With mad respect to the Denver Test, a Kiwis wider squad in September is far more representative of kiwi rugby league. We've been graced with both Kiwis and Junior Kiwis wider squads ahead of a the smorgasbord of international rugby league that's just around the corner, which is slightly different to how they are usually delivered.

Junior Kiwis usually play Australia around the Anzac Test and that has tended to be just a squad of 19-20 named for the one game. As this game has been moved to later in the year, we've had to wait a couple months to see which youngsters are the cream of the crop and this is especially intriguing as the national Under 20s competition was scrapped, replaced by Jersey Flegg in New South Wales and the Colts competition in Queensland.

As these competitions are state-based and not as visible as the NYC was (on telly etc), there has been less exposure for our young kiwis who are in Australian systems. While that's the case for many of the players in the JK wider squad, many have also been playing reserve grade (Super Premiership in NSW, Super Cup in Qld) and a few have been playing NRL this season.

When the Junior Kiwis team is named, then I'll do my annual 'What You Need To Know About The Junior Kiwis' so stay tuned for that. This is an incredibly interesting wider squad because of how aggressive it is in naming players who aren't certainties to either align with, or stay aligned with Aotearoa. I need to make it clear, that maybe in naming this JK wider squad, the selectors have approached the players and they have made their eligibility clear and jumped on board the kiwi rugby league wagon. That may be the case, I dunno.

Murray Taulagi from North Queensland Cowboys was named on the wing for Queensland Under 20s this year.

Oregon Kaufusi made his NRL debut for Parramatta Eels and was named at prop for New Sout Wales Under 20s this year.

Haze Dunster from Parramatta was named on the wing for Australian Schoolboys last year.

Pasame Saulo from Newcastle Knights has previously represented Australian Schoolboys and NSW Under 20s.

Moeaki Fotuaika from Gold Coast Titans was a Junior Kiwi last year and was part of Tonga's squad for their game vs Samoa earlier this year.

The Manly Sea Eagles trio of Manase Fainu, Tevita Funa and Moses Suli are all Tongan and while Fainu was a JK last year, they'll need to decide which route they go down.

Another important note though is that many of these players have been part of NZRL's Taurahere program. Fotuaika, Dunster, Kaufusi and Taulagi were all in the Taurahere squad last year and Fainu has been in previous Taurahere squads. So, ultimately, who knows what's doing here but it's fairly obviously that NZRL are being aggressive in these wider squads and offering the pathway.

Last year's Taurahere team also featured a bunch of lads who have a tad more clarity around their alignment with kiwi rugby leauge; Cruz Topai-Aveai, Darius Farmer, Sean Mullany, Mawene Hiroti, Steven Marsters and Bayleigh Bentley-Hape. These players were based in Australia and formed a Taurahere team that played against Aotearoa Residents Under 18s last year.

From last year's Aotearoa Resident's U18 team, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Hayze Perham, Jordan Riki, Paul Turner and Tyler Slade are in this year's JK wider squad.

There was also an Aotearoa Under 18 team that played against Australian Schoolboys (ft. Haze Dunster) last year and from that team, Perham, Hiroti, Turner, Jordan Riki, Slade, Darius Farmer and Marsters have moved into JKs. From last year's JK team, Marsters, Harris-Tavita, Fainu and Fotuaika have doubled up to be selected in the wider squad this year.

I won't try named a top-17 from the JK wider squad as I simply don't have the information to do so. I am eager to see the final squad and the team named for the game against Junior Kangaroos as this will not only and obviously sort the best players from the squad members, it will also sort through those who are legit about the Kiwis ambitions and those who aren't.

The Kiwis wider squad is fairly simple and other than a few intriguing selections, the wider squad kinda picks itself. Kiwis coach Michael Maguire obviously loves Raymond Faitala-Mariner having picked him for the Denver Test and going with him again here, although there is no shortage of edge forward depth that will likely keep Faitala-Mariner out of the top team.

Faitala-Mariner's Bulldogs comrade Reimis Smith has been rewarded for his strong form this year and despite growing up in Australia, Smith consistently earned JK selection while eligible. Sosaia Feki has also been named, which is fantastic but offers a bit of funk as Feki is legit the only player with notable Tongan heritage in this Kiwis wider squad.

Jamayne Isaako, Danny Levi, Corey Harawira-Naera, Joseph Manu, Esan Marsters, Isaiah Papali'i, Smith, Faitala-Mariner, Jahrome Hughes, Brandon Smith and Ken Maumalo are the notable youngsters who have been named. Marsters, Faitala-Mariner, Maumalo and Isaako played in Denver, Levi played during the World Cup and that leaves Harawira-Naera, Manu, Smith x2, Hughes and Papali'i as the fresh faces.

From the wider squad named, here's my top-17...

Fullback: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Wings: Jordan Rapana, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Centres: Esan Marsters, Dean Whare.
Halves: Shaun Johnson, Te Maire Martin.
Middles: Jesse Bromwich, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Adam Blair, Issac Luke.
Edges: Tohu Harris, Joseph Tapine.
Bench: Kodi Nikorima, Martin Taupau, James Fisher-Harris, Leeson Ah Mau.

Here's the depth...

Fullback/wing/centre: Jordan Kahu, Gerard Beale, Jamayne Isaako, Ken Maumalo, Peta Hiku, Joseph Manu, Sosaia Feki, Reimis Smith.

Halves: Jahrome Hughes.

Middles: Herman Ese'ese, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Isaac Liu, Kenny Bromwich.

Edges: Kevin Proctor, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Corey Harawira-Naera, Isaiah Papali'i.

Hooker: Danny Levi, Brandon Smith.

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Peace and love 27.