KEY POINTS:
Nathan Cayless' mood was as black as some of the bruising round his arm last week and it will not have improved after confirmation he will miss all of the Kiwis' five tests starting next month.
The 29-year-old Eels skipper was told on Friday that he needed an operation on the pectoral muscle he tore in his side's loss to Melbourne last weekend, meaning he will be out of action for three months.
Although the NZRL's medical team were assessing the report on Cayless, new Kiwis coach Gary Kemble is expecting he will be without one of his most experienced players for tests against Australia, Great Britain (three) and France. Cayless is booked in for an operation on Wednesday and it comes on the back of injuries to Sonny Bill Williams, Benji Marshall, Jerome Ropati and Manu Vatuvei.
Kemble will name his first Kiwis side since taking over the job from Brian McClennan after tonight's NRL grand final and, unlike his rugby union counterpart, will have none of rest and rotation throughout his tenure.
"We have informed the selectors and the selectors have agreed that the 13 players who take the field, no matter who the opposition and no matter what test match, will be the best 13 players we believe are available for New Zealand throughout the world," Kemble said.
"We want to put pride back in the jersey, which is starting to come back, and we want those players to protect that jersey and play in it for as long as they can. It will up to others to challenge for it."
The forward pack promises to be largely familiar and will be led by Roy Asotasi, who assumed the captaincy from the retired Ruben Wiki for this year's Anzac test.
Cayless' absence means David Kidwell will become an even more crucial member of the side, despite missing most of the NRL season with a serious knee injury.
"The forward pack, everyone can probably pick at this stage," Kemble said. "Even with the players that are out, we will have a formidable pack.
"It's going to be a relatively new backline. It was discussed at length and we are thinking more about attacking flair."
That could see the likes of Jeremy Smith, Sam Perrett, Rangi Chase and Chase Stanley come into the mix, along with big winger Taniela Tuiaki, who has pledged his allegiance to New Zealand after playing for Tonga last year.
With Brent Webb unavailable for the test against Australia because of his involvement in the UK Super League playoffs, Perrett could slot in at fullback, where he played the last seven games of the season for the Roosters.
That would free up Parramatta star Krisnan Inu to play on the wing, but the 20-year-old is good enough to play almost anywhere in the backline.
Bullocking prop Fuifui Moimoi still needs international clearance to play after turning out for Tonga last year, while Kemble has been assured hooker Nathan Fien is available for the Kiwis on residency grounds from October 1. Fien, though, faces stiff opposition from exciting Rabbitohs youngster Issac Luke.
The All Golds squad to play the Northern Unions in the centenary match to mark the start of the Kiwis tour of the UK and France will also be named after the grand final.
