Nine new faces in Kangaroos squad

New Australia coach Wayne Bennett has included nine players who missed last November’s Ashes Series in a provisional 25-strong squad for the Anzac Test against New Zealand in Newcastle on April 23.

Bennett, who has taken over from Chris Anderson, has retained 10 players from the team which beat Great Britain 18-12 at Huddersfield four months ago to secure a 3-0 series whitewash, including man of the series Brett Kimmorley.

Kimmorley is likely to retain the scrum-half role following the loss of Andrew Johns, who is out for the season with a knee injury, but among the recalled players are established Test regulars Trent Barrett, Shaun Timmins and Matt Gidley, who all pulled out of the 2003 Kangaroo tour through injury.

The squad, which includes five players from Sydney Roosters, is:

L Bailey, T Barrett, S Timmins (St George Illawarra), D Buderus, M Gidley, B Kennedy, T Tahu (Newcastle), P Civoneciva, S Webcke, D Lockyer, B Tate (Brisbane), J Clinton, C Gower, T Waterhouse (Penrith), M Crocker, C Fitzgibbon, C Flannery, J Hodges, A Minichiello (Sydney Roosters), B Fletcher (South Sydney), S Hill, M Orford, C Smith (Melbourne), B Kimmorley (Cronulla), M Sing (North Queensland).