League: Questions aplenty for Kiwi selectors

The loss of Sonny Bill Williams to an ankle injury gives some urgency to settling the availability of Ali Lauitiiti for the Anzac test in Brisbane on April 22 because the Kiwis will need a ball-playing second-rower.

The selectors are more blessed ahead of this game than they have been before most recent internationals, with New Zealand players in the NRL and Super League in good form.

The usual areas of contention - hooker, halfback, five-eighth and fullback - remain.

There will have to be a major re-think if Brent Webb cannot take the place he deserves at fullback because of the back injury that has kept him out of two Warriors games.

There is no stand-out five-eighth and that contest seems to come down to Lance Hohaia versus Jerome Ropati; after the retirement of Stacey Jones from test football, the sensible thing might be to go for the most experienced man in the job, Thomas Leuluai. Or the selectors might throw Benji Marshall in at five-eighth, with Hohaia at halfback.

The other poser is do they go with Louis Anderson at hooker or use Dene Halatau?

Then there's the question of whether the English clubs will co-operate in allowing mid-season travel for those players who might be selected.

Former Kiwis coach Frank Endacott reckons the Kiwis selectors should be considering several players: Vinnie Anderson, who has been in good form for St Helens, along with Willie Talau, who has been injured but was playing well; Thomas Leuluai from the London Broncos; and Lauitiiti and Lesley Vainikolo, also from Leeds.

Endacott says Robbie Paul is sharing time at hooker with Karl Pratt and doesn't look comfortable but is doing a good job, and Joe Vagana is making an impact for Bradford.

The Super League games that matter are Wigan v Leeds on April 15 (Lauitiiti could arrive in Australia on Sunday), the London Broncos v St Helens on Saturday and Bradford v Huddersfield Giants on Sunday (Bronco Leuluai, Saints' Anderson and Talau and the Bulls' Paul and Vainikolo could be training with the Kiwis on Tuesday morning).

There is good form on the board from left and right wingers, left and right centres, left and right second-rowers and from lots of props in the NRL.

Jason Cayless and Paul Rauhihi are no-brainers at prop. the second row will include Tony Puletua and Nathan Cayless, with Ruben Wiki likely at lock after Williams' injury. Nigel Vagana is a certainty at right centre and Clinton Toopi at left.

Among those who would be in consideration for the bench are the Sharks' Hutch Maiava and Bulldog Roy Asotasi as props, Penrith's Frank Pritchard and the Tigers' Paul Whatuira as wing/centre/fullback cover, David Kidwell from the Storm, , the Dogs' back utility Jamaal Lolesi, Louis Anderson, Marshall and Ropati.

If there are to be bolters they will be Marshall, Luke Covell, Maiava or Pritchard.

The Kangaroos, for once, look vulnerable, through injury to the likes of maestro Andrew Johns and poor form.

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Kiwis
Brent Webb, Luke Covell, Nigel Vagana, Clinton Toopi, Matt Utai, Lance Hohaia, Thomas Leuluai, Jason Cayless, Dene Halatau, Paul Rauhihi, Nathan Cayless, Ali Lauitiiti or Tony Puletua, Ruben Wiki (c); interchange from Benji Marshall, Frank Pritchard, David Kidwell, Nathan Cayless/Puletua, Paul Whatuira.

Kangaroos
Anthony Minichiello, Billy Slater, Matt Gidley, Willie Tonga, Matt King, Darren Lockyer (c), Brett Kimmorley, Luke Bailey, Cameron Smith, Petero Civoniceva, Nathan Hindmarsh, Craig Fitzgibbon, Ben Kennedy; interchange from Craig Gower and Craig Wing, Trent Waterhouse, Carl Webb and Jason Ryles, Braith Anasta.