Those of y'all who love your Kiwis and international rugby league will be anticipating a busy international calendar. At the end of the current NRL season the Four Nations will go down in England and then next year we've got a World Cup.

Excitement is simmering thanks to the strength of our Kiwis, as well as the collective progress of every team not from Australia ... and those Aussies. This concerns the Kiwis though, it's a squad from right now for the Four Nations later this year. Many of these blokes will be in Stephen Kearney's squad for real, some will get injured and some may just not cut the mustard. I've gone with a squad of 25 and this will likely be roughly the number of blokes Kearney will select.

Outside Backs

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Jordan Kahu, Jason Nightingale, Manu Vatuvei, Shaun Kenny-Dowall.

Without Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, someone needs to fill his boots at fullback and both Watene-Zelezniak and Kahu can both do a job at fullback. We also need a centre though and Kahu's more capable of playing centre so I'm happy to roll with Watene-Zelezniak as our fullback once again. Only five players selected here, which means that this is our starting outside back group: DWZ, Nightingale, Kahu, SKD, Vatuvei.

The only bit of funk here is whether Vatuvei is healthy. He's back in the NRL this weekend so if he sees out the season then he'll be in the squad.

Halves 

Shaun Johnson, Thomas Leuluai, Tuimoala Lolohea, Te Maire Martin (Maybe)

The easiest option available to Stephen Kearney is to take the Warriors halves combination and insert them into the Kiwis with Kieran Foran on an indefinite break. I like that, so I'm picking Johnson and Leuluai as my halves combo, which along with selecting Tuimoala Lolohea gives the Kiwis a variety of different options to cover different positions. Leuluai can do a utility job and Lolohea offers depth to the outside back group - hence I've only picked five outside backs.  
In a full-strength team, Lolohea would narrowly miss out on selection. He toured with the Kiwis last year though and is an exciting squad member to select as he offers that utility value and thoroughly deserves selection in the squad.

Now, a funky selection would be Te Maire Martin. This depends on Martin's health first of all as he's yet to return from a shoulder injury and he may not return before the end of the season. If Martin doesn't return to NRL footy this season, then he can't be selected. 

If Martin does return and showcases what he can do, I want him in there. Martin will be a Kiwis half for a long time so I want him in that mix; absorb information, experience and mana from the older players. 

Martin's selection also depends on how many plane tickets we've got, he's a 26th man so he's excess in the 25-man squad. An extra.

I'm assuming that the Kearney x Benji Marshall beef is real and that Marshall's Kiwis career is over. Until further notice, we should all assume this and while Marshall is a Kiwis great, we're in a position to bring in quality young halves and move forward.

Middle Forwards

Jesse Bromwich, Ben Matulino, Adam Blair, Sio Siua Taukeiaho, Marty Taupau, Jason Taumalolo, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Kenny Bromwich 

A fairly easy group to select thanks to the quality that we have in the forwards. This is influenced by my desire to see TTT (Taumalolo, Taukeiaho, Taupau) rolled out as a ruthless trio.

The overall quality and depth of the Kiwis forward pack will make this difficult though as Taukeiaho is down the pecking order, allow your imagination to go wild at the prospect of TTT in the Kiwis though, it's glorious.

I like what Kenny Bromwich has done with the Storm, especially when he's playing in the middle as opposed to the edge. Kenny will likely be a squad member who gets game time to cover injury and help rotate the squad.

There's a bunch of different combinations that could be used, this would be my go-to...

Starting: Jesse Bromwich, Blair, Taumalolo.

Bench: Matulino, Waerea-Hargreaves, Taupau (Taupau to drop off the bench if Kearney wants another edge forward).

Edge Forwards

Kevin Proctor, Tohu Harris, Simon Mannering, Bodene Thompson, Manu Ma'u, Alex Glenn, Greg Eastwood

Both Mannering and Eastwood can definitely play through the middle, I've just got them on the edges here to make it a bit easier. The depth is crazy and some quality forwards will have to wait for their opportunity, simply because this Kiwis forward pack is full to the brim with talent. 

Proctor is a starter and has done a good job for the Kiwis for a number of years now, low key becoming a staple of the Kiwis. I'd start Mannering on the left (if he's not playing through the middle) as Harris is the perfect bloke to carry on the bench given he can literally cover every position. Harris could be selected as a utility, which would allow for two middle forwards and another edge forward on the bench, or Harris with three middle forwards.

Thompson's form with the Warriors is impossible to ignore, Ma'u is consistently a beast for Parramatta and was given a taste of the Kiwis earlier this year while Alex Glenn stacks solid performances up on a weekly basis with Brisbane (where Kearney coaches so expect Glenn to be selected). Glenn's got utility value, in fact all three of these lads are perfect squad members as they are all capable to doing a job at centre or in the middle if needed. 

Starters: Proctor, Mannering.

Bench: Harris, Eastwood.

Hookers

Issac Luke, Kodi Nikorima

After being 'dropped' earlier this year, expect Luke to stroll back into his starting spot as he's responded exactly how Kearney would have wanted him to. Luke is crucial as his running game through the middle comes in conjunction with Bromwich, Matulino, Taumalolo etc ... Luke's running game and a beastly forward pack? Gimme that every day of the week.

I'm gonna make Nikorima's job extremely simple and pick him as the back up hooker. Sure, Nikorima can play in the halves and is also a low key fullback contender that shouldn't be slept on, I just want him learning off Luke specifically and zoning in on doing a similar job to Luke around the ruck.

Building that bench, with all those options in the forwards could make things tricky in selecting Nikorima on the bench as the utility. If Nikorima is on the bench, fitting seven or eight blokes into three bench spots is a lot harder than rolling with Harris as the utility and then three big boppers for example. Thankfully I don't have to make that decision as either way, very good players who could contribute, won't be in the 17. All good #Depth.

It's basically a choice of size and power vs speed and x-factor. While I love all those massive forwards, the idea of Nikorima coming on late in the first half and providing a spark around the ruck is enticing. 

Ring ring...

"Yeah g'day, it's the Doc speaking"

"Chur Doc, it's Stephen Kearney here. I'm thinking of having a training camp for the blokes that miss out on Four Nations selection, later this year and I need ya to pick your group and give them the down-low on Kiwis footy. You keen mate?"

"Fucking aye I'm keen, you know I got the juice!"

"Sweet, pick your Kiwis Training Camp Crew of blokes then. Don't pick anyone you've named in this Premature Four Nations Kiwis squad, I like what you've done here"

"No worries Steve, I'll hit you up next week with with my Kiwis Training Camp Crew"

"Chur chur ... oh and try keep that Kiwis Training Camp Crew on the younger side - we're planning for the future"

"Lovely, I'll be in touch"