All-Star cast confirmed for Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines
All-Star cast confirmed for the Dick Smith NRL
Auckland Nines
Jan 31 – Feb 1 – Eden
Park
Tickets at ticketek.co.nz
A “Who’s
Who” of International Rugby League stars have now
been confirmed for the second edition of the Dick Smith NRL
Auckland Nines at Eden Park starting Saturday.
In total, 288 players representing all 16 clubs have been named to compete over two days, with the lure of more than NZ$2.5 million in prize money.
Already more than 41,000 tickets have been sold. The inaugural event was a 45,000 sell-out last year.
Here is a Top 10 list of players to watch over the 31-game extravaganza.
1: Shaun Johnson -
Warriors
Halfback 24 years old - 83 first
grade games – 13 tests for NZ
Career
Highlights:
2014: Golden Boot
– World’s Best player
2014: Dick
Smith NRL Auckland Nines – Tournament
MVP
2014: Four Nations
winner
2013: NRL All Stars
2:
Daly Cherry-Evans - Sea Eagles
Halfback 25
years old - 104 first grade games - 5 State of Origin (QLD)
- 11 tests
Incumbent Kangaroos
halfback
2014: Daly M Halfback of
the Year
2013: Clive Churchill Medallist
2011: World’s Best Halfback - Rugby
League International
Federation
2011: NRL Premiership
winner
3: James Maloney –
Roosters
Standoff 28 years old – 131 first
grade games – 3 State of Origin
(NSW)
2013: NRL Premiership
winner
2011: Grand Finalist
(Warriors)
4: Benji Marshall -
Dragons
Standoff 29 years old - 216 first
grade games - 27 tests for
NZ
2011: Standoff of the Year -
Rugby League International
Federation
2010: Rugby League World
Golden Boot Award – International footballer of the
year
2010: Four Nations winner
(captain)
2008: World Cup
winner
2005: NRL Premiership winner
(Tigers)
Former Kiwis Captain
5: Adam Reynolds
– Rabbitohs
Halfback 24 years old - 79
first grade games
Career
Highlights:
2014: NRL
Premiership winner (scored a try and kicked five goals in
the final)
2013: NRL All
Stars
6: Kieran Foran - Sea
Eagles
Standoff 24 years old - 128 first
grade games - 19 tests for
NZ
2014: Four Nations
winner
2013: NRL All
Stars
2011: NRL Premiership
winner
Former Kiwis Captain
7: Josh Morris -
Bulldogs
Centre 28 years old - 173 first
grade games - 9 State of Origin (NSW) - 4 tests
Career
Highlights:
2014: State of
Origin winner
2013: World Cup
winner
2012: Daly M Awards Centre of the
Year
2010: NRL All
Stars
2009: Four Nations
winner
8: George Burgess –
Rabbitohs
Prop 22 years old – 50 first
grade games – 8 tests for
England
2014: NRL Premiership
winner
2013: Rookie of the Year - Rugby
League International Federation
9: Ken Nagas -
Raiders
Winger 41 years old - 142 first grade
games - 5 State of Origin (NSW) – 5
tests
Career
Highlights:
1994: Premiership
winner – scored two tries in the Grand Final
win
1997: Scorer of a Raiders’ record
six tries against Halifax in the World Club
Championship
1997: Played in the
inaugural ANZAZ Test
10: John Folau -
Eels
Centre 20 years old
Israel
Folau’s younger brother who is expected to make his First
Grade debut in 2015
190cm or 6”3’ and 100
kilos
Other Confirmed Names
Include:
Nathan Friend (Warriors), Mitchell Pearce (Roosters), Frank Pritchard (Bulldogs, NZ and Samoa), Ben Matulino (Warriors and NZ ), Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys, Tonga and NZ), Sam Perrett (Bulldogs and NZ), Sisa Waqa (Raiders and Fiji), Bill Tupou (Raiders and Tonga), Jason Nightingale (Dragons and NZ), Jared Warea-Hargreaves (Roosters and NZ), Sam Tomkins (Warriors and England), Josh Dugan (Dragons), Dave Taylor (Titans, Queensland and Australia), Manu Vatuvei (Warriors and NZ) and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Roosters and NZ).
The
Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines Statistics
31 games
over two-days
16 NRL teams with 288 players
competing
Teams will be made up of nine players across
four pools of four
Each team has 18 players in its
squad
NZ$2.6 million dollars in prize money
A crowd of
more than 90,000 expected over the two days
Three Test
series between the Kiwi Ferns and
Jillaroos