NZ Kiwis kingpins Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Jahrome Hughes have been named to make their first appearances at the Rugby League World Cup in the pool match against Ireland on Saturday (NZ time).
Coach Michael Maguire has continued to rotate his talented roster, as the world No.1 side try to find their best combination in their final pool appearance, before a likely quarter-final match-up against Fiji.
This will be the first time Maguire has fielded his preferred spine of Joseph Manu at fullback, Hughes and Dylan Brown in the halves, and hooker Brandon Smith, with veteran Kieran Foran off the bench.
Prop Waerea-Hargreaves, 33, is the Kiwis' most-capped campaigner, but missed their build-up match against Leeds Rhinos, and World Cup pool outings against Lebanon and Jamaica, while serving a three-match NRL suspension.
He will add even more starch to a forward pack that already features hardmen Jesse Bromwich, James Fisher-Harris, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Joseph Tapine.
Hughes, 28, missed Melbourne Storm's NRL playoff run with injury and has been eased back into the team, appearing against Leeds, but sitting out the opening pool fixtures.
If anything can be read into the World Cup's bizarre numbering format, with players retaining the same number throughout the tournament, second-rower Marata Niukore looms as Maguire's preferred centre partner with Peta Hiku.
Niukore left the field with a hamstring injury against Jamaica, so Maguire has inserted another converted second-rower Briton Nikora into that spot against Ireland, who lost to Lebanon in their last outing.
NZ Kiwis: 1-Joseph Manu, 2-Ronaldo Mulitalo, 17-Briton Nikora, 4-Peta Hiku, 5-Jordan Rapana, 6-Dylan Brown, 7-Jahrome Hughes, 8-Jesse Bromwich, 9-Brandon Smith, 10-James Fisher-Harris, 12-Kenny Bromwich, 16-Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 13-Joseph Tapine
Interchange: 11-Isaiah Papali'i, 14-Kieran Foran, 18-Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 20-Isaac Liu
Check out the Rugby League World Cup live on Spark Sport or free-to-air on Three, or join us at 7:30am Saturday for live updates of the NZ Kiwis v Ireland pool clash
