Diary Of An Aotearoa Warriors Fan: Rotorua Trial vs Melbourne Storm
To expect any headline acts to be rolled out in trial footy is only going to lead to disappointment. While Aotearoa Warriors have in very general terms named a 'B' squad to face Melbourne Storm in Rotorua, fans from the region will be treated to a young crop of Warriors. And that young crop will be led by local kid Hayze Perham who has swiftly graduated from Rotorua Boys High School 1st XV product, to being named in a Warriors trial squad to play in Rotorua.
There's also an important note about what angle Melbourne Storm will take in this trial as I consider the Storm squad named to face Leeds Rhinos on Friday to be very close to their best-17. That means that the Storm squad for the Warriors game on Saturday will be very different, if not completely different, thus consisting of the wider Storm playing group.
Stephen Kearney and the Warriors would have known this and I reckon that would have had an influence on the squad he's chosen for this specific trial. 23 players have been named and I'd consider David Fusitu'a, Peta Hiku, Sam Lisone, Agnatius Paasi and Leivaha Pulu as being in the round one team. That leaves 18 players and while we can rule some players out of contention for round one, others are in a hefty battle to impress Kearney and demand selection.
The players who are sniffing around a round one team are still reason enough to be excited about what's going down at Mt Smart. Perham is one of them and he's stuck behind some bloke named Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, we should see Perham play at fullback in Rotorua and for many this will be their first look at a youngin' who could ease the burden if Tuivasa-Sheck misses games or doesn't re-sign this year.
Sam Cook, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Mason Lino and Ata Hingano will fill other spine roles; Cook will likely share minutes with Jazz Tevaga at hooker while Lino and Hingano start in the halves with Harris-Tavita rotating in. That's a full second-string spine that Kearney is rolling out and they are all fairly young, they won't be playing round one as we know that a spine of Issac Luke/Nathaniel Roache, Shaun Johnson, Blake Green and Tuivasa-Sheck will get the duties.
Lino, Hingano and Tevaga have made NRL debuts in recent years and the Warriors depth is on display here as in 2018, the Warriors simply have better players ahead of them.
Fusitu'a and Hiku are in my top-17 for round one, leaving Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Ken Maumalo, Solomone Kata, Anthony Gelling and Blake Ayshford competing for two spots. They have all been named, along with Lewis Soosemea who is the prospect rising up the ranks and while I doubt Soosemea is in the mix for first-grade, the competition here is rather crazy.
Rotorua fans will be treated to that competitive vibe permeating from this group of outside backs and the same applies for the big boppers carting the ball up through the middle, all of whom will be out to flex with every carry. James Gavet and Adam Blair aren't named, nor is Simon Mannering - will he play middle or edge!?!?!?!? - which simply leaves the middle forwards named in this trial competing for bench spots.
I still view Paasi and Pulu as being my top-contenders to lock down two bench spots, although the same uncertainty surrounding Mannering applies to the likes of Pulu, Isaiah Papali'i and Bunty Afoa, even Paasi's could play edge if that's Kearney's buzz. For example, I know that Matiu Love-Henry is going to play edge forward, but predicting what Kearney is going to do with the other blokes is far trickier and perhaps the most insightful note will come from who plays edge and who plays middle from this group.
My guess or preference is that Afoa, Papali'i and Love-Henry play as edge forwards, leaving Paasi, Pulu, Lisone, Ligi Sao, Albert Vete and Chris Satae as the middle forwards. There's only a few bench spots available for round one and the forwards who shine in Rotorua and the following trials will grab those spots; this depth is making things super funky.
Players to watch out for as they try demand round one selection...
Outside backs: Anthony Gelling, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
Edges: Bunty Afoa, Isaiah Papali'i.
Middles: Chris Satae.
Based on the 23 players named, this would be how my team would line up and there's plenty of rotation so don't buzz about the starters/bench...
FB: Hayze Perham.
Wings: David Fusitu'a, Ken Maumalo // Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Lewis Soosemea.
Centres: Blake Ayshford, Peta Hiku // Solomone Kata, Anthony Gelling.
Halves: Mason Lino, Ata Hingano // Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Hooker: Sam Cook // Jazz Tevaga.
Middles: Agnatius Paasi, Sam Lisone, Leivaha Pulu // Albert Vete, Chris Satae, Ligi Sao.
Edges: Bunty Afoa, Isaiah Papali'i // Matiu Love-Henry.
Top tier players who are not named in this trial:
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Shaun Johnson, Blake Green, Issac Luke, James Gavet, Adam Blair, Simon Mannering, Tohu Harris.
Please hit an ad to support the Niche Cache.
Peace and love 27.