Test debuts confirmed for Kiwi trio

Dean Whare, Sam Kasiano and Kevin Proctor will make their international debuts in the Kiwis’ one-off Test against Australia in Townsville on Saturday (9.30pm kick-off NZ time).

Former Junior Kiwi Whare (Manly) will team up on the Kiwis’ left side with Brisbane’s Gerard Beale as his wing partner.

Canterbury-Bankstown prop Kasiano has been named to partner Melbourne’s premiership-winning Jesse Bromwich in the starting front row while Proctor, also out of the Storm’s champion side, makes his Test debut as one of the starting second rowers. Proctor (Kiwi No 771) toured with the Kiwis last year but didn’t appear in a Test.

Whare becomes Kiwi No 776 and Kasiano 777.

Three Vodafone Warriors have been included in the final 17. Simon Mannering will be at loose forward for his 30th Test replacing the injured Jeremy Smith while Elijah Taylor and Ben Matulino are both on the interchange, Taylor – the back-up dummy half – playing his third Test and Matulino his 13th.

Vodafone Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson hasn’t been included while Penrith prop Sam McKendry is the other player from the initial 19 named to drop off.

The full team is:

1 Josh Hoffman (Brisbane Broncos), 773, 1
2 Sam Perrett (Canterbury Bulldogs), 744, 19
3 Krisnan Inu (Canterbury Bulldogs), 735, 4
4 Dean Whare (Manly Sea Eagles), -, -
5 Gerard Beale (Brisbane Broncos), 767, 4
6 Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), 717, 26
7 Kieran Foran (Manly Sea Eagles), 757, 7
8 Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne Storm, 775, 1
9 Issac Luke (South Sydney Rabbitohs), 749, 21
10 Sam Kasiano (Canterbury Bulldogs), -, -
11 Frank Pritchard (Canterbury Bulldogs), 718, 22
12 Kevin Proctor (Melbourne Storm), 771, 0
13 Simon Mannering (Vodafone Warriors), 731, 29
Interchange:
14 Elijah Taylor (Vodafone Warriors), 770, 2
15 Ben Matulino (Vodafone Warriors), 756, 12
16 Greg Eastwood (Canterbury Bulldogs), 737, 17
17 Adam Blair (Wests Tigers), 732, 25