Yesterday saw me zone in on Kiwis newbies Kodi Nikorima and Tuimoala Lolohea. Today, I'm all about the big boys - Sio Siua Taukeiaho and Isaac Liu.

Sio Siua Taukeiaho

People who question the Warriors and their lack of a winning culture, usually (the smart ones any way) point to the various players in the NRL who have reached greater heights after leaving the Warriors. There are a few examples, in fact there's plenty but 2015 will be the year of Sio Siua Taukeiaho as he is now the poster boy and best example of a player who has relished the opportunity to step/get pushed outside his Auckland comfort zone.

I am not here to explore how or why Taukeiaho couldn't make an impact with the Warriors in the NRL though and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Taukeiaho with the Roosters this season. Having signed with the Roosters at the back end of 2013, Taukeiaho missed last season thanks to injury which meant that 2015 was effectively the first and last year on his two-year contract and boy did he demand a new contract.

Taukeiaho has flourished under coach Trent Robinson, which has coincided with a move to the middle of the field. I remember Taukeiaho being a centre or an edge-forward but much like Jason Taumalolo, Taukeiaho's power and footwork is perfectly suited to the middle - especially in the current version of the NRL. Taukeiaho averaged 115.25 metres a game and 25 tackles this season which is a hefty workload for a player who relies on power to impact the game.

It's safe to say that I am gutted not to be blessed with #TTT (Taupau, Taumalolo and Taukeiaho). These three would have formed one of the most fearsome trios in rugby league and this triple threat would have been nearly impossible to stop. That won't happen though with Taumalolo pulling out of the squad so we must instead look at Taukeiaho as a replacement for Taumalolo. Usually I would say that Taumalolo can't be replaced, which isn't the case here as Taukeiaho will offer the same menacing presence around the ruck that Taumalolo does.

What makes Taukeiaho so exciting, like Taumalolo is how freakishly light on his feet he is. Taukeiaho will probably get the ball a pass or two off the ruck and angle back in behind the ruck or the middle of the field where defenders will have to deal with a situation where they could get bumped off or get stepped. Yes, that's fucking redonkulous that players like Taukeiaho can have a defender in two minds like that and I suspect we will see a few English defenders either on their backsides or grasping at Caspar.

I don't see why Taukeiaho won't feature in the top-17 for the Kiwis in England. It is however a bit of a stretch for Taukeiaho to start at lock and I'd say that we will see him come off the bench to rip and tear for 10-20 minutes each half.

Isaac Liu

You should probably know who Taukeiaho is, as he stood out like a sore thumb in a Roosters forward pack full of monsters. You might not quite know too much about Isaac Liu though who also enjoyed a strong season with the Roosters, strong enough to earn a rather surprising call up to the national team.

Liu, like Lolohea and Taukeiaho was born in Auckland and has been on the fringes of the Roosters first grade team for a few years now. There hasn't been much room in the Roosters forward pack though in that time and while Liu took the chances when they came to him, it wasn't until this season that Liu enjoyed consistent game time in the NRL. Liu got through 23 games this season with the Roosters and looked increasingly comfortable doing his job in a team full of high profile players.

It's pretty odd that Liu and Taukeiaho are from the same club and generally do the same role in the middle of the field. While they have a fair bit in common, they are very different players with Liu cut from the classic lock cloth while Taukeiaho is more of a human wrecking ball. Liu doesn't quite have the footwork of Taukeiaho, but he's a hard working forward who does what all hard working forwards do - run hard, tackle hard.

While Taukeiaho suits this Kiwis team with his power and footwork likely to be an asset, Liu will struggle to see much game time on this tour. That's certainly not a knock on Liu, it's just that the blokes ahead of him are extremely good and fit the mould of what coach Stephen Kearney wants. What could work in Liu's favour though is the abundance of forwards who ooze impact (Taukeiaho, Taupau, Jesse Bromwich, Ben Matulino and Sam Moa) which could open the door for Liu and his no nonsense style.

That's where Greg Eastwood and Simon Mannering usually shine as every team needs balance. Liu will join Adam Blair in this role and it's a great opportunity to give a young player the opportunity to get a foot in the door and learn the ropes at this level. When you consider that Liu will likely be used through the middle and that there's already those five beasts named above likely to feature in the Kiwis top-17, I can't see Liu breaking into the starting side ahead of any of those guys. It will however be a hugely valuable experience for Liu and hopefully we will see him emerge as a consistent selection for the Kiwis in the future when more opportunities are presented.