Veteran halfback Shaun Johnson will return to the international arena for the first time in five years after being brought in to replace Jahrome Hughes for the Kiwis' Pacific Championships campaign against the Kangaroos and Tonga.
After being named in the Kiwis' 21-man squad on Tuesday, Dally M Medal winner Hughes was ruled out today with a neck injury picked up late in the Storm's season.
The 34-year-old Johnson ended his 268-game NRL career with a match-winning display in the New Zealand Warriors' dramatic win over Cronulla on August 31.
He had originally made himself unavailable for the Pacific Championships but the 32-Test playmaker has answered a call from new Kiwi head coach Stacey Jones.
"On top of all the other withdrawals it was a big setback to lose Jahrome but that has now turned into a real positive with Shaun deciding to step in," said Kiwi head coach Stacey Jones.
"He originally said he wouldn't be available after announcing his retirement from the NRL but, with Jahrome being ruled out, Shaun didn't hesitate when asked to help out his country.
"He'll bring so much to the camp through his presence together with his experience and his leadership."
Apart from Hughes the Kiwis are missing six other leading spine options in Dylan Brown (knee), Kieran Foran (ankle), Te Maire Martin (neck), Brandon Smith (knee) and Jeremy Marshall-King (knee) as well as the versatile Joseph Manu, who has switched to rugby union.
Johnson's return leaves him set to revive his Test career in the Kiwis' opening Pacific Championships game against Australia at the Christchurch Stadium on October 27.
It is the same venue that he played his last international at in the Kiwis' series-winning 23-8 win over Great Britain in 2019.
New Zealand's second match is against Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium on November 2, with the final being played at CommBank Stadium in Sydney on November 10.
Jones said Hughes was "shattered" to miss out through injury.
"He has had an outstanding year and he was going to play a key role for the Kiwis again," he said.
"He was desperate to play and we thought, with some time on our side, he would come right with treatment, but he has since received medical advice that he won't be ready to play."
As well as the absence of Hughes, Brown, Foran and Martin, Jones is without winger Ronaldo Mulitalo, hooker Brandon Smith and props Moses Leota and Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
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