Rugby League World Cup: Kiwis announce squad for quarter-final clash with Fiji

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has a chance to play against Fiji on Sunday. Photo / Photosport

The Kiwis have made just one change to their squad ahead of their Rugby League World Cup quarter-final fixture against Fiji on Sunday.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has been drafted in to fill the vacancy created by prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ one-match suspension for a high tackle on Dan Norman in last Friday night’s win over Ireland in Leeds.

However, the team is keeping its cards close to its chest in terms of a starting 13, with the final line-up only to be confirmed 75 minutes before kick-off on Sunday.

Apart from Waerea-Hargreaves, other notable omissions are prop Moses Leota, centre/second rower Marata Niukore, centre Sebastian Kris and hooker Jeremy Marshall-King.

For the second time in successive World Cups, the Kiwis and Fiji meet at the quarter-final stage of the tournament.

When the two nations met for the first time in 2017, the Bati caused a major shock by winning 4-2 in a tryless contest in Wellington.

Of the squad named today, Watene-Zelezniak, Jordan Rapana, Joseph Tapine, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Isaac Liu all played in the 2017 encounter. Waerea-Hargreaves was also in the line-up that day while Kenny Bromwich and Peta Hiku weren’t selected.

The Kiwis go into their quarter-final after topping Pool C with victories over the Lebanon Cedars (34-12), Jamaica’s Reggae Warriors (68-6) and the Ireland Wolfhounds (48-10).

After losing 8-42 to the Kangaroos in their opening match, Fiji beat Italy’s Azzurri 60-4 and the Scotland Bravehearts 30-14 to finish runner-up in Pool B

The match is set to kick off at 8:30am NZT on Sunday.

Kiwis quarter-final squad: Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Jesse Bromwich, Kenny Bromwich, Dylan Brown, James Fisher-Harris, Kieran Foran, Peta Hiku, Jahrome Hughes, Isaac Liu, Joseph Manu, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Briton Nikora, Isaiah Papali’i, Jordan Rapana, Brandon Smith, Joseph Tapine, Scott Sorensen, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.