#KiwiNRL Encyclopedia: Round Tekau Ma Ono
Eels vs Rabbitohs
Eels
Dylan Brown, Haze Dunster, Brad Takairangi.
Rabbitohs
Jaxson Paulo, Steven Marsters.
Doc's Word
Steven Marsters slides back out of the Rabbitohs team for this encounter with Dane Gagai coming into the centres. I've been rather intrigued by Dylan Brown's development with Parramatta Eels throughout the season and having earlier explored some of Brown's stats, I dove back into the Fox Sports Lab to see where Brown ranks for running metres and his defensive prowess. Remember that Mitchell Moses does most of the Eels' play-making along with Clinton Gutherson and in his second season of NRL footy, Brown is nailing his specific role in this Eels team.
Per Fox Sports, Brown has 1,354 running metres this season and that puts Brown 1st in run metres for both the 'five-eighth and 'halfback' positions. Next best in the halfback group is Jamal Fogarty (Titans) on 799m and next best in the five-eight group is Kurt Mann (Knights) on 1,177m. Right, so this kid from Whangarei with 30 NRL games to his name has the most running metres of all NRL halves by a decent margin.
Keep in mind that Mann has played at hooker a fair bit this season, after starting the season in the halves. That's important as we move into the tackling numbers as the three halves with the most tackles are Ben Hunt with 453 tackles, Cameron Smith with 406 tackles and Mann's 395 tackles; all of whom have played hooker this season.
Then we have Brown on 374 tackles and that's the most tackles of players who have only played in the halves this season, nest best for those strictly playing as a half is Mitchell Pearce on 342 tackles. Not only does Brown have the most running metres for halves, he has also made the most tackles. Dive deeper and Brown is also apparently the best at tackling, averaging 15.58 tackles per miss.
Compare that to other notable halves...
Kieran Foran: 8.06 tpm.
Jack Wighton: 8.96 tpm.
Luke Keary: 7.17 tpm.
Shaun Johnson: 7.44 tpm.
Mitchell Pearce: 6.33 tpm.
Daly Cherry-Evans: 8.25 tpm.
George Williams: 12.41 tpm.
Adam Reynolds: 9.33 tpm.
Nathan Cleary: 7.40 tpm.
Cameron Munster: 9 tpm.
Chad Townsend: 5.66 tpm.
So, that kid from Whangarei not only has the most running metres of all NRL halves, he also has the most tackles and the best tackling efficiency of these halves. Most importantly, Brown is part of a winning team and these are some key indicators of Brown being rather good.
Dragons vs Titans
Dragons
Jordan Pereira.
Titans
Erin Clark, Sam Lisone, Darius Farmer.
Doc's Word
Erin Clark is back having not played since round 10, with Nathan Peats and Tanah Boyd dropping out and Titans coach Justin Holbrook has also named Darius Farmer on the extended bench. Farmer is a Hibiscus Coast Raiders junior, just north of Auckland and has been in the Titans system for a number of years while also dabbling in various NZRL rep teams; Farmer was in the 2017 Aotearoa Under 18 team along with Hayze Perham, Mawene Hiroti, Mathew Timoko, Jaxson Paulo, Paul Turner, Jordan Riki, Peter Hola and Steven Marsters who have all played NRL/set to debut this weekend. This is an amazing year for #KiwiNRL debuts and the Titans have one up their sleeve with Farmer patiently waiting for his opportunity.
Roosters vs Broncos
Rooster
Joseph Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Sitili Tupouniua, Isaac Liu, Poasa Fa'amausili.
Broncos
Jordan Kahu, Jordan Riki, Jesse Arthars, Pride Petterson-Robati.
Doc's Word
While with NZ Warriors, Poasa Fa'mausili low key overshadowed his Warriors comrades as he immediately slid into the Warriors top-17 and registered four games in a row playing 30+ minutes. Then Fa'amausili went back to the Roosters and played 22mins vs Storm, followed by three games in a row playing less than 20mins. The last three rounds have see Fa'amausili hit a minor nek level with the Roosters, playing 30+ minutes in round 13 and 14, then 25mins last weekend.
Fa'amausili has settled into his Roosters role nicely, coinciding with Sitili Tupouniua playing 80mins in his last five games. Tupouniua has provided great versatility for the Roosters, playing as a middle forward to start the season and then snaring a starting edge role that should continue with Mitchell Aubusson retiring, as well as playing centre in round 12 vs Titans and spending time at centre on the weekend.
Same same for Isaac Liu who came off the bench to start the season and has now started the last five games in the middle. With Tupouniua sliding out to centre to cover Matt Ikuvalu, Liu then shifted to the edge mid-game and as always, the Roosters get top-end attention for their star players, but they are 4-1 in their last five games with these low key #KiwiNRL forwards stepping up.
Warriors vs Knights
Warriors
All but George Jennings, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Karl Lawton, Lachlan Burr, Wayde Egan, Daniel Alvaro, Jack Murchie, Josh Curran.
Knights
Starford To'a, Mason Lino, Herman Ese'ese, Jirah Momoisea.
Doc's Word
Mason Lino is back in the halves for Newcastle Knights, playing his first game of 2020. However, Lino did play in the only Canterbury Cup game of the season and that was against the Warriors and as the Knights signed Blake Green ahead of Lino, Green's injury opens the way for Lino to get a start. Starford To'a has also started the last three games on the wing, all of which have been wins.
Sharks vs Cowboys
Sharks
Sione Katoa, Shaun Johnson, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Briton Nikora, Siosifa Talakai, Bryson Goodwin.
Cowboys
Daejarn Asi, Connelly Lemuelu, Peter Hola.
Doc's Word
Briton Nikora is back for the Sharks, have not played since round 12 and Nikora will line up outside Shaun Johnson with SJ6 returning. I'm not sure why Nikora was rubbed out in recent rounds and he was named on extended benches, suggesting he wasn't injured - he did miss 15 tackles in his last four games and that may have been why. Kiwi footy fans need to keep tabs on this SJ6/Nikora combination as they are likely to be the Aotearoa Kiwis right edge. Also pay attention to Braden Hamlin-Uele, who had a rough outing in the loss to Panthers with his production taking an almighty dip; BHU will bounce back.
Daejarn Asi is another joker returning, after making his debut earlier this year in the halves for the Cowboys. Remember that Asi is from Christchurch and is among Aotearoa's long list of halves depth, although Asi has dabbled in Queensland footy during his come up.
Panthers vs Tigers
Panthers
Jarome Luai, Moses Leota, James Fisher-Harris, Zane Tetevano.
Tigers
Benji Marshall, Josh Aloiai, Elijah Taylor, Asu Kepaoa.
Doc's Word
Both James Fisher-Harris and Josh Aloiai have played all 15 games this season, which is bonkers for a couple young middle forwards. I've celebrated Fisher-Harris plenty this season and he now has 15 straight games with 150+ metres and 50+ minutes, putting him in rare air - perhaps the best Aotearoa Kiwis forward along with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
Aloiai is on the rise and I'm picking him, along with Eels forward Marata Niukore (absent this round) as playing their way into an Aotearoa Kiwis squad later this year. While Tigers and Kiwis coach Michael Maguire has had to tinker all season to find wins with the Tigers, Aloiai has been a constant presence and while Aloiai doesn't have the numbers that Fisher-Harris does, he does serve up solid work consistently.
Aloiai also has an offload in each of his last three games after three offloads in the 12 games prior, as well as missing just 1 tackle in his last three games after missing a tackle in each of the 12 games prior.
Storm vs Sea Eagles
Storm
Jahrome Hughes, Jesse Bromwich, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Albert Vete.
Sea Eagles
Danny Levi, Martin Taupau, Taniela Paseka.
Doc's Word
I'm eager to see Jesse Bromwich join Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and James Fisher-Harris as an Aotearoa Kiwis middle trio, but Bromwich is in need of regular game time to finish this season. Bromwich will be crucial to the Storm's run into finals footy and then the finals, now he returns to the Storm line up after missing last round's loss to the Eels and he'll have a funky match up alongside Nelson Asofa-Solomona against Addin Fonua-Blake, Martin Taupau and Jake Trbojevic.
Jahrome Hughes is also back after missing last round and Hughes is still 7th in try assists; four #KiwiNRL halves are in the top-10 for try assists with Shaun Johnson 1st, Jarome Luai 2nd and Kieran Foran 10th.
Raiders vs Bulldogs
Raiders
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jordan Rapana, Siliva Havili, Joseph Tapine, Mathew Timoko.
Bulldogs
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Kieran Foran, Ofahiki Ogden, Jeremy Marshall-King, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Sione Katoa, Renouf To'omaga, Reimis Smith.
Doc's Word
Haere mai to the 12th #KiwiNRL debutant of 2020 Mathew Timoko, who has been named on the Raiders bench. Timoko has been in the Raiders system for a few years and probably would have played for the Aotearoa Under 19 Junior Kiwis last year, but the Raiders Jersey Flegg (U20) team made their Grand Final and Timoko helped the Raiders win that final starting at centre.
Like may of these #KiwiNRL youngsters, there is plenty of funky history behind the Mt Wellington Warriors/Ellerslie Eagles junior Timoko...
Let's start with the 2012 Auckland East rugby union team that competed in the Bill McLaren Championship where Timoko played alongside Starford To'a and Steven Marsters:
Timoko has been in all sorts of NZRL age-group rep teams, starting with the 2016 Aotearoa Under 16 team. Also in that team was To'a, Jordan Riki and Asu Kepaoa. Timoko also made the NZRL Under 17 Tournament Team in 2016 alongside To'a and Etene Nanai-Seturo.
Then came Aotearoa Residents Under 18 in 2017, alongside To'a, Riki, Kepaoa, Paul Turner, Hayze Perham and Chanel Harris-Tavita. Followed by the Aotearoa Under 18 team that I mentioned earlier with Perham, Hiroti, Paulo, Turner, Riki, Farmer, Hola and Marsters.
The funk though, sits in the fact that Timoko made all these NZRL rep teams while playing 1st 15 rugby union with Auckland Grammar School. Timoko was apparently a monster for Grammar, cracking a Blues Under 18 training camp alongside new Warriros signing Junior Ratuva and Roosters youngster Christian Tuipulotu. High School Top 200 had Timoko as one of the best 1st 15 players in Aotearoa in 2018...
Timoko apparently signed with South Sydney Rabbitohs first in 2016, before sealing a move to Canberra to join the Raiders and here we are.
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