7 October 2008 - All but eight of the Pirtek Kiwis' 24-man Rugby League World Cup squad are set to be on show for the All Golds at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth on Sunday.

In a game that doubles as the New Zealand Rugby League's farewell to Kiwi great Ruben Wiki, the All Golds will face the New Zealand Maori in a build-up match for the Kiwis ahead of them taking on Australia in the official World Cup-opening clash at the Sydney Football Stadium on October 26.

They also have a test against Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium on October 18 before flying out for Australia the day after.

Today it was confirmed that 16 of the 19-man All Golds squad named last week are all headed for the World Cup, ensuring the Taranaki sporting public has the chance to get a sneak preview of most of the Kiwi players.

The other three players in the All Golds are Wiki and his long-time Kiwi team-mates Stacey Jones and Logan Swann.

Among the 2008 World Cup players involved in New Plymouth will be Parramatta prop Nathan Cayless, recalled as Kiwi captain after last doing the job in 2004. Cayless has strong family connections in Taranaki.

There's another potent Taranaki flavour in South Sydney's Hawera-born hooker Issac Luke, who made his test debut this year.

Other World Cup players in the All Golds include Wests Tigers playmaker Benji Marshall, Parramatta's talented Krisnan Inu and five of the six Vodafone Warriors named today - Lance Hohaia, Manu Vatuvei, Jerome Ropati, Nathan Fien and Sam Rapira. Simon Mannering is being rested. Also being rested Melbourne's grand final quartet of Sika Manu, Jeff Lima, Jeremy Smith and Adam Blair plus Manly's NRL grand final-winning centre Steve Matai, Wests Tigers utility Dene Halatau and Leeds fullback Brent Webb.

Wellington-born second rower Manu is the only newcomer named for the World Cup.

Manu (21), who started his NRL career with three appearances for the Storm last year, established himself as a first-choice player this season when he was used in 24 of the club's 28 matches.

He's one of four Storm players included in the team that assembles in Auckland next Monday (October 13) to prepare for the test against Tonga.

Selection panel convener Howie Tamati said the selectors were optimistic both Matai and Webb would be ready for the World Cup.

"Our requirement under the World Cup rules is to name our team today," he said.

"Both Steve and Brent have injuries which need to be checked out but we're very hopeful they'll both be right for the tournament.

"We'll leave the decision up to the experts and the players themselves."

Of the 19 players in the Centenary Test squad in May, 14 have been chosen for the World Cup. Roy Asotasi and Frank Pritchard are injured, Sonny Bill Williams is playing rugby union in France and Jason Nightingale and Ben Roberts have been omitted. Nightingale is lining up for the New Zealand Maori on Sunday.

Coach Stephen Kearney said he was delighted with the squad assembled.

"We've got a lot of players who have been involved in finals football in the NRL and the English Super League so that's a real positive," he said.

"What we do have is more options than Kiwi teams have had for some time in the key positions of fullback, in the halves and hooker.

"We've had two or three players ruled out but you have the expect that."

While Melbourne has four players, the Vodafone Warriors have the largest number of representatives on the back of their successful NRL campaign. Only Mannering and Hohaia were involved in the May test at the SCG but they have now been joined by Vatuvei and Ropati - both injured in May - plus Fien and Rapira. Fien returns after making two appearances in the 2006 Tri Nations while Rapira is recalled after playing in each of the Kiwis' six tests last year.

Others returning after being out of contention through injury in May are standoff Marshall, Lima, Matai and Inu.