Kiwis decimated by injuries

New Zealand without eight players for Four Nations

Last updated: 17th September 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Kiwis decimated by injuries

Asotasi: ruled out

While it's obviously disappointing when players are unavailable, it's also a reality when you're dealing with a competition that's as tough as the NRL is.

Stephen Kearney
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Roy Asotasi is among eight players to be ruled out of New Zealand's squad for the Gillette Four Nations.

Melbourne forward Sika Manu, already out with an ankle injury, has been joined on the sidelines by South Sydney prop Asotasi, Newcastle back rower Zeb Taia, Wests Tigers winger Taniela Tuiaki and the New Zealand Warriors quartet of Simon Mannering, Sam Rapira, Jerome Ropati and Manu Vatuvei.

Four of the players - Rapira, Manu, Mannering and Ropati - were all in the Kiwis side that beat Australia 34-20 in the World Cup final last November.

"While it's obviously disappointing when players are unavailable, it's also a reality when you're dealing with a competition that's as tough as the NRL is," said Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney.

"We lost a lot of players who were in contention for the World Cup last year but we still had a very committed group of players who were desperate to represent New Zealand and had a real belief. It's exactly the same now."

Leeds full-back Brent Webb, Warrington back rower Louis Anderson and Wigan scrum half or hooker Thomas Leuluai are still in the 38-strong squad.

Huddersfield-bound forward David Fa'alolo, who was this week sacked by South Sydney after he was involved in a punch-up with his coach, and St Helens-bound centre Iosia Soliola are also expected to make the final 23-man touring team when it is announced on October 5.

New Zealand will assemble in Auckland early next month to prepare for a one-off Test against Tonga in Rotorua on October 14 before flying out to London three days later for their opening Four Nations clash against the Kangaroos at the Twickenham Stoop on October 24.

Amended train-on squad: L Anderson (Warrington), A Blair (Melbourne), L Covell (Cronulla), G Eastwood (Canterbury), D Fa'alogo (South Sydney), N Fien (St George Illawarra), K Foran (Manly), A Glenn (Brisbane), B Goodwin (Canterbury), D Halatau (Wests Tigers), B Harrison (Canberra), L Hohaia, K Inu (Parramatta), S Kenny-Dowall (Sydney Roosters), T Leuluai (Wigan), J Lima (Melbourne), K Locke, I Luke (South Sydney), B Marshall (Wests Tigers), S Matai (Manly), B Matulino (NZ Warriors), F Moimoi (Parramatta), J Nightingale (St George Illawarra), F-P Nuuausala (Sydney Roosters), R Packer, S Perrett (Sydney Roosters), E Pettybourne (South Sydney), F Pritchard (Penrith), B Roberts (Canterbury), S Sa (Sydney Roosters), J Sau (Newcastle), J Smith (St George Illawarra), I Soliola (Sydney Roosters), C Stanley (St George Illawarra), F Talanoa (South Sydney), J Waerea-Hargreaves (Manly), B Webb (Leeds), A Winterstein (Brisbane)