The Fourth Niche Cache Maori All Stars
Same pic until Jeese Bromz is gone.
For the past three years, I've dropped a Niche Cache Maori All Stars team and now, with the NRL announcing a New Zealand Maori vs Australian Indigenous fixture to replace the All Stars game, we are back for the fourth annual Niche Cache Maori All Stars team. I must admit, the buzz around the Aotearoa Maori team with the NRL's announcement this week does offer a funky twist to the concept of Aotearoa Maori as we now have an actual fixture.
There was also a wee bit of noise about various players from Australia who would be eligible for the Maori team, through Maori heritage. In announcing this game, NRL.com suggested that the likes of Dane Gagai, Corey Norman, Valentine Holmes, Jordan McLean, James Tamou, Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Walker could be in the Maori mix. This has obviously added a whole new dimension to the Aotearoa Maori team and while it's fun to ponder different combinations, at this stage I think it's important to be realistic, as well as knowing that there is excessive Maori depth.
Having named numerous Maori squads, the last 48 hours have been interesting with all these new names thrown into the mix. I believe that anyone with any amount of Maori heritage should be considered and there is no way that Australian players with Maori heritage, should not be considered. We need to be super open minded, especially as we all know that Australia has a huge Maori presence, which has intensified dramatically over the past decade.
Kiwis in Aotearoa can be a bit protective of all things kiwi. This however simply does not reflect the spread of Maori between Australia and Aotearoa in 2018, so for an Aotearoa Maori team to have a bigger platform and bring together those who wish to play and feel that bond with each other and their culture, is beautiful.
Now is also a lovely time to point out that there have been Aotearoa Maori teams every year for a long time. These are usually named after a national tournament, sometimes playing games and while it's fabulous to have an Aotearoa Maori team play on the big stage, with the best players, it has largely been amateurs and semi-professionals who have represented Aotearoa Maori in recent years. Shout outs to them.
The other weird nuance is the difference between 'Maori' and Cook Islanders/Cook Island Maori. I'm not expert on the matter, but there is a decent number of NRL players who are Cook Islanders and I'm interest to see if that puts them in the Maori frame, or if they view themselves as Cook Islanders and not Maori. This would be purely up to the individual, so who knows, but it does have an impact on possible selections as Esan Marsters, Marata Niukore and Alex Glenn all represented Cook Islands last year and would be in the wider Maori squad, if that was there buzz.
Here is my 2017 Maori All Stars team...
Fullback: Kalyn Ponga.
Wings: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Jordan Rapana.
Centres: Jordan Kahu, Dean Whare.
Halves: Te Maire Martin, Benji Marshall.
Middles: Jesse Bromwich, Adam Blair, James Tamou, Issac Luke.
Edges: Tohu Harris, Alex Glenn.
Bench: Kodi Nikorima, Kenny Bromwich, Joseph Tapine, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
In naming my 2018 Maori All Stars team, I've taken into account some level of hearty-ness of those Australians who NRL.com listed as being eligible. For example, James Tamou has already represented Aotearoa Maori and Kalyn Ponga was named in last year's Aotearoa Maori squad, was present for the game but didn't play. Compare this to others who have shown little to no interest in connecting with their Maori roots and there are levels to the hearty-ness, which are impossible to gauge from a distance, but that I have considered, somehow.
Keep in mind that the joy of the Indigenous Australia initiative was that it educated players on their history and the same may apply for Aotearoa Maori. Players who know of their Maori heritage but have little connection to it, may want to explore their history by taking part in the Aotearoa Maori team.
Another note; NRL.com dropped their 'Potential New Zealand Maori' team which was weird looked as though they just chucked any name in there. My 2018 Maori All Stars team sticks to the script of previous All Stars teams I've named, in terms of selection being based on who is playing the best footy to this point (prior to Finals) of 2018. This is not a potential team for next year's game, this is the Maori All Stars team as of August 21st, 2018.
The Fourth Niche Cache Maori All Stars team...
Fullback: Kalyn Ponga.
Wings: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Jordan Rapana.
Centres: Dean Whare, Gerard Beale.
Halves: Te Maire Martin, Benji Marshall.
Middles: Jesse Bromwich, Adam Blair, James Fisher-Harris, Issac Luke.
Edges: Tohu Harris, Joseph Tapine.
Bench: Kodi Nikorima, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, James Tamou, Kenny Bromwich.
There are two selection conundrums in that team; Gerard Beale and Kenny Bromwich. I gave Beale the nod over Jordan Kahu based on Beale's form at centre for the Warriors, which I reckon is slightly better than Kahu's. Kenny Bromwich gets the last bench spot for his versatility and ball-playing in the middle of the field, I'd rather have Kenny than contenders like Russell Packer, Corey Harawira-Naera, Alex Glenn and Elijah Taylor.
I have however added a wider squad, to showcase the Maori depth.
Backs
Jordan Kahu, Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, Esan Marsters, Joseph Manu, Jeremy Marshall-King, Jahrome Hughes, Peta Hiku, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Mawene Hiroti, Josh Hoffman.
Forwards
Russell Packer, Corey Harawira-Naera, Elijah Taylor, Alex Glenn, Danny Levi, Brandon Smith, Kevin Proctor, Marata Niukore, Greg Eastwood, Brad Takairangi.
How about a Maori Reserves team?
Fullback: Peta Hiku.
Wings: Jordan Kahu , Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
Centres: Esan Marsters, Joseph Manu.
Halves: Jahrome Hughes, Jeremy Marshall-King.
Middles: Russell Packer, Elijah Taylor, Corey Harawira-Naera, Danny Levi.
Edges: Alex Glenn, Kevin Proctor.
Bench: Brandon Smith, Marata Niukore, Greg Eastwood, Brad Takairangi.
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Peace and love 27.