11 Nov 2014

Leuluai out of Four Nations final

5:23 pm on 11 November 2014

A shoulder injury has ruled the Kiwis hooker Thomas Leuluai out of Saturday's Four Nations final against Australia in Wellington.

Thomas Leuluai

Thomas Leuluai Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The Warriors utility started in New Zealand's wins against Austalia and England, but sustained a shoulder injury, as well as a badly gashed face, during the match in Dunedin.

Issac Luke has been promoted from the bench to start at hooker, with utility Lewis Brown joining the playing line-up.

Apart from Leuluai, the Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney has stuck to the same team that held out the English, taking the precaution of naming back Gerard Beale and forward Bodene Thompson as 18th and 19th men.

Several other players emerged from the weekend with injury concerns, but Tohu Harris (shoulder), Dean Whare (foot) and Jason Nightingale (face) are all expected to line up as named.

1 Peta Hiku

2 Jason Nightingale

3 Shaun Kenny-Dowall

4 Dean Whare

5 Manu Vatuvei

6 Kieran Foran

7 Shaun Johnson

8 Jesse Bromwich

9 Issac Luke

10 Adam Blair

11 Simon Mannering

12 Kevin Proctor

13 Jason Taumalolo

14 Lewis Brown

15 Greg Eastwood

16 Martin Taupau

17 Tohu Harris

18 Gerard Beale

19 Bodene Thompson

Meanwhile, the Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens has named the following squad for the final:

1. Greg Inglis

2. Josh Mansour

3. Michael Jennings

4. Dylan Walker

5. Sione Mata'utia

6. Daly Cherry-Evans

7. Cooper Cronk

8. Aaron Woods

9. Cameron Smith (c)

10. Josh Papalii

11. Sam Thaiday

12. Greg Bird

13. Corey Parker

14. Boyd Cordner

15. Robbie Farah

16. Aidan Guerra

17. Ryan Hoffman

18. Ben Hunt

19. Josh Jackson

20. David Klemmer