League: Mystery surrounds Warriors in Kiwis squad

The Warriors in the Kiwis train-on squad start Tri-Nations preparations on Tuesday, but it is a secret as to who they are and how many there will be.

Coach Brian McClennan is expected to take the players through conditioning work two or three times a week, chairman of selectors Keith Pittman said.

Pittman said about seven Warriors were training on, but would identify only British Super League-bound halfback Stacey Jones among them.

Jones announced last week that he was coming out of international retirement to play in the two Tri-Nations tests against Australia next month.

The Warriors failed to make the National Rugby League (NRL) playoffs and also had a bye in the last round of the minor premiership.

"They've had a couple of weeks off and this is just to keep their conditioning up," Pittman said. "Stacey's announcement has been great. Things are coming along nicely."

Unlike last year and unlike what the Australians are doing again this year, the New Zealand selectors are not naming a train-on squad and then adding players as clubs drop out of the NRL finals.

Instead, they will pick 40 players from which the Kiwi and New Zealand A sides will be chosen.

Pittman said the selectors would have a firm idea of the make-up of the expanded squad by the end of the next week.

It was expected to be named by October 3, the day after the NRL grand final, but the announcement could be before then.

The Kiwis play Australia in the opening Tri-Nations test in Sydney on October 15, with NZ A facing the Junior Kangaroos in the curtain raiser.

After a return trans-Tasman test in Auckland on October 22, the Kiwis and Kangaroos head to England for the second half of the Tri-Nations tournament.

McClennan is expected to have a 25-man tour party in England.

- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB