NRL footy is back and somehow if feels like the Aotearoa/Kiwi-NRL mana has risen even though we've skipped a week or so. Here's a bunch of nifty notes to set the round 16 Kiwi-NRL vibe...

Roosters vs Storm

No Nelson Asofa-Solomona for the Storm and yet there are still seven of 12 starting forwards born in Aotearoa - all of whom played junior footy in Aotearoa. This doesn't happen every game, but the fact that more than half the starting forwards are from Aotearoa, with the two best clubs of the past decade is pretty damn epic. Roosters have Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Rotorua), Siosiua Taukeiaho (Otara Scorpions) Sitili Tupouniua (Marist Saints), Isaac Liu (Otahuhu Leopards). Storm have the Bromwich bros (Manurewa Marlins) and Brandon Smith (Waiheke Rams).

Keep an eye on the centre battle here with Joseph Manu and Reimis Smith starting for either team. I don't think they will line up against each other, both are likely to feature in the next Aotearoa Kiwis squad and this sets up a rather hearty group of centre depth.

Warriors vs Dragons

I didn't have Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in my mid-season Kiwis team, but he's got a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a better team than he was previously at. In just nine games Watene-Zelezniak had 5 tries, 3 linebreaks, 34 tackle busts and 13 offloads. Those offloads are relevant because the Warriors are already 7th in offloads and Watene-Zelezniak's 13 offloads have him ranked 4th for the Warriors in offloads.

Panthers vs Eels

James Fisher-Harris: 15 games, 176m/game, 95.8% tackling, 2 tries, 28 tackle busts, 20 offloads.

Dylan Brown: 112m/game, 129.30 kicking metres/game, 97% tackling.

Mitchell Moses: 68m/game, 332.64km/game, 86.8% tackling.

Bulldogs vs Sea Eagles

Covid dramas mean that Falakiko Manu gets a debut at centre for the Bulldogs and he's a Mangere East Hawks junior. This probable Kiwi-NRL debut takes us to seven Kiwi-NRL debuts this year and we're chasing last year's mark of 13. Morgan Harper is likely to line up against Will Hopoate, so we won't get that Kiwi-NRL match up at centre but this again highlights the Kiwi-NRL depth.

Jeremy Marshall-King has returned to dummy half for the Doggies to play the last two games, registering 86m and 72m with 5 tackle busts and a linebreak across those two games. There's not much hooking depth for Aotearoa Kiwis and if Marshall-King is running the footy, he is far more effective in helping the Bulldogs set up some kind of attack.

Sea Eagles were going nice without Kieran Foran, then he returned to play his hand in two 50+ point efforts. In these two games Foran had 3 try assists, 2 linebreaks, 1 try and over 100 running metres. Manly have plenty of play-making options and Foran's low key assembled a solid season; 2 tries, 5 forced drop-outs, 5 try assists and tackling at 87.3 percent efficiency.

City Newton Dragons junior Toafofoa Sipley peaked at 64.35m/game in his first three seasons, now he's up at 89m/game this year. This is also the most games Sipley has played in a season with 11 so far.

Raiders vs Titans

Joseph Tapine's another bloke who has returned to play the last two games and put in two quality shifts. Tapine had over 100 running metres in either game, with 5 tackle busts, 3 offloads and only 3 missed tackles across the two games. Corey Harawira-Naera has started eight games on an edge for the Raiders this season. The prospect of having Fisher-Harris, Tapine, Asofa-Solomona and Harawira-Naera is fairly exciting, plus there are plenty of other young Aotearoa Kiwis forwards emerging...

Broncos vs Sharks

Young forwards like TC Robati and Jordan Riki. Robati has plugged the edge forward slot that Riki started the season in and while Riki was a highly celebrated prospect, Robati snuck under the radar to impress despite the Broncos being deep in their woes. Robati is aggressive and mobile, hailing from Porirua Vikings and the Sharks have Briton Nikora playing on an edge (probably the other edge to Robati) to bolster this Kiwis forward depth.

Braden Hamlin-Uele is another young Kiwis forward to keep an eye on as he's had a dip this season since the change in Sharks coach. Hamlin-Uele started the first four games and played 46 minutes in the first game, then three games of 50+ minutes. That became three games below 50mins, before 14mins off the bench in round eight. Then Hamlin-Uele missed a few games before returning with 15mins off the bench in round 15, which would have impacted the drop from 96m/game last year to 80m/game this year. Hamlin-Uele's still tackling at 96.2 percent and hopefully the Glenora Bears junior can ramp up again.

We heard all about Ronaldo Multialo's eligibility last week and Sharks forward Siosifa Talakai received some NSW buzz after a strong season last year. Like Jarome Luai and Moeaki Fotuaika, Talakai previously played for the Junior Kiwis and this points to the weird world of eligibility where it's all about the individual's choice.

Jamayne Isaako returns to the wing for Broncos and he moved from Christchurch to Cronulla Sharks during high school - around a similar age as Mulitalo. Isaako has opted to go the Kiwis route, while Mulitalo has done everything not to represent Kiwis; different strokes for different folks.

Tigers vs Rabbitohs

With Isaako and Watene-Zelezniak returning to their respective teams in the wing slot, Ken Maumalo has to make the most of his move to Wests Tigers. Maumalo has been smoked by Melbourne Storm in back to back games and the Tigers are a club that have serious issues to sort out, although the fact that Maumalo was ushered in by Kiwis coach Michael Maguire should help. Wingers can only do so much to help their team win, but I'm curious as to what kind of impact Maumalo can have on a team and club that is struggling.

The Tigers also crept under the radar to sign Fetalaiga Pauga from Wynnum Manly Seagulls after Pauga left NZ Warriors to move to Queensland's Intrust Super Cup. This is in perfect alignment with the recruitment trend at the Tigers as Maguire's pulling strings to sign Kiwi-NRL prospects from other clubs - as opposed to recruiting directly out of Aotearoa.

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