League: Kiwis' brothers in arms

By PETER JESSUP


The success of New Zealand's attack in the test against the Kangaroos will be down to the Anderson brothers - elder Vinnie to start his second international out of position at five-eighth and Louis at hooker, one of three newcomers.

It's a big gamble but the selectors have chosen the right family to back if Vinnie's first-up performance at the Albany venue last year and his brother's work rate for the Warriors in a meagre 16 games are any gauge.

Neither was fazed by the prospect of taking on the strong Kangaroos squad, both fizzing after selections yesterday that they had not expected, and at the prospect of taking the field together for their country.

They were the two bolters of the squad named to face the Australians in the Tri-Nations opener at North Harbour Stadium on October 16.

Warrior Brent Webb stays in his familiar spot at fullback, Ruben Wiki will captain the side from prop after Paul Rauhihi was ruled out with a knee tear and 2004 sensation Sonny Bill Williams starts at lock.

There are four grand final players, nine from the NRL finals series.

As well as the younger Anderson, Webb and Bulldogs bench forward Roy Asotasi are debutantes. Webb is believed to be the first Australian-born player to turn out for the Kiwis since Dally Messenger in 1908.

Missing from the side beaten 48-6 in the Anzac test are England-based Robbie Paul and Lesley Vainikolo, Warriors Clinton Toopi, Sione Faumuina, Jerry Seuseu and Tevita Latu, and Stephen Kearney.

The squad assembles in Auckland on Friday but the Andersons, who are the 32nd set of brothers to play for their country, have been in hard work with other Warriors in the Kiwis train-on squad since the end of the club season. Louis, 19, completed a better beep test on Tuesday than he had all season, he said.

He was over the moon to make the train-on squad but had no expectation of higher honour. He was sitting in the barber's chair at Keps in Three Kings yesterday when his mother heard the team announcement on the car radio and ran in to tell him.

Vinnie, 25, got the call from Kiwis team management and was straight on the phone to congratulate him. The brothers travel to club training together. Louis watched his older sibling aim for and achieve national honours last year, then play a blinder on the Albany turf.

"His making it made me see it was possible," he said, "but it's come a lot earlier than I hoped."

From the East Coast Bays club and a former Auckland junior and 2003 Junior Kiwi, Louis will take some comfort in terms of easing his nerves from the fact that he's played before at the ground and it has been good to the Kiwis - three wins from four tests there since 1998.

Defence is his forte, an average 30 tackles a game for the Warriors, with that and simple ball delivery likely to be his instructions for the test.

Vinnie said he did not do much critiquing of his younger brother's game and did not expect to have to provide too much guidance in the test preparation.

"I never played rep football and he always did so in that regard he's more experienced than me," Vinnie said.

He had played at five-eighth in his teens but not in the 55 games he has had in the NRL since debut mid-2002. He does not have a multi-faceted kicking game so someone else will be punting - Thomas Leuluai, Webb or Nigel Vagana.

"I might bring out a drop-kick if we need it 10 seconds to go," he joked. But the serious reply was more circumspect. "Daniel [Anderson] obviously has a role in mind for me and thinks I can do it, so I'll take confidence from that."

That role is likely to be line-breaking and off-loading in the tackle as well as shoring up the right-side defence where Leuluai will slot in, as he is likely to be targeted by the Aussie's big runners.

Rauhihi's knee problem will be managed by the Kiwis medical staff who believe he will be ready to play in the second game of the Tri-Nations, a New Zealand/Australia re-match in London on October 24 and he is expected in camp.

Bulldogs wing Matt Utai is set to play the first test then have surgery for bone chips to an ankle and that will rule him out of the tour.

Other players kept in the wider train-on squad with the prospect of selection to tour on October 17 are Jamaal Lolesi (Bulldogs), Clinton Toopi and Wairangi Koopu (Warriors) and Dene Halatau (Tigers).

They will train with the side up to the Australia test.

Broncos wing Gary Tupou and the Tigers' Bronson Harrison were named in the initial train-on squad but have not made the cut.

The all-up squad for the tour will be 23, with prospects in England including Robbie Paul, Joe Vagana, Lesley Vainikolo and Shontayne Hape from the Bradford Bulls who will play the Super League grand final on October 16, Ali Lauitiiti from Leeds, who play Wigan in the final eliminator this weekend, and Willie Talau and David Solomona from teams already knocked out.

It is a side strong in the forwards and with some great individual strengths in the backs.

The glaring omission is in express pace. That points to the Kiwis playing to their strengths - straight up the middle.

The Kiwis

Brent Webb, Francis Meli, Nigel Vagana, Paul Whatuira, Matt Utai, Vinnie Anderson, Thomas Leuluai, Jason Cayless, Louis Anderson, Ruben Wiki (c), Tony Puletua, Joe Galuvao, Sonny Bill Williams.

Interchange Motu Tony, Roy Asotasi, Nathan Cayless, David Kidwell.