2017 RLWC: Aotearoa Kiwis Re-Up With Positive Vibes
Can't not be hyped about maybe seeing Martin x NAS in a World Cup, in Aotearoa.
You gotta be a fool not to see the holes in what David Kidwell's doing. Y'all are smart enough to know that Kidwell didn't pick a specialist edge forward, or that it would have been logical to pick Benji Marshall, or whatever. Youz (yeah mofo I just used youz in a professional piece of sports journalism, upto?) know Kidwell is making weird decisions and at the Niche Cache we're all about the positive vibes, so let's crack on with what we've got.
What some of y'all may not have known is that Kidwell's assistant coaches are Brian Smith and Garth Brennan. Smith is a veteran coach who has seen pretty much all there is to see in rugby league, I'm more interested in Brennan though who has been coaching Penrith Panthers' Intrust Super Cup team and is a highly praised coach. That Panther ISC team not only won the NSW ISC competition, they then beat Papa New Guinea Hunters in the inter-state Grand Final as well, making Penrith Panthers the best reserve grade team there is.
Ah, but that's not all. Brennan led the Panthers Under 20s team to a title in 2013 and this was his second ISC title after winning it in 2014. Brennan wins and the typical line rolled out by many is that Kidwell is out of his depth. Cool, he may very well be, but Kidwell has one of the best coaches not in the NRL and an extremely experienced coach by his side. Having good coaches around Kidwell can pick up a lot of the tactical slack from Kidwell.
Positive vibes means no big yarns about how dead kiwi rugby league now is or how recent events have hurt rugby league in Aotearoa. Nah, rugby league's doing just fine in Aoteaoa, so fine in fact that I can name a Kiwis 'B' team off the top of my dome that doesn't include any players named in other RLWC squads thus far.
The only weird point is a halves partner for Benji Marshall and even that is bloody sensational because in Aotearoa Kiwis squad, there's the young halves Kodi Nikorima and Te Maire Martin, Tonga's young halves combo of Tuimoala Lolohea and Ata Hingano were both born in Aotearoa and a certain starter for Samoa Fa'amanu Brown was born and raised in Christchurch. Then you've got Penrith Panthers youngin' Jarome Luai who could partner Brown in Samoa's halves combo and he represented the Junior Kiwis this year, as well as listing his career goals as; Play in the NRL and represent Aotearoa.
311 Likes, 18 Comments - Jarome Luai 🐐 (@jaromeluai_) on Instagram: "Such an honour to represent the junior kiwis as Captain and pay our respects to soldiers who serve..."
Tahi, rua, toru, wha, rima, ono and I've left Kieran Foran out of the discussion as well.
Whitu/seven young halves who are all eligible for Aotearoa (born and raised or having played Jnr Kiwis) who will be playing at this RLWC, so excuse me if I got to put Jordan Kahu in the halves. And don't blabble on about rugby league's precarious position.
Here's my Kiwis 'B' and it's only from the NRL, there's heaps of cuzzies in England/France:
FB: Jamayne Isaako.
Wings: Sosaia Feki, Antonio Winterstein.
Centres: Joseph Manu, Esan Marsters.
Halves: Jordan Kahu, Benji Marshall.
Middles: Sam Kasiano, Ben Matulino, Agnatius Paasi, Brandon Smith.
Edges: Kenny Edwards, Alex Glenn.
Bench: Nathaniel Roache, Leivaha Pulu, James Fisher-Harris, Corey Harawira-Naera.
Drop your own Kiwis 'B' team in the comments on Facebook or hit us back on Twitter with your thoughts. Remember these jokers can't have been named in any other RLWC squad thus far, so guys like Taane Milne and Jahrome Hughes who I suspect will be named for Fiji and Wales, don't count.
So Kidwell named his Kiwis squad and now it's time to try suss out what the strongest 17 will look like - not have a cry about the squad.
The only backline spot that is up for grabs is one of the centre spots. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will play fullback, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Jordan Rapana on the wings and Dean Whare locks up one centre spot. Brad Takairangi and Peta Hiku are the top contenders to play centre with Takairangi rewarded for his strong season with Parramatta Eels and Hiku has benefited greatly from a move to England and minutes starting at centre. I'm a fan of Hiku's, but Takairangi is a lanky lad who can offload to his inside and outside men so I think Takairangi has the nudge here.
In the play-making spots, as I believe Thomas Leuluai will start at hooker, Leuluai and Shaun Johnson are certainties. What will be super interesting is who partners Johnson because this will then flow on to the bench utility role; if Te Maire Martin starts in the halves, then Kodi Nikorima is the bench utility, if Nikorima starts in the halves then Danny Levi - not Martin - snaps up the bench spot. This isn't a decision of who is best at the bench role, it's a decision based on who is the best halves option and that's tough one.
1,400 Likes, 14 Comments - Kodi Nikorima (@k_nikorimaaa) on Instagram: "Solid trip with this crew! #Queenstown"
Nikorima looked the goods slotting in at halfback this season, but the kerfuffle that was the Brisbane Broncos attack in that Finals loss to Melbourne Storm haunts me - no organisation or execution. Johnson will predominantly play on the right side of the field and this suits the role that Martin played with North Queensland Cowboys, plus Martin, not Nikorima, was the young half to stand up with big plays in Finals footy.
With Johnson, Tuivasa-Sheck and Leuluai calling shots along with a forward pack that oozes skill, Martin can pretty much do the same basic job he did with the Cowboys. He'll be tasked with sussing out that left edge and running when he wants. I started with a Johnson x Nikorima halves combo but I've talked myself into Johnson x Martin, which then allows Nikorima to do the job he's done so well for Aotearoa recently in coming off the bench with his speed and x-factor causing all sorts of problems for big forwards.
Nikorima offers more as a bench utility than Levi. Let me make that clear and don't be surprised if Leuluai and Nikorima are on the field at the same time as this would be rather funky; Nikorima could float around the footy and pounce on any offload/opportunity.
And there'll be a few offloads folks, there'll be metres to be had as well. While you were buggin' about the loss of Jason Taumalolo, you made have overlooked the fact that this Kiwis forward is still rather beastly and that Nelson Asofa-Solomona was selected. We will finally see NAS make his Kiwis debut and please don't sleep on how influential NAS could be during this RLWC.
On the offloads:
Martin Taupau led the NRL in offloads, Adam Blair was 6th and Jordan Rapana 20th.
NAS almost averaged an offload every game (0.8) and did so in only averaging 32mins/game.
All four of the Storm players with more offloads than NAS played more than 1,600mins this season and NAS played 849mins.
NAS averaged 0.81 offloads/game, Taupau 3.32ol/g, Blair 1.67ol/g, Waerea-Hargreaves 0.96ol/g, Mannering 1ol/g.
So, all the main middle forwards are good for at least an offload a game. Chuck in Rapana's offloading funk and what I reckon will be a clear plan from Kidwell to push offloads and we can expect to see them offloads.
Even without Taumalolo, I refuse to be downbuzz about this Kiwis middle forward group. Taupau deserves to start but he is likely to come off the bench with Blair, Mannering and Waerea-Hargreaves starting. The thought of Taupau and NAS being on the field at the same time together with Mannering's defence, is incredibly juicy though. Take a minute folks and just ponder what Taupau x NAS could look like...
Taupau and NAS vs Taumalolo? Yikes.
That leaves one more bench spot for a forward (Nikorima/Levi, Taupau, NAS). Russell Packer is probably the favourite but he's either starting or not in the squad in my books, opening the possibility for Isaac Liu, Addin Fonua-Blake or someone from thsi group of Kenny Bromwich, Joseph Tapine and Elijah Taylor. A lot depends on who Kidwell starts on the edges.
I've been frustrated by this lack of a specialist edge forward but I won't lie; I hope we see Tapine on an edge. Tapine is dangerous through the middle with his size, speed and footwork capable of adding to that Taupau/NAS bench funk. On an edge though, Tapine's size and footwork is a nightmare to defend against as he can fend and burst forward/offload, or he can put some footwork on and burst forward/offload.
Bromwich is more than capable of playing an edge role, but adds his own unique package to the middle off the bench with skill and speed blending in nicely with this possible Kiwis style. Carrying Bromwich on the bench also offers cover for edge and middle, so that has me leaning towards Bromwich taking the last bench spot, with Taylor and Tapine on the edges.
Then again, Mannering could play on an edge. If that happens, Aotearoa would simply play with Blair, Taupau and Waerea-Hargreaves starting. Blair would assume Mannering's defensive role to balance out the attacking oomph offered by Taupau and Waerea-Hargreaves. Tapine would then slip back to the bench; Nikorima/Levi, NAS, Tapine, Bromwich.
There are many different looks available to Aotearoa, so predicting a top 17 is difficult because there are many variables. My own, personal 17 would look like this:
FB: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Wings: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Jordan Rapana.
Centres: Brad Takairangi, Dean Whare.
Halves: Te Maire Martin, Shaun Johnson.
Middles: Adam Blair, Simon Mannering, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Thomas Leuluai.
Edges: Elijah Taylor, Joseph Tapine.
Bench: Kodi Nikorima, Martin Taupau, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Kenny Bromwich.
Depth: Jason Nightingale, Gerard Beale, Peta Hiku, Addin Fonua-Blake, Isaac Liu, Danny Levi.
Peace and love 27.
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