The decision to appoint Australian Wayne Bennett as coach of the New Zealand team to play league's centenary celebration game in England in October is intended to relieve pressure on the Kiwis' coach.
New Zealand plays Australia in Wellington seven days before Warrington and Great Britain in Huddersfieldseven days later.
The match against a Northern Selection now takes on the atmosphere of a Barbarians-type encounter, with the NZRL confirming Darren Lockyer as the modern-day Dally Messenger, and touting retired Kiwis and former All Blacks as well as Warriors skipper Steve Price as possible components of the 2007 All Golds.
In 1907 rugby players in northern England broke away from amateur sport to form the 13-man game so they could be paid and New Zealanders followed suit with nine All Blacks among a touring party to England. To pay for the trip they bought their own tickets to Sydney and played three rugby games against a hastily formed New South Wales side also made up of union converts.
The team dubbed the All Golds by the Sydney press won 12-8, 19-5 and 5-3 and collected £600 to pay their boat fare to England. Stacey Jones, Ruben Wiki and Nigel Vagana, who retired from test football last year, have been invited to take part, as has former All Black Carlos Spencer.
The rest will be Super League players unlikely to be named in the test squad for the game against the Lions.
It's unlikely any NRL players who play Australia or are test candidates for the following weekend will be included. Peter Jessup
