease

1.00pm - By ROBERT LOWE

LEEDS - The Kiwis' concerns at halfback eased today with news that Thomas Leuluai is likely to be fit to face Great Britain in the last round of the Tri-Nations rugby league tournament next week.

Leuluai, who came off midway through the 12-22 loss to the Lions at Huddersfield last weekend with a shoulder injury, will miss the one-off test against France on Thursday (Friday morning NZ time).

But coach Daniel Anderson said today that the prognosis for the 19-year-old had improved.

"I felt a lot more comfortable after the recovery session and the doc had did some tests on him," he said.

"He's got a bump, but he hasn't dislocated it."

The importance of the match against Great Britain at Hull on November 20 will be determined this Saturday, when the Kangaroos face the Lions.

New Zealand need Australia, who have already made the final in Leeds on November 27, to win at Wigan to keep alive their own hopes of making the playoff.

Bradford skipper Robbie Paul, who has come off the bench to slot in as hooker in the Kiwis' two Tri-Nations matches in England so far, will take the No 7 jersey against France.

Partnering Paul in the halves will be Henry Fa'afili, who moves in from his usual position on the wing to five-eighth.

Fa'afili has played at five-eighth before, appearing there for Samoa in the 2000 World Cup and also for the Anzacs against Cumbria two weeks ago when Australian Scott Hill went off.

The Kiwis side named today for the test at Carcassonne, in the south of France, features four new caps in Jamaal Lolesi at fullback, hooker Dene Halatau, prop Alex Chan and lock Wairangi Koopu.

A number of players were not considered because of minor injuries, while fullback Brent Webb and lock Sonny Bill Williams were being rested.

Anderson said a commitment was made before the Kiwis squad left New Zealand that everyone in the tour party would get at least two games.

If they were not in the main test team, they would get the Anzac game and the French test.

He said Ruben Wiki would skipper the side, even though he was included among the substitutes, with fellow prop Paul Rauhihi taking charge when Wiki was on the bench.

Anderson had little information on the French side, apart from having known their Australian coach, Mick Aldous, for many years.

Aldous, a former Canberra player from the 1980s, did development work for the New South Wales Rugby League and was later assistant coach to Wayne Pearce when the Wests Tigers merger first came into existence.

"I know the coach and he's a lovely bloke, but I don't know much else about them," Anderson said.

"But we will be prepared for the game. I expect us to win, to play well and to play committed."

Anderson said there was "still a bit of residual pain" over the weekend's loss to Great Britain at Galpharm Stadium.

He described this afternoon's training run as "a cobweb clearing session, both mentally and physically".

The Kiwis travel from their base in Leeds to France on Wednesday and will have a training run at the match venue that night. They are due to return the day after the test.

New Zealand: Jamaal Lolesi, Nigel Vagana, Paul Whatuira, Clinton Toopi, Shontayne Hape, Henry Fa'afili, Robbie Paul, Paul Rauhihi (vice-captain), Dene Halatau, Alex Chan, Ali Lauitiiti, Roy Asotasi, Wairangi Koopu. Interchange: Nathan Cayless, Jason Cayless, Ruben Wiki (captain), Louis Anderson.

- NZPA