Kiwi-NRL Takeover Continues With Seven Young Hookers From Auckland Signed To NRL Clubs
Nearly half of the NRL will have a Kiwi-NRL junior dummy half in their system next season with Taniela Otukolo, Temple Kalepo, Vaka Sikahele, Stanley Iongi, Benaiah Ioelu, Navajo Doyle and Jarney Proctor-Haywood all settling into the summer grind. These lads are all from Auckland and apart from Doyle, they all have some kinda NZ Warriors connection which sums up the Kiwi-NRL takeover perfectly.
Taniela Otukolo: Otahuhu Leopards/NZ Warriors - 3 x NRL games this year.
Temple Kalepo: Ellerslie Eagles/Newcastle Knights - Redcliffe U21s this year
Vaka Sikahele: Manurewa Marlins/Gold Coast Titans - Burleigh U21s this year.
Stanley Iongi: Marist Saints/Melbourne Storm - Auckland U20s this year.
Benaiah Ioelu: Howick Hornets/Mt Albert Lions/Sydney Roosters - CC Roosters U16s this year.
Navajo 'Budda' Doyle: Papatoetoe Panthers/Dragons - Kings College 1st 15 and Auckland U20s this year.
Jarney Proctor-Harwood: Manurewa Marlins/Wests Tigers - Tigers U18s this year.
This encapsulates the Kiwi-NRL takeover nicely because there are too many hookers here for NZ Warriors. There will be more dummy halves entering the Warriors system over the next 12 months and if you were in the boots of any of these lads apart from Otukolo, you'd be hunting opportunities as well. We know that NZ Warriors have less junior spots to invest in while based in Australia and there is simply an abundance of talent that is surplus to what NZ Warriors can offer.
Which is why it's all about the Kiwi-NRL takeover. If you're not twisted up in NZ Warriors fear and anxiety, there is a positive note to enjoy as NZ Warriors juniors are in demand just like 1st 15 kids from Aotearoa are in demand. I'm not here to rank these players, although the fact that Otukolo jumped from Redcliffe Under 21s to NRL this year is a solid indicator of why NZ Warriors wanted to keep him.
Vaka Sikahele and Jarney Proctor-Harwood both featured in the 2020 NZ Warriors SG Ball team alongside Otukolo before picking up gigs in Australia. Sikahele spent this year playing U21s for Burleigh Bears and is now training with Gold Coast Titans NRL squad. Proctor-Harwood played for Wests Tigers SG Ball this year and is now named in the Tigers Jersey Flegg squad for next year.
Temple Kalepo has had a curious adventure after playing Jersey Flegg for NZ Warriors in 2018 and 2019. Kalepo didn't feature in 2020, then popped up for one Redcliffe U21s game this year as well as grassroots footy in the Newcastle/Central Coast region. Kalepo now joins the Knights and while there was some confusion in his NZ Warriors departure, having Kalepo bolster the Kiwi-NRL numbers here is exciting.
Kalepo played 1st 15 for Kings College and his final year in 2019 saw him play alongside Judda Turahui (Bulldogs), Eric Va'afusuaga (NZ Warriors) and the Doyle brothers. Navajo 'Budda' Doyle was recently announced as joining St. George Illawara Dragons and he did the standard Kiwi-NRL double of playing for Auckland White Under 20s in the NZRL National U20s competition earlier this year, before playing 1st 15 for Kings College. Doyle is likely to play Dragons SG Ball early next year.
Fun fact: Chicago Doyle also played Kings College 1st 15 this year and was named in the NZRU Schoolboys team this year alongside Kings College comrade and Future Warriors player Francis Manuleleua. Looks like Chicago will move to Wellington Hurricanes for next season.
Stanley Iongi was only recently announced as signing with Brisbane Tigers, who are a Melbourne Storm aligned club. Iongi played for Auckland Blue Under 20s while finishing up at Mt Albert Grammar this year. He will likely start next season with the Tigers Mal Meninga Cup team. Most Storm recruits start in Queensland; Sevens recruit Will Warbick will likely start next season in Queensland's Intrust Super Cup (Tigers or Sunshine Coast Falcons) and Northland's Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro was named in Tigers Hastings-Deering Cols (U21s) squad.
Benaiah Ioelu played Harold Mathews Cup for Central Coast Roosters earlier this year. Sydney Roosters have two U16 teams and enabled Ioelu to play in their Central Coast team before returning to Tangaroa College in Auckland once that competition ended. That's typical Roosters mahi and for Kiwi-NRL juniors who need their whanau connection, they invest in cross-Tasman travel.
All these lads are from Auckland and while it's kinda bonkers to have seven young hookers in NRL system from Auckland, this is in tune with the Kiwi-NRL takeover. Remember that this season featured 18 Kiwi-NRL debutants and Otukolo was the only hooker, now seven Kiwi-NRL junior hookers will be pushing to move through NRL systems next season.
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