KEY POINTS:
The NRL finals series has had a major influence on selection for the World Cup with five Manly players selected in the Kangaroos and the Kiwis selectors naming four from Melbourne and six Warriors.
The Aussies have seven new faces in their 24-man squad ahead of the opener against the Kiwis in Sydney on October 26 while Storm bench man Sika Manu is the only newcomer for the New Zealanders.
Those Kiwis squad members who played the title game last Sunday - Storm prop Jeff Lima and second rower Jeremy Smith, bench players Adam Blair and Manu and Manly centre Steve Matai who is named despite ongoing problems with bone chips in his right shoulder - have been left out of the weekend's match between a Maori selection and the All Golds in New Plymouth.
Another 16, including Warriors players, will get a limited run to ensure they stay match-fit, while hopefully avoiding injury. Simon Mannering will be rested after playing in all 27 games for the club this season.
There are five players missing from the 19 involved in the Anzac test in May, Sonny Bill Williams who fled to France, 2007 captain Roy Asotasi and Penrith forward Frank Pritchard who are injured, Dragons wing Jason Nightingale who misses out and Bulldogs five-eighth Ben Roberts, dropped and likely to be named for Samoa later this week. Eels captain Nathan Cayless who led the Kiwis in 2001 and 2004 is captain.
"We've got a lot of players who have been involved in finals football in the NRL and the English Super League so that's a real positive," said coach Stephen Kearney.
"What we do have is more options than Kiwi teams have had for some time in the key positions of fullback, in the halves and hooker."
Aussie-born Nathan Fien returns after the eligibility scandal of 2006 and Leeds fullback Brent Webb is named despite missing the Super League grand final with a back injury. Kearney is confident he will be repaired in time.
Webb and half Thomas Leuluai are the only English-based players.
Convenor of selectors Howie Tamati is confident the Kiwis panel has chosen a squad capable of lifting the World Cup.
His confidence is based in part on the availability of specialists in the pivotal spots of fullback, the halves and hooker.
"We've got them pretty well covered and we've probably never been in a better position in New Zealand rugby league," he said.
"We're now in the position where we don't have to play players out of position.
"There are players who have specialist skills and/or have the ability to play well in a number of positions."
Leuluai has been earmarked as the starting halfback, while Wests Tigers' mercurial Benji Marshall is back from injury to fill the five-eighth berth.
Marshall's clubmate, Dene Halatau, and South Sydney's Issac Luke are the leading options at hooker.
Tamati described the return of Parramatta prop Cayless to the captaincy in place of the injured Asotasi as a logical decision, given his experience and his background as club skipper.
Cayless has led his country twice before, in 2001 and 2004.
Kiwis World Cup squad
Nathan Cayless (Parramatta, captain), Adam Blair (Melbourne), Greg Eastwood (Brisbane), David Fa'alogo (South Sydney), Nathan Fien (New Zealand Warriors), Dene Halatau (Wests Tigers), Lance Hohaia (NZ Warriors), Krisnan Inu (Parramatta), David Kidwell (South Sydney), Thomas Leuluai (Wigan), Jeff Lima (Melbourne), Issac Luke (South Sydney), Simon Mannering (NZ Warriors), Sika Manu (Melbourne), Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), Steve Matai (Manly), Sam Perrett (Sydney Roosters), Sam Rapira (NZ Warriors), Jerome Ropati (NZ Warriors), Setaimata Sa (Sydney Roosters), Jeremy Smith(Melbourne), Iosia Soliola (Sydney Roosters), Manu Vatuvei (NZ Warriors), Brent Webb (Leeds).
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA
