League: Kiwi duo sweat on judiciary rulings

Louis Anderson pictured during the round six NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and the Warriors on April 15. Mark Nolan / Getty Images

Kiwis and Kangaroos management will have a nervous wait today as first-choice selections from both squads face fitness tests and the judiciary review following the weekend's round of NRL.

Kiwis skipper Ruben Wiki missed his team's loss to the Bulldogs yesterday with a hamstring injury but flew out with other Warriors/Kiwis last night and is expected to be okay for Friday night's test in Brisbane.

Sharks centre Nigel Vagana was named at five-eighth for the Kiwis but may face a high-tackle charge for a hit on Penrith's Brian Norrie while Warriors back-rower Louis Anderson was put on report for a swinging arm to the head of the Bulldogs' Tony Grimaldi, who was already on the ground.

Both have clean records for two years and it is hoped they will escape suspension if charged. In Australia there was talk raising the issue of Vagana's suspension in the Tri-Nations in England last year for a tackle that forced Great Britain halfback Paul Deacon from the field but the rules would not allow that to carry weight in the NRL.

The Kangaroos fullback, Anthony Minichiello, did not play in the Roosters' win in Townsville at the weekend and is in doubt with a hamstring problem, and Dragons prop Luke Bailey is out with injury.

There was one late surprise in the Kiwis, with Souths second-rower David Fa'alogo a bolter after a passport wrangle pushed David Solomona out.

Solomona is in England on his Samoan passport and required a re-entry visa for Wakefield's game against Les Catalans in France in two weeks. The passport was submitted to the Home Office but had not been returned by yesterday, and intervention from the NZ High Commission failed to hasten the immigration authorities.

There are just two players from England in the Kiwis 19 - halfback Thomas Leuluai and prop Jason Cayless - and just four Warriors, the Auckland club's smallest-ever contribution.

Fa'alogo, 25, formerly of the Mt Albert club, has been in smashing form for Souths and is picked to provide the wide-ranging breaks and off-loading that would have been expected from Solomona.

Also new to the Kiwis squad are Manly centre Steve Matai, 21, from the Ponsonby club and Brisbane wing Tame Tupou, 23, who played his junior football for the Ellerslie Eagles.

Kiwis coach Brian McClennan released just the 19 names of his squad members yesterday and said all were a chance to play at Suncorp Stadium. Team management would evaluate the injury situation and other issues and name a starting 17 tomorrow.

Bulldogs Sonny Bill Williams and Roy Asotasi were kept in Auckland by the Bulldogs, ostensibly to be checked by club doctor Hugh Hazard who is also the Kangaroos doctor.

McClennan described that as "disappointing".

The NZRL has had to send a specialist's report on Benji Marshall's injured shoulder to insurers and arrange extra cover. McClennan described Marshall as "bouncing around" in the Kiwis camp on the Gold Coast last night.

The selection of him and Williams who have had little play this year and Wiki who missed yesterday meant bad news for Penrith captain Tony Puletua, who has also missed games with injury.

"We had to be careful with how many we went with who haven't had lots of game time," McClennan said.

Dogs coach Steve Folkes said after the Warriors match that Williams would be fine at centre for 80 minutes in the test but would struggle for match fitness if used in the backrow for that length of time.

McClennan was not saying where he'd play the superstar. "We have to box clever with how we use them [Williams and Marshall]."

He'll be looking for the big attacking breaks from those two and wanting others to take the defensive workload so their attacking skills are not blunted by fatigue.

Fa'alogo has had a lot of game time and Matai and Tupou have been playing 80-minute games. McClennan said all three were difficult to tackle and Fa'alogo and Matai in particular were aggressive in defence.

"That's the type of player we want for tests, you're hard to tackle and you provide plenty of tackle aggression."

It would be easy for the Kiwis to play safe and try to "hang in there" but this squad would go out looking to win.

THE TEAMS
Kiwis 19
Louis Anderson (Warriors), Roy Asotasi (Bulldogs), Jason Cayless (St Helen's), Nathan Cayless (Eels), David Fa'alogo (Souths), David Faiumu (Cowboys), David Kidwell (Storm), Thomas Leuluai (Harlequins), Benji Marshall (Tigers), Steve Matai (Sea Eagles), Frank Pritchard (Panthers), Clinton Toopi (Warriors), Tame Tupou (Broncos), Nigel Vagana (Sharks), Brent Webb (Warriors), Jake Webster (Storm), Paul Whatuira (Tigers), Ruben Wiki (Warriors), Sonny Bill Williams (Bulldogs).

Australia
Anthony Minichiello (Roosters), Matt King (Storm), Mark Gasnier (Dragons), Matt Cooper (Dragons), Timana Tahu (Eels), Darren Lockyer (Broncos, c), Andrew Johns (Newcastle), Petero Civoniceva (Broncos), Danny Buderus (Newcastle) Willie Mason (Bulldogs), Nathan Hindmarsh (Eels), Luke O'Donnell (Cowboys), Ben Kennedy (Manly). Interchange: Johnathan Thurston (Cowboys), Mark O'Melley (Bulldogs), Steve Menzies (Manly), Steve Simpson (Newcastle).