Less than a week after signing with his new NRL club, Newcastle recruit Pauli Pauli has been included in a 19-man squad to play in this weekend's Auckland Nines.
The former Parramatta forward joins Knights mainstays Akuila Uate, Jake Mamo, Tyler Randell, Korbin and Tariq Sims, Sione Mata'utia and Robbie Rochow in heading to New Zealand.
Halves Trent Hodkinson and Jarrod Mullen have been left out, while Dane Gagai and Jeremy Smith are playing in the All Stars game the following week.
Tariq Sims, Rochow and Randell have been named joint captains by new coach Nathan Brown, who hasn't appointed a skipper for the season proper.
All three Mata'utia brothers have been included.
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The Knights progressed to the semi-finals of last year's two-day tournament but were spanked by eventual winners South Sydney at the quarter-final stage.
Newcastle will have just one more hitout, against Canberra in Orange on February 20, before their season-opener against Gold Coast on March 6.
Newcastle's Nines squad: Jake Mamo, Nathan Ross, Jaelen Feeney, Akuila Uate, Brock Lamb, Will Pearsell, Pauli Pauli, Tyler Randell (c), Daniel Saifiti, Korbin Sims, Robbie Rochow (c), Jacob Saitifi, Sione Mata'utia, Joseph Tapine, Tariq Sims (c), Chanel Mata'utia, Danny Levi, Pat Mata'utia.
