Four Panthers have been named in the New Zealand squad for the upcoming Pacific Championships, including bolters Trent Toelau and Casey McLean.
Outgoing Panthers prop James Fisher-Harris will captain the Kiwis, while Scott Sorensen has also been named for the upcoming tournament.
The Kiwis have confirmed that Moses Leota was not considered for selection due to a shoulder injury.
“While we’ve had a number of players ruled out through injury or unavailability, it’s a hugely exciting opportunity having the Kiwis playing at home in front of our fans again,” said new Kiwis head coach Stacey Jones of his first squad since taking on the job.
“We’ve still got a solid core of last year’s squad but, the way I see it, it’s a fantastic chance for us to build the group to provide lots of options and depth for following campaigns.”
See the Kiwis squad here.
The announcement of the Kiwis squad follows the Australian team being revealed yesterday, which included Penrith’s Isaah Yeo as captain.
Dylan Edwards, Liam Martin and Lindsay Smith were also selected for the Kangaroos.
Meanwhile, Tonga has also confirmed its squad for the Pacific Championship.
Penrith’s Paul Alamoti and Soni Luke have both been selected.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.