Kiwis coach Stacey Jones has named an unchanged lineup for his team's Pacific Championships match against Papua New Guinea in Sydney on Sunday.
Following their 24-25 loss to Tonga in their Pacific Cup contest in Auckland, the Kiwis finished last on the Pacific Cup table to force them into a promotion-relegation tie against PNG, who won the Pacific Bowl competition.
The Kiwis are coming off an historic loss to Tonga which saw them trail 24-0 at halftime before coming back to level the match at 24-24. Isaiyah Katoa kicked a field goal for Tonga with five minutes to play to beat the Kiwis for just the second time in history.
While the New Zealanders come into the match after losses to the Kangaroos and Tonga, PNG have had two wins in the Pacific Bowl competition. They beat Fiji Bati 22-10 in Suva and the Cook Islands Aitu 42-20 in Port Moresby on Sunday.
This will be the first time the two teams have met in 11 years, their last meeting being a 56-10 win for the Kiwis in Leeds at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
Captain James Fisher-Harris and second rower Isaiah Papali’i will be making their 12th consecutive Test appearances for the Kiwis, having featured in every international in the last three years.
It will be the 19th international between the two countries since their first encounter in 1978. New Zealand have won 18 times against PNG with their sole loss coming in 1986 in Port Moresby.
The Kiwis match in Sydney kicks off at 8:20pm NZT on Sunday.
Tonga take on the Kangaroos in the Pacific Cup final following the women’s Pacific Cup final between the Kiwi Ferns and the Australian Jillaroos. The day’s programme begins with a women’s promotion-relegation encounter between the Papua New Guinea Orchids and Fetu Samoa.
Kiwis squad to take on Papua New Guinea:
Keano Kini, Jamayne Isaako, Matthew Timoko, Peta Hiku, William Warbrick, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Shaun Johnson, James Fisher-Harris (c), Phoenix Crossland, Joseph Tapine, Scott Sorensen, Naufahu Whyte
Interchange: Kodi Nikorima, Griffin Meame, Marata Niukore, Leo Thompson
Reserves: Erin Clark, Jordan Riki, Casey McLean, Trent Toelau
2024 Pacific Championships:
1:40pm - PNG Orchids v Fetu Samoa (Promotion-relegation match)
3:50pm - Jillaroos v Kiwi Ferns (Pacific Cup Final)
6:05pm - Kangaroos v Tonga (Pacific Cup Final)
8:20pm - Kiwis v PNG Kumuls (Promotion-relegation match)
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