Keano Kini Replaces Kalyn Ponga as New Zealand Make Six Changes and Hand Two Warriors Their Debuts
Stacey Jones has changed six of the side that lost to Australia for Sunday’s World Cup match against the Cook Islands at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. Keano Kini starts at fullback in place of the injured Kalyn Ponga, and Warriors forwards Jacob Laban and Tanner Stowers-Smith are on the bench for their Test debuts, New Zealand Rugby League announced.
Kini for Ponga
Kini came on for Ponga in the 70th minute of the 24-22 loss to Australia, after Ponga had played 20 minutes with what turned out to be a broken radius. Jones had already said Kini would be the replacement. Ponga is staying in camp after surgery.
A Christchurch debut with a family history
Stowers-Smith is 22, was born and raised in Christchurch and went to St Bede’s College, so his debut comes in his home city. NZRL noted that he follows his great-grandfather, the Canterbury great Pat Smith, Kiwi number 301, who made 36 appearances for New Zealand between 1947 and 1949, including 10 Tests, all as captain. Stowers-Smith played 21 NRL games for the Warriors this year, 18 of them off the bench.
Laban, also 22, was born in Samoa and raised in Wellington. He missed one of the Warriors’ 26 games this season and was voted their Players’ Player of the Year.
The other changes
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad comes into the centres for Dane Gagai, who made his Kiwis debut last week after switching from Australia. Joseph Tapine moves from lock to prop in place of Moses Leota. Scott Sorensen, a four-time premiership winner with Penrith, and Xavier Willison start in the second row for Isaiah Papali’i and Briton Nikora, and Erin Clark wears 13. Sorensen’s last Test was against Papua New Guinea in the 2024 Pacific Championships.
Captain James Fisher-Harris and hooker Jeremy Marshall-King are the only two forwards left from the pack that started against Australia. The bench is Te Maire Martin, Laban, Stowers-Smith, Leo Thompson, Papali’i and Nikora, with Gagai, Naufahu Whyte and Leota on the extended bench.
Why Jones is rotating now
The NZ Herald read it as a deliberate rotation: many of the squad are still carrying a long NRL season, and this is the last match before Jones picks his strongest side for Fiji on 31 October. That game now matters more than it did a week ago. Fiji beat the Cook Islands 40-12 and top Pool A on points difference, with Australia second and New Zealand third.
Only two teams go through from the pool. New Zealand need to beat both the Cook Islands and Fiji, and a big win on Sunday would help if it comes down to points difference. The Pool A table is updated after every game.
