Aotearoa Kiwis Depth Check
On one side of the road we have dates and ideas for the NRL's return and on the other side of the road we have the fact that the NRL is proving themselves to be a strange ol' organisation rooted in strange ol' Aussie ways. The amount of NRL activity that flows post-pando may or may not impact how much international footy we get this year, maybe even if we get international footy at all. I'd rather see plenty of international footy at the expense of NRL footy, rather than the other way round and now is a lovely time to lay down some Aotearoa Kiwis depth.
We last saw the Kiwis during the Spring Internationals window, when they lost to Australia and then racked up two wins over a rather under-whelming Great Britain outfit. Losing to Australia was a bummer, but the Kiwis rectified matters and outside of results, the general vibe I left that international window with was further Kiwis progress under coach Michael Maguire; progress in gathering mana, within the Kiwis camp and connecting with footy fans around Aotearoa.
Reflecting on that window, now on Anzac Day in 2020, the players who weren't involved in that Spring International window is reason for intrigue. First and foremost, here is the squad used to play against Australia and Great Britain - sans Nelson Asofa-Solomona who was initially named but was soon suspended...
Outside Backs
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Ken Maumalo, Joseph Manu, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jordan Rapana, Jamayne Isaako.
Halves
Shaun Johnson, Benji Marshall, Kieran Foran, Jahrome Hughes.
Hooker
Brandon Smith, Kodi Nikorima.
Forwards
Leeson Ah Mau, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Briton Nikora, Kenny Bromwich, Adam Blair, Zane Tetevano, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Corey Harawira-Naera, Isaac Liu, Kevin Proctor.
While that squad and the teams that were rolled out for those three games strongly resemble a hearty Kiwis outfit, there were absentees that will make things funky moving forward. Least notably, is the absence of Tohu Harris who has not played for Aotearoa since 2016 and is currently looking like a poster-boy for watching a career drift down from high-class to general meh since moving to the Warriors.
Harris should be a starting edge forward in any Kiwis team, yet injuries have stopped that momentum. Let alone Harris serving up late footwork, nifty ball-handling and defensive energy that should be an asset to any team's edge. It's rude to not consider Harris as a notable absentee, although the reality is that Harris has not maintained the excessively high level of play that he did a few years back.
Then we have a group of Jesse Bromwich, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, James Fisher-Harris, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Dean Whare. I don't think there would be much argument in saying that Bromwich, Asofa-Solomona and Fisher-Harris would be among the best Kiwis forwards available; I've got all three in a Kiwis 1st 17. Kiwis fans haven't enjoyed too much footy with such combos as someone's always injured or suspended and I'm frothing to see a Kiwis forward pack with these three leading the way.
Whare's a wee bit more interesting as the squad for the Spring Internationals didn't feature Esan Marsters, which opened up a spot for Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to play centre. Hopefully there isn't any niggle between Marsters and his former West Tigers coach Maguire, as Marsters left the Tigers to move up to North Queensland Cowboys in a rather random move. The footwork, power and ball-skills of Marsters and Joseph Manu is bonkers, combine that with Nicoll-Klokstad's class and this is the best depth at centre for Aotearoa that I can remember.
I'd still lean towards the Marsters/Manu combo for my 1st 17. Nicoll-Klokstad is obviously a fullback for Canberra Raiders and does a slick job, meaning that when selecting a Kiwis squad, Nicoll-Klokstad should be there as an option for fullback and centre. This leaves Whare as a fourth option, assuming he's operating near his best for Penrith Panthers and if things fall in Whare's favour in terms of availabilities, then Whare's experience is valuable for the depth.
Where Watene-Zelezniak fits in, is a mind-boggler. The Kiwis wing combo of Ken Maumalo and Jamayne Isaako is pretty damn good, both could make strong cases for keeping Watene-Zelezniak out of a 1st 17 and yet Watene-Zelezniak seems to be coach Maguire's key leadership figure. I'm here to simply lay out the depth and so I direct my energy away from buggin' about who fits where and towards enjoying such depth; there's at least three quality contenders for centre, wing and fullback.
Fullback: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Wing: Ken Maumalo, Jamayne Isaako, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Centre: Joseph Manu, Esan Marsters, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
Like Harris, Whare hasn't played for Aotearoa since 2017 and what I'm most interested in is the group of younger players who could make it tricky for lads like Whare to earn selection. I'm not suggesting that the following players should be in the Kiwis squad right now, they are merely the wave moving up the ranks who bolster the depth and sit n the 'prospects' bucket.
The two leading this prospects group in the backline, weren't actually born or raised in Aotearoa but all signs point to them being aligned with the Kiwis. Both are sons of former internationals and this seems to be the key factor as Reimis Smith was a Junior Kiwi in 2016 and 2017, despite being from Sydney. Bailey Simonsson also grew up in Sydney and prior to linking up with Canberra Radiers, Simonsson ventured over to Aotearoa and played for All Blacks Sevens.
Smith is capable of playing both centre and wing, while Simonsson's a winger who steps into fullback for Canberra when Nicoll-Klokstad's unavailable. Both have settled into their NRL roles and are ballers, which saw them both selected in the Aotearoa Nines squad last year. Smith and Simonsson should be next in line for a Kiwis call up, while a lad like Starford To'a spent time with the Kiwis last year as a development player.
To'a has to earn consistent footy with Newcastle Knights, then play at a high level to climb up to the Smith/Simonsson level. Someone who is a notch ahead of To'a is Caleb Aekins with Penrith Panthers, a product of Whangarei who started at fullback for the Panthers this season in the absence of Dylan Edwards. Aekins' best positions are fullback and centre, while another interesting prospect to keep tabs on is Jesse Arthars with Brisbane Broncos after Arthars impressed Broncos coach Anthony Seibold over the summer to earn a round tahi crack.
I'm not sure where Arthars' eligibility sits though. Born in Auckland, Arthars moved to the Gold Coast as a youngster and hasn't shown many signs of going the Kangaroos or Kiwis route. First, Arthars has to suss out steady NRL footy though and Kiwis fans need to know that whether it's Smith and Simonsson, or the group looking to shake things up a few levels below; there's immense depth.
Move into the play-making positions for further reinforcement of this idea. Parramatta Eels half Dylan Brown - also from Whangarei - is quickly emerging as someone who should be in Kiwis contention asap. We can't count on Kieran Foran to be healthy, Benji Marshall is in his Ross Taylor twilight years and it then becomes a battle between Brown and the likes of Jahrome Hughes and Kodi Nikorima, to partner Shaun Johnson.
Brandon Smith is a monster at hooker and despite playing as a middle forward for Melbourne Storm, Smith has showcased supreme talent for Aotearoa at hooker. Danny Levi's move to Manly Sea Eagles could see him start to build his case for squad selection and Jeremy Marshall-King has been doing a decent job with big minutes at Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Others like Hughes and Nikorima can plug a hole at hooker, the simplicity of having at least three decent options is what's important here though.
In the forwards, there is even more reason to be low key excited about future Kiwis footy. Braden Hamlin-Uele played a couple games last year for Aotearoa and he is a prime example of the next wave of Kiwis forwards coming through, having shown nek level efficiency (averages 10m/run) with Cronulla Sharks. I've kept a close eye on Marata Niukore for Parramatta Eels and his development has been impressive, especially moving into the middle where his size and mobility is an asset.
Niukore isn't too far away from being in the mix, neither is Wests Tigers forward Josh Aloiai and Isaiah Papali'i has already played one Test back in 2018 but will be eager to get more consistent opportunities. Another forward who could step into the mix is Peter Hola with North Queensland Cowboys, who I suspect is going to align with Tonga under the leadership of Jason Taumalolo.
One more bloke to watch out for this year when the NRL returns is Renouf To'omaga, who started the season in the Bulldogs top-17 and made a strong impression. To'omaga hails from Wellington with Porirua Vikings and has been sniffing around NRL footy for a few years, providing power and aggression through the middle.
All signs from Maguire's tenure as Kiwis coach point to development and pathways being a priority as Maguire has taken every opportunity to get new players involved in Kiwis footy. I reckon this is the most top-tier talent that has been available to the Kiwis in my footy life, which is now blended in with depth at every level and an intention to support those at the lower levels of the depth chart. I've got no idea on how much Kiwis footy we'll get this year, but I know that every camp, squad and Test is another chance to suss out Maguire's vibe, especially with how he'll use such talent.
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Peace and love 27.