League: Marshall poised to make his test debut

Bet on Benji Marshall to make his debut for the Kiwis in the Anzac test in Brisbane in 10 days, with form deciding many selections and Marshall in fine form.

There are eight Warriors in the 22-man squad named yesterday.

Injuries to Sonny Bill Williams and Tony Puletua have robbed the Kiwis of significant strength in the pack, and former captain Nathan Cayless is a surprise omission.

Coach Daniel Anderson said he was happy the squad had the speed and agility to compete - if they were smaller than in previous years that could also be an advantage.

Warriors fullback Brent Webb is almost sure to be ruled out with a disc problem that has kept him out of two NRL games and hampered him last Saturday. The selectors would see the medical process through before announcing who would play in number one, Anderson said.

The only newcomer to the Kiwis is Wests Tigers secondrower Bronson Harrison, who is likely to go through the initiation process followed by others including Penrith's Frank Pritchard, the only other player of the 22 yet to play a test.

Anderson will keep 20 players in camp on the Gold Coast in the build-up. With Webb out, there is no obvious goal-kicker.

There remains the conundrum of which of several non-specialists to go for at five-eighth - Lance Hohaia, Thomas Leuluai or 20-year-old Marshall.

All players in England had been considered but "given the success we've had in the past", Anderson said, it was thought best to limit that.

So Leuluai is going to play somewhere or they wouldn't be bringing him home. Ali Lauitiiti is the obvious omission from Super League ranks given the need for ball-playing backrowers after the withdrawal of Tony Puletua and Sonny Bill Williams through injury. Also ruled out of the picture yesterday were Warriors Monty Betham, and Tevita Latu after accepting NRL suspensions for charges arising from the Tigers game.

Anderson said that Cayless' omission showed the depth and form of players they had to choose from at prop/second row.

Others coming out of in-form NRL sides are Paul Whatuira and Dene Halatau of the Tigers, props Jason Cayless from the Roosters and Paul Rauhihi, who are arguably the two best and most consistent in the competition, centre Nigel Vagana from the Sharks and forwards Alex Chan and David Kidwell from the Storm. All of those should be in the 17 at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, April 22.

Of Marshall, Anderson said: "We don't want to pitchfork him in but it's hard because of the lack of depth in the halves. He Lance and Jerome are probably all short on experience, they're all young and confident too. A one-off game is like a 100-yard sprint, you go flat-out on the night. If things click for you on the night ... "

Ruben Wiki seems sure to be captain; with 43 tests he is by far the most experienced player.

The Kiwis' final 17 will be named after round six of the NRL this weekend.

The teams

* KIWIS SQUAD: Louis Anderson, Sione Faumuina, Lance Hohaia, Wairangi Koopu, Jerome Ropati, Clinton Toopi, Brent Webb, Ruben Wiki, Roy Asotasi, Jamaal Lolesi, Matt Utai, Jason Cayless, Alex Chan, David Kidwell, Dene Halatau, Bronson Harrison, Benji Marshall, Paul Whatuira, Thomas Leuluai, Frank Pritchard, Paul Rauhihi, Nigel Vagana.

* POSSIBLE STARTING SIDE: Webb/Ropati, Whatuira, Vagana, Toopi, Utai, Faumuina, Leuluai, Rauhihi, Halatau, Cayless, Kidwell, Asotasi, Wiki (c); interchange Marshall, Anderson, Chan, Pritchard.