LeagueNews.co | Robbie Hamilton
New Zealand Kiwis coach Michael Maguire has announced a 21-man squad for the upcoming Pacific Championships, with seven potential debutants included.
The squad features the likes of Fa'amanu Brown, Leo Thompson, Wiremu Greig, Keano Kini, Griffin Neame, Matt Timoko, and Naufahu Whyte, who are set to make their first appearance for the Kiwis against Samoa on October 21.
The front row is expected to be dominated by Premiership-winning props James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota, who will be joined by Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Joseph Tapine, Briton Nikora, and Isaiah Papali'i in the formidable engine room.
In the hooking role, Danny Levi, Kieran Foran, and Nu Brown are all viable options, as Brandon Smith and Jeremy Marshall-King are unavailable.
Levi, who last played for New Zealand at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, is making his return, while Jamayne Isaako, the leading points and try-scorer in 2023, will also be back in the black jersey after his last appearance during the Kiwis' 2019 tour of Great Britain.