As the Aotearoa Warriors unveiled their Pasifika Youth Cup, the story of the Warriors' recruitment/development vs Australian NRL clubs snapping up Aotearoa's premier footy talent took another chapter. This isn't a battle, nor is it any sort of drama because it simply ensures that there are more kiwi lads from across Aotearoa doing their thing with NRL clubs.

What really interests me about this ongoing story is that it's centred around the myth that Aotearoa's Warriors have a huge pool of players to pick from, that if they have all of Aotearoa as their academy they should automatically be a top-shelf NRL team.

In theory, that myth isn't a myth because it's true. Of course the Warriors have all of Aotearoa to pick and choose from, they are they Aotearoa Warriors after all. This however assumes that Australian NRL clubs aren't putting any effort into recruiting kiwi footy players from league and union, or that many NRL clubs aren't putting more effort into recruiting of kiwi teenagers from all corners of Aotearoa (instead of just Auckland) than the Warriors are.

Take it as a basic footy fact that the Warriors don't have first choice on the best young footy players in Aotearoa.

Take it as basic footy fact that Australian NRL clubs have scouts at the National Secondary Schools tournament, National Under-15/17 tournaments, local Intermediate School tournaments, First XV rugby games and the most funky yarn I've heard on this topic; that NRL scouts observe lunch-time games of footy from the other side of the fence at South Auckland secondary schools.

This has been happening for a long time now - think of how Jason Taumalolo ended up moving to Townsville - and it has only ramped up a few levels each year with NRL clubs eager to broaden their search for unique talent. That's especially the case for a club like Melbourne Strom, who recruit youngsters from Queensland and Aotearoa more than Victoria for obvious reasons. Or Sydney Roosters who aren't breeding block-busting forwards like Sio Siua Taukeiaho, or hot-stepping backs like Joseph Manu in Bondi.

Ponder the young kiwi lads who enjoyed break-out seasons this year:

James Fisher-Harris was snapped up by Penrith from Whangarei having represented the Northern Swords rugby league team. Penrith have associated themselves with Northland Rugby League, which delivered Fisher-Harris as well as Corey Harawira-Naera who will be looking to break into their NRL squad next year, oh and Caleb Aekins who is a few years younger.

Joseph Tapine went from Wellington to Newcastle Knights, before joining Canberra Raiders. When the Raiders sealed Tapine's services, they said that they had been keen on Tapine after Tapine had played for Wellington Orcas in the national competition back in 2012 as an 18-year-old. Tapine went to the Knights, then signed with the Raiders where he flourished as a Taumalolo-like forward through the middle.

We all know the Nelson Asofa-Solomona story and the beastly young buck was scouted by Melbourne Storm from the Wellington rugby union/league scene.

Te Maire Martin made his long-awaited debut this season and earned a Kiwis call up in the process. Martin made his debut for Penrith but was initially snapped up from Hamilton Boys High School by Wests Tigers and spent time in their Keebra Park nursery.

All these lads have a few things in common: they're the best young kiwi players in the NRL and they aren't from Auckland.

Another example of how Australia NRL clubs are looking far and wide throughout Aotearoa in their recruitment is the Junior Kiwis team. The Warriors dominated these teams through 2011 (10 players/18), 2012 (7/17) and 2013 (8/17), before 2014 saw just two Warriors in the team, 2015 had just three Warriors and this year there were four Warriors in the Junior Kiwis squad and five Warriors if you include Brad Abbey who left to join the Bulldogs.

The 2016 Junior Kiwis squad is a great reflection of how kiwi rugby league sits in the NRL as there's a nice mix of Warriors, Aucklanders like Esan Marsters, Kurt Bernard and Brandon Smith (he's from Waiheke which is close) who were snapped up by Aussie clubs, Ken Tofilau and Jamayne Isaako who are from Christchurch and lads suchs as Reimis Smith, Siosifa Talakai, Cowen Epere and Greg Leleisiuao who were either born in Australia or have spent much of their lives there.

It's funky to note that the four Warriors all hail from Auckland; Marata Niukore (Aorere College), Ata Hingano (Pakuranga College), Isaiah Papalii and Nathaniel Roache (MAGS).

The number of Warriors in the Junior Kiwis doesn't follow the trend of their domination of the National Secondary Schools Tournament Team. I had at least six players selected in this team being connected to the Warriors and this makes sense as if you're a super talented rugby league teenager in Aotearoa, you've probably already been shifted across to Australia or you'll be shifting across to Australia after being scouted at this tournament. If you are a super talented rugby league teenager who has already been scouted by the Warriors, you'll stay in Aotearoa until you finish school.

Another example of the growth of kiwi rugby league in Australian NRL clubs is the Taurahere initiative from Aotearoa Rugby League (NZRL). This features two teams - one from Queensland (Toa) and the other from New South Wales (Tu) - which are made up of players who are eligible to represent the Kiwis but have either moved to Australia to join an NRL club or moved to Australia as youngsters.

From the two teams that were selected this year, some of the NRL-aligned talent is: Haze Dunster (Eels) Manase Fainu, Tevita Funa, John Tuivaiti, George Francis (Manly), Paul Turner (Rabbitohs), Soane Hufanga (Knights), Giordan Patia (Bulldogs), Jesse Arthars (Storm), Bostyn Hakaraia (Titans), Antonio Nelu (Tigers), Zane Wallace (Raiders), Lumafale Lualua (Sharks).

The hunt through rugby union and the excessively visible First XV competition also allows an interesting insight into how broad the scouting is of Australian NRL clubs, while it also highlights how easy it is for youngsters to switch between league and union these days.

Jirah Momoisea was plucked from St Pauls (Auckland) to join Melbourne Storm after just one season playing league, Ofa Manuofetoa had only played a few league games for Canterbury Under-17's before he was scouted by Newcastle after starring for Timaru Boys High School's First XV.

Shirley Boys High School's (Christchurch) No.8 Cruz Topai-Aveai was scouted by South Sydney Rabbitohs after making the NZ Schools rugby union squad and having only played a year of league, while my favourite yarn is that of Rory Ferguson.

Ferguson has been recruited by Brisbane Broncos, after having played loose forward for John McGlashan College's (Dunedin) First XV and was deemed good enough to be selected for an Otago Highlanders Under-18 camp this year. He had only played a season or two of league before he turned in a star performance for the NZ Under-16 team, where he caught the eye of the Broncos.

All of that paints a picture of rugby league continuing to grow around Aotearoa, expanding from its typical Auckland home and it's hard not to view kiwi rugby league as being incredibly healthy with an exciting pool of talent simmering away in junior leagues around Aotearoa, but more notably Australia. The Pasifika Youth Cup is a response from the Warriors to Australian clubs continuing to pour resource into their kiwi scouting as the Warriors will have a wide range of players who aren't already aligned with NRL clubs in Australia, coming to put themselves on display in front of the Warriors.

This is a joint effort from the Warriors and Aotearoa Maori Rugby League, with a Maori team to take part along with Under-16/18 teams from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands and Niue. Teams will likely feature players who have Samoan/Fijian/Tongan/Cook Islands/Niuean/Maori heritage but predominantly live in Auckland and surrounding areas and this will see young league and union players come together for a few days.

I'd suggest that the Warriors can feel that they don't have as strong a grip on Aotearoa's rugby league talent as they would hope, or as many people assume they do. With the Pasifika Youth Cup they will have a broader reach than they'd typically get at their open trials and instead of having to send scouts out, more players will come to them to play in this tournament. Call it lazy scouting - at least they've come up with a cool concept though - as it's still Auckland-centric and instead of having to pour resources into scoping out Aotearoa's hottest rugby league talent (which the Warriors don't really do), young athletes will showcase themselves in front of the Warriors. You can also put a buck or two on Australian NRL scouts keeping a close eye on this tournament in late January.

Every time I see a First XV rugby union player signed by an NRL club, I salute it.

Every time I see a lad from Northland, Ngaruawahia, Christchurch etc signed by an NRL club, I salute it.

Every time I see any number of talented young Warriors make their debut, I salute it.

Any time a new initiative like Taurahere or the Pasifika Youth Cup start and continue, I salute it.

May the glorious growth of kiwi rugby league continue, in Aotearoa and Australia.