Warriors skipper Simon Mannering will lead New Zealand in their defence of the rugby league World Cup this year after being named captain.
The 26-year-old second-rower, whose appointment was announced in Auckland on Friday, replaces star playmaker Benji Marshall.
The Kiwis’ next Test is the Anzac clash with Australia in Canberra on April 19.
Mannering has played 30 Tests, his first in 2006, the year he made his debut for the Warriors.
He was made skipper of the Auckland-based NRL club before the start of the 2010 season, and led them to the grand final in 2011.
Marshall has expressed disappointment at losing the Kiwis captaincy, but says he wants to be part of the side’s World Cup defence in England and Wales in October and November.
The 28-year-old Wests Tigers halfback first became Test skipper in the last World Cup in Australia in 2008, when tournament skipper Nathan Cayless sat out a pool match against England.
After taking over as regular captain, he went on to lead the Kiwis to further success two years later, when they won the 2010 Four Nations title.
Coach Stephen Kearney said on Thursday the captaincy decision was made in the best interests of the team.
NZRL high performance general manager Tony Kemp said Marshall carried a big workload for rugby league in general and the change would lift some of the weight off his shoulders.
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