Any chance we get to see our Kiwis in action is a good time. Throw in a tour to England and you'd be right in assuming that I am currently frothing at the mouth with excitement, but there's another funky twist to this tour as there's a high chance that we will see a group of newbies get their chance to pull on the black and white jersey. 

There's generally a few new faces in each Kiwis squad, just think back to how the likes of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Peta Hiku and Tohu Harris got their start in international rugby league and are now locked in selections. This time my excitement levels are peaking though as the number of newbies in this Kiwis squad is higher than usual while more importantly, the quality of this new group is the best it's ever been. Kodi Nikorima, Tuimoala Lolohea, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Curtis Rona, Manaia Cherrington, Isaac Liu and Jordan Kahu all deserve the call up to represent Aotearoa after strong seasons in the NRL, so where's what you need to know...

Kodi Nikorima

Born in Palmerston North, Nikorima has lived in Brisbane for a while now but obviously feels a strong connection to our great country. Nikorima's younger brother Jayden has decided to continue to chase dreams of representing Queensland and Australia, which is fair enough given that he has basically grown up in Brisbane and has also decided to leave the Brisbane Broncos to join the Roosters next season.

This is about Kodi though as we don't really care about non-Kiwis and Kodi burst onto the NRL scene this season thanks largely due to the arrival of Wayne Bennett as coach of the Broncos. Nikorima featured in a variety of spine-positions coming up through the grades and can do an equally good job at fullback, in the halves or at dummy-half which is where he enjoyed success this season. Nikorima might not have been one of the most noticeable Kiwis in the NRL this season, he might not have even have the most recogniseable Kiwi in the Broncos but Nikorima flourished coming off the bench to do his job.

Andrew McCullough was the one and only hooker for the Broncos last season as he consistently churned out 80 minutes a game and 50 odd tackles. This year however, Bennett used Nikorima off the bench to give McCullough a spell on the bench and sometimes both Nikorima and McCullough played alongside each other with McCullough slotting in as a tackling forward. This was a great move by Bennett and is a sign of his wizardry as a coach because Nikorima's speed and footwork gave the Broncos a different dimension when he was on the field.

I wasn't surprised that Nikorima got the call up with Stephen Kearney an assistant coach in Brisbane so he'd see Nikorima and his skill on a daily basis. Regardless of a Brisbane bias though, Nikorima showed that he can spark up an attack in the NRL and did it consistently which hints at a long career in the NRL. How Nikorima will be used for the Kiwis will be very interesting as he could partner Tuimoala Lolohea in the halves, or he could come off the bench and provide some x-factor to a side that already has plenty of that. Either way, I expect Nikorima to feature in the best-17 for the Kiwis and he'll be someone to pay close attention to.

Tuimoala Lolohea

Hailing from Auckland, Tui Lolohea endured a strange season with the Warriors and his selection is vastly different to Nikorima's. Whereas Nikorima rose to prominence with the Broncos as they charged into the Grand Final, Lolohea rode the Warriors' rollercoaster but still managed to shine as one of their best players this season.

It's easy to notice Lolohea on a footy field as his energy combined with nimble feet makes him stand out, even in the NRL where there are plenty of quick blokes running around. I would find it extremely difficult to describe Lolohea to someone who is an alien to rugby or rugby league because he is just a natural who is perfectly designed to play rugby league. While Lolohea is graced with great feet, he's also chunky through the waist which doesn't hinder his speed and makes him very difficult to tackle ... if you can catch him.

Watching Lolohea play only makes me smile as he oozes energy and literally looks like he just loves being on the field. In going with the strange nature of the Warriors this season, Lolohea was unable to nail a position with the Warriors but that's definitely not a negative and is more a testament of how much of a natural he is. Lolohea did a job as a fullback, winger, centre and a half with Shaun Johnson's injury thrusting Lolohea into the spotlight as he emerged as the man to replace Johnson in the no.7 jersey. Strange, it's strange that while the Warriors' season capitulated after Johnson's season-ending injury, Lolohea's reputation didn't suffer at all and even though Lolohea couldn't come close to emulating Johnson (and thus keeping the Warriors' playoff hopes alive), he definitely earned this Kiwis jersey.

Lolohea will likely be the halfback for the Kiwis. I'd say that if Nikorima and Lolohea aren't the Kiwis halves, Lolohea will play in the halves with someone like Tohu Harris or Peta Hiku. The ease with which Lolohea attacks - whether scooting past defenders or setting up a team mate with a nifty kick or silky hands - should see him fit in well with this Kiwis team as Lolohea will have many attacking weapons on his inside and outside which will also help his running game flourish. 

If you were to ask me which player I'm most excited about seeing play for the Kiwis in England, it would be Lolohea. We'll see if Lolohea can lead the Kiwis around the park and kick accurately deep into English territory, which is the biggest question I have about Lolohea but we will also see how hard it is to defend against Lolohea. If England hang off him to focus on someone like Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Lolohea can do a lot of what Tuivasa-Sheck can do and he will make them pay. Put pressure on Lolohea and he has the ability to put someone else into space, so good luck to England.