Should David Kidwell keep his job after that 'disastrous' Four Nations campaign?

That was the question that everyone was asking a few months ago, rather stupidly.

Not only was Kidwell thrown to the wolves in trying out-coach Mal Meninga very early on in his Kiwis coaching tenure, Kidwell had spent the whole season concerning himself with his assistant coach role at Wests Tigers ... while Meninga was solely focused on the Kangaroos.

What else? Maybe the absence of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Kieran Foran and Simon Mannering, three Kiwis who would waltz into a full-strength Kiwis team.

No one really mentioned Dean Whare and Peta Hiku though, which perhaps shows the level of rugby league nous we are working with in Aotearoa's mainstream media. Whare and Hiku were both there in the 2014 Four Nations final, with Whare starting at centre and Hiku lacing up at fullback. Now Whare and Hiku are just trying to stay healthy and ensure that the 2017 NRL season sees them doing their thing, week in and week out.

These two are highly influential to the Kiwis, just as Tuivasa-Sheck, Foran and Mannering are. Known as one of the best centres in rugby league, Whare is all class and is equally gifted in picking opportune moments to fire up off the defensive line and shut down an attacking movement as he is in putting on a shifty step and setting up his winger.

Peta Hiku and @DeanWhare did a fantastic job reading storybooks for @AusChildhood Family Fun Day! #pantherpride pic.twitter.com/idh1GVAcaG
— Penrith Panthers (@PenrithPanthers) September 8, 2016

Hiku is a classy operator as well, yet he is capable of doing a slick job in any backline position. He stood out for the Junior Warriors and won their Player of the Year award in 2012 after playing in the halves, before standing in at fullback when Brett Stewart was injured at Manly and then settling at centre with Penrith, all while doing whatever job (fullback/halves/centre/wing) was required of him in the black jersey.

Unfortunately, 2016 saw them suffer season-ending injuries and we are now left to contemplate how they fit into a Panthers side that absorbed the loss of Whare and Hiku tremendously well.

If Whare and Hiku are healthy, there's a high chance that they form Penrith's centre pairing, but Penrith's young depth could make that tricky for the 2017 season.

Whare and Hiku need to be in the top-17 if healthy, that's for certan. With Matt Moylan at fullback and the Nathan Cleary/Te Maire Martin halves combination, there's no room for Hiku to in the spine. Chuck Josh Mansour and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak on either wing, leaving Whare and Hiku to compete against Waqa Blake for a centre spot.

Mansour's absence could open the door nicely for Penrith to roll with Whare and Hiku at centre as Blake is as good a winger as he is centre.

Tyrone Peachey did a great job at centre last season, but his unique power/footwork/speed combo is best suited to the middle and if Penrith have Peachey coming off the bench to play through the middle, they'll have a weapon they can call upon when the clock hits 25 minutes. Isaah Yeo has also been known to play centre, however he spent much of last season as an edge forward and that should be where he continues his development.

The issue for Whare and/or Hiku is that Blake was one of Penrith's best players last season and he took his opportunity for consistent minutes at centre nicely. If Whare and Hiku are Penrith's centres, it would be unfair on Blake who deserves first crack at a centre spot and the Panthers obviously have faith in Blake as they've snapped him up until the end of 2019.

Hiku is immensely valuable thanks to his versatility and he's in a slightly better position than Whare as he's signed for this season and next. Whare is approaching a contract season and there's been regular noise about Penrith trying to move him on, with a possible return to Manly the likeliest option. Given the depth in Penrith's backline and Whare's injury history, it would be tough for Penrith to invest further in Whare as they can better spend that money elsewhere.

The likes of Moylan, Peachey, Yeo, Blake, Bryce Cartwright, Leilani Lature, Nathan Cleary, Reagan Capbell-Gillard, James Fisher-Harris, Trent Merrin and James Tamou have all been secured on long-term deals. Unless Penrith have done some incredibly shrewd business, there won't be too much room in their salary cap and if Whare's playing at his best, he would demand a reasonably high price as a premier NRL centre. I doubt Penrith could give Whare what he would deserve, so I suspect another club will.

Whare's simply got to put his best foot forward and showcase consistency, while Hiku needs to get back on the wagon and give Penrith reason to invest in him long-term. The carrot of getting back on the field and reminding everyone why they are internationals for these two, will only bolster the #KiwiNRL funk at Penrith as they've got one heck of a presence out of Aotearoa; Whare, Hiku, Fisher-Harris, Martin, Watene-Zelezniak, Sitaleki Akauola, Zach Dockar-Clay, Moses Leota, Sione Katoa.

The carrot of a World Cup spot also dangles ahead of Whare and Hiku. Despite lacking the headline appeal, they would make any Kiwis team that little bit better, a whole lot better with Tuivasa-Sheck, Foran and Mannering sniffing around as well.