League: Selection test of diplomacy

The Kiwis selectors have named five NRL players in their team for the test against Great Britain at the end of the month but the availability of some, including Warrior Clinton Toopi, remains in doubt.

The 22-man squad named yesterday is a strong one, with just five not having appeared for the Kiwis already. Five players are to be culled before the June 27 game in England.

The bolters are Broncos bench player Greg Eastwood and Canterbury's rookie five-eighth Ben Roberts and it appears both will get a game.

Kiwis coach Brian McClennan spoke to halfback Stacey Jones yesterday morning before the squad was announced and said later that he was sure Jones would be in the number seven jersey when the team ran out at Knowsley Rd, Lancashire.

David Kidwell was a key component for his value at defending around the ruck, McClennan said. He and Parramatta's Fui Fui Moi Moi had been included because their teams had the bye around the test week and so they would miss just one game.

Brisbane have already released Eastwood. Discussions continue over Roberts.

The Warriors want to wait and see if they need Toopi given their injury toll and will make a late decision on releasing him. Lance Hohaia, who had originally been subject of a release request, was not selected.

Great Britain yesterday confirmed that Adrian Morley had been released by the Roosters but the NZRL is still negotiating release of centre Iosaia Soliola and the club is reluctant to let him go.

The NRL players fly to England on June 19 and so would miss two weekends unless their club has the bye.

Of the English-based players, Robbie Paul, 30, is named to make a comeback. His brother Henry, 32, is eligible for both Great Britain and New Zealand and had not made his intentions clear since returning to league, McClennan said.

The rest are hardened test veterans, except Wigan backrower Harrison Hansen who is seen as a future prospect and will likely not make the playing side.

It is a strong selection but not New Zealand's best, prompting McClennan to say he would refer to it as "New Zealand" rather than "The Kiwis".

The match is awarded full international status and players will get test caps. But McClennan said that from a personal standpoint he considered the Kiwis to be the team selected when all players in NRL and Superleague were eligible.

The NZRL and McClennan agreed to the hastily-arranged match in the interests of league in Britain and to build the international game.

Concessions had been made in terms of picking just one player from each NRL club and in avoiding stars such as Benji Marshall and Sonny Bill Williams.

McClennan noted that he had not had full availability of players for the Anzac test either and that there was a difference in the way tests involving New Zealand and the State of Origin games were supported. Steve Price would miss three games for the Warriors because of Origin.

NZRL chairman Sel Bennett said the team would be "a first-choice Kiwis side", the bulk had played test football and the side was as strong as any that could be named just from the NRL.

They knew New Zealanders would like to see Marshall outside Stacey Jones but it would mean "going to war" with the NRL clubs. "We've chosen not to and the coach is to lauded for not doing this."

McClennan said that winning the game was not as important as coming through it in a healthier state as they look to the Tri-Nations and the 2008 World Cup.

KIWIS SQUAD
(To be trimmed to 17)

Vinnie Anderson (St Helens), Jason Cayless (St Helens), Alex Chan (Les Catalans), Greg Eastwood (Broncos), Henry Fa'afili (Warrington), Harrison Hansen (Wigan), Shontayne Hape (Bradford), Stacey Jones (Les Catalans), David Kidwell (Melbourne), Ali Lauitiiti (Leeds), Francis Meli (St Helens), Fui Fui Moi Moi (Parramatta), Iafeta Paleaa'esina (Wigan), Robbie Paul (Huddersfield), Ben Roberts (Canterbury), David Solomona (Wakefield), Iosaia Soliola (Sydney City), Logan Swann (Warrington), Willie Talau (St Helens), Motu Tony (Hull), Clinton Toopi (Warriors), Lesley Vainikolo (Bradford).