2 Oct 2012

Grand finalists dominate Kiwis squad

9:36 am on 2 October 2012

Seven players from the NRL Grand Final feature in the 19-man Kiwis rugby league squad named to play Australia in Townsville on Saturday week.

The victorious Melbourne Storm provides prop Jesse Bromwich and second rower Kevin Proctor, while the Canterbury Bulldogs contribute three forwards - Greg Eastwood, Sam Kasiano and Frank Pritchard - as well as the outside backs Krisnan Inu and Sam Perrett.

There are two newcomers to the Kiwis - prop Kasiano and the Manly outside back Dean Whare.

The only other uncapped member of the squad is Proctor, who toured with the Kiwis to the UK in 2011 but didn't take the field.

The Bulldogs have the most representatives of any club with five players, followed by the Warriors with four.

Two players come from each the Brisbane Broncos and the Storm.

The Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney has retained the three players that made their debuts in April, Bromwich, Josh Hoffman and Shaun Johnson while there have been recalls for Eastwood, Inu, Perrett, Proctor and the Warriors' Elijah Taylor.

The Manly halfback Kieran Foran returns after missing April's Test through injury.

The Kiwis will again be captained by the Wests Tigers' Benji Marshall.