League: Kiwis making plans for Vagana

One of the key questions for the upcoming test against Australia will be answered this week - will Nigel Vagana be handed the crucial No 6 jersey for the Kiwis for Saturday's transtasman clash?

Vagana and Lance Hohaia were named in coach Brian McClennan's 21-man squad to play Australia on Saturday but the team will be further trimmed to 17 this week.

The squad includes the two UK-based players David Solomona and Motu Tony and the squad in full is:

Louis Anderson, Roy Asotasi, Nathan Cayless, David Faiumu, Lance Hohaia, Stacey Jones, David Kidwell, Wairangi Koopu, Iafeta Palea'aesina, Frank Pritchard, Tony Puletua, Paul Rauhihi, David Solomona, Clinton Toopi, Motu Tony, Iosia Soliola, Nigel Vagana, Manu Vatuvei, Brent Webb, Paul Whatuira, Ruben Wiki.

Sharks centre Vagana is favoured by many to play five-eighth, even though he has played only two NRL matches at pivot - in Cronulla's comprehensive round 24 win over Manly and against St George Illawarra in the first week of the semifinals.

In that match he held his own against Trent Barrett, who is battling for the Australian No 6 jersey with captain Darren Lockyer.

The last time the Kiwis pulled a risky positional switch, it also involved Vagana. In last year's Anzac test he was a spectacular failure when out of position at fullback.

However, Sharks CEO Steve Rogers confirmed Vagana would start in the position next year if playmaker Adam Dykes doesn't see out the remaining two years of his contract. "It would obviously be silly not to give Nigel an opportunity, given he spent the latter half of the year there," Rogers said.

With the unavailability of Benji Marshall due to shoulder surgery, the Kiwis have few options at five-eighth, and Vagana has played there for the Kiwis before. McClennan said: "At number six, he's a running five-eighth and a great anticipator of play. One of the best at anticipating opportunities. It's a credit to Nigel that he's got that versatility. But we have a couple of options and Nigel is one of them. Lance Hohaia can play six, as could David Faiumu."

Former Canberra and Kangaroos five-eighth Laurie Daley said New Zealand had no choice but to risk Vagana in the halves.

"I don't think they have any other options but he'll handle it OK. He played a couple of good games for the Sharks when he was in the No 6 jersey. He's one of those players who needs the football in his hands because he's a very good player.

"He'll have to learn a bit about it but if anyone can handle it, it's him."

McClennan said he was impressed with the enthusiasm and attitude of the players, the majority of whom assembled in Auckland on Monday and are now in Sydney. "It's good to see the sense of friendship and family the players have with each other," he said. "It's like watching cousins and brothers meet up with each other.

"We're going spend a lot of our time together working on our team philosophy and building the team into a solid unit."

McClennan is happy to have such a pool of talent to choose from. "It's great having talented players in the squad, although it makes the job of selecting the test side tough, but that's not a bad thing."

McClennan also continued the mind games in the lead-up to the Tri-Series tournament, suggesting the Australian selectors blamed last year's grand final representatives for a poor showing last year.

"I read they were happy there weren't too many players from the grand final to have them fresher for their first game," he said.

"That's interesting. They mentioned last year they drew with New Zealand and they'd had five players play in the grand final, so it was difficult for them.

"Don't they think that we have players in the grand finals as well? I seem to recall Sonny Bill, Roy Asotasi, Matt Utai and Jason Cayless having played as well. Fair go, you know, it's amusing."

- AAP/NZPA