Kiwis Anzac Test Pool
Mal Meninga has named his Kangaroos squad and my initial gut-feeling was something I've never really experienced before. I was looking at this Kangaroos squad and yeah, it's a great group of footy players (as you'd expect from a national team) but I wasn't scared, I wasn't nervous, I wasn't worried reading this Kangaroos team. Nah, those are all emotions or feelings that I/we used to feel, nowadays I'm confident and our Kiwis are in a fantastic position.
That's because of the talent we have at our disposal, evident in the fact that Stephen Kearney can still select a very strong squad despite a bunch of injuries. Here's a pool of players from which I think Kearney will select his team or 18/19 players for the Anzac Test next week, keep in mind that the likes of Simon Mannering, Sio Siua Taukeiaho, Dean Whare, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck etc are out injured.
Outside Backs
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's knee injury opens the door for someone else to slot in at fullback and given how many wingers we have, this could be a low key blessing in disguise. Peta Hiku, Jordan Kahu and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak can all do a very good job at fullback while Kodi Nikorima has also featured at fullback in the NRL as well.
Opening this up, there are five outside back spots up for grabs. I'm keen on Jason Nightingale and Manu Vatuvei starting on either wing, so from Hiku, Kahu and Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Kearney needs to fill two centre spots and that fullback spot.
Note that Sosaia Feki wasn't selected in Tonga's team to face Samoa. Feki is eligible for the Kiwis and he's been playing the house down each week with Cronulla.
Fullback: Hiku, Kahu, Watene-Zelezniak.
Wing: Nightingale, Vatuvei, Watene-Zelezniak, Kenny-Dowall, Feki.
Centre: Kahu, Kenny-Dowall, Hiku.
Halves
It's a pretty easy job picking the Kiwis halves these days with Shaun Johnson and Kieran Foran penciled in as long as they are healthy. I view these two as a halves combo made in rugby league heaven as they compliment each other so well and after watching last year's tour to England, I'm very excited to see these two re-united.
What's funky about this year is that we are starting to see some depth emerge with Te Maire Martin making his debut. Unfortunately for Martin and Tuimoala Lolohea, injury struck and while Benji Marshall is clearly out of favour and injured, we've got some nice depth that is only going to increase as more kiwis filter through into the NRL.
Also worthy to note that Kodi Nikorima can fill a halves spot, so can Thomas Leuluai.
Halves: Johnson, Foran, Leuluai, Nikorima, Hiku.
Props/Middle Forwards
It won't be our strongest backline, however that's still a very slick group of backs, especially as they will be playing behind a very strong forward pack. Simon Mannering's injury could be another blessing in disguise as it offers more clarity at 'lock' where Jason Taumalolo and Martin Taupau will bring the ruckus.
Jesse Bromwich is the best prop in the NRL, Ben Matulino is still one of the better props and then we have middle forwards like Adam Blair and Greg Eastwood who provide the glue through the middle. Plus Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is back as well and I must add that Suaia Matagi is in great form with the Panthers.
What's highly exciting though are the young forwards coming through with the likes of Isaac Liu, James Fisher-Harris, Ava Seumanufagai, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Kenny Bromwich, Joe Tapine, Charlie Gubb, Josh Aloiai, Addin Fonua-Blake and heck, even David Bhana is enjoying consistent game time in the NRL.
I've tried to narrow it down to some realistic options that Kearney has. Keep in mind that there'll be three starting middle forwards and two/three bench middle forwards.
Props: Bromwich, Matulino, Blair, Waerea-Hargreaves, Asofa-Solomona, Fisher-Harris, Gubb.
Lock: Taumalolo, Taupau, Eastwood.
Edge Forwards
Melbourne Storm have enjoyed great service from Tohu Harris and Kevin Proctor for a number of years now, both are able to play 80 minutes and they rarely put a foot wrong which should see them named to start.
Kearney will have to decide whether he carries an edge forward on the bench and with Manu Ma'u named for Tonga, guys like Bodene Thompson, Kenny Bromwich (plays middle and edge), Alex Glenn and Kenny Edwards could come into contention.
Edges: Harris, Proctor, Glenn, Thompson, Edwards, Bromwich.
Hooker
Issac Luke has been locked in at hooker in previous years and he will likely be named to start at hooker for this game, however Luke will now be under immense pressure from this point forward as many young kiwi hookers emerge. Kodi Nikorima has been coming off the bench for Brisbane and will start at hooker this week, Danny Levi has been doing a low key job starting at hooker for Newcastle, Manaia Cherrington has tasted NRL footy but has fallen victim to Robbie Farah's return and there's also Jazz Tevaga with the Warriors.
Siliva Havili has been named for Tonga so that should rule him out while Thomas Leuluai could be a good bench option given his utility value.
Hooker: Luke, Nikorima, Leuluai, Levi, Cherrington.
Here's my Kiwis team, which I reckon ticks all the boxes and will be very difficult to beat. Have a think about your Kiwis team and then smile because we have options, there's depth in kiwi rugby league and we can actually come up with a variety of different combinations.
Hiku, Nightingale, Kahu, Kenny-Dowall, Vatuvei, Foran, Johnson, Bromwich, Luke, Blair, Harris, Proctor, Taumalolo.
Nikorima, Matulino, Eastwood, Taupau.