Mal Meninga has brought back his big guns for the Kangaroos’s showdown with the Kiwis in Saturday’s Pacific Championships final at Auckland.
Nicho Hynes, Tom Flegler and Jake Trbojevic make way from the team which beat New Zealand in Melbourne last weekend with Payne Haas, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Liam Martin returning to the line-up at Auckland’s Eden Park.
Valentine Holmes has kept his spot on the wing after he was recalled for the game at AAMI Park from a one-game ban for being photographed with a bag of unidentified white powder during end-of-season Cowboys celebrations.
Broncos speedster Selwyn Cobbo remains on the reserves.
Nicho Hynes. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Reuben Cotter is back on the interchange after starting in the back row with Martin returning to the starting side.
The Kiwis have retained the same 17-man line-up which went down 36-18 to the Kangaroos in Melbourne.
Pacific Championship teams
all times AEDT
Australian Kangaroos vs New Zealand: Saturday, October 28, AAMI Park, Melbourne at 8.10pm
Kangaroos: 1. James Tedesco 2. Dylan Edwards 3. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 4. Kotoni Staggs 5. Val Holmes 6. Cameron Munster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Payne Haas 9. Ben Hunt 10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 11. Cameron Murray 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Harry Grant 15. Lindsay Collins 16. Patrick Carrigan 17. Reuben Cotter 18. Nicho Hynes 19. Tom Flegler 20. Selwyn Cobbo 21. Jake Trbojevic
Kiwis: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Ronaldo Mulitalo 3. Matt Timoko 4. Joey Manu 5. Jamayne Isaako 6. Dylan Brown 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Kieran Foran 10. Moses Leota 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Briton Nikora 13. Joe Tapine 14. Fa’amanu Brown 15. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 16. Griffin Neame 17. Leo Thompson 18. Naufahu Whyte 19. . Wiremu Greig 20. Keano Kini