We Just Want Lots More International Rugby League...
Rugby league is in a strange ol' spot mid-way through 2021. Nah, this isn't about any of the many weird NRL antics ... well apart from the already monumental Kiwi-NRL numbers. 14 players under my Kiwi-NRL umbrella made their debuts last year and with a few rounds left in this season, we already have 10 Kiwi-NRL lads who have made their debuts this season. That's 24 Kiwi-NRL debutants across almost two seasons.
While we have had 24 lads with hearty Aotearoa links (either coming up through Aotearoa grassroots footy or having a hearty kiwi vibe) moving into the NRL, there has also been a doubling down of the top-tier talent. Northland's James Fisher-Harris is undeniably one of the best middle forwards and Aotearoa isn't lacking high quality forwards when we consider Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Rotorua) continues to lead the Roosters, along with Otahuhu's Isaac Liu. The Storm have Manurewa's Bromwich bros and Wellington's Nelson Asofa-Solomona, while I'm still fizzing to see Wellingtonian Joseph Tapine play alongside these lads.
Hastings' Tohu Harris is a major Kiwi-NRL factor. Suddenly there are five genuine Kiwi-NRL halves playing at a high level with kaumatua Benji Marshall leading the way, followed by Shaun Johnson and Kieran Foran. Now sprinkle Wellington's Jahrome Hughes and Whangarei's Dylan Brown into the mix and Aotearoa has something that has not existed in my rugby league fandom; legit halves depth.
Waiheke Island's Brandon Smith may not even be the Storm's best hooker, yet he's still one of the best hookers in the NRL. Tokoroa's Joseph Manu joins Smith and Fisher-Harris is forming a upper echelon of young kiwis. No Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad? Well Reimis Smith (Sydney) and Morgan Harper (Ngaruawahia) are making moves at centre. Need a winger? Take your pick from Christchurch's Jamayne Isaako, Auckland's Ken Maumalo, Waikato's Dallin Watene-Zelezniak or trans-Tasman floater Bailey Simonsson.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck? Well, who knows what's doing with the Otara legend as the end of the NRL season will probably be his last taste of rugby league before sliding into Auckland's NPC team. Tuivasa-Sheck's last Aotearoa Kiwis involvement appears as though it will be the 2019 series against Great Britain. That's the last time Aotearoa played a Test. Throughout these bonkers Kiwi-NRL debut numbers and the very best Kiwis establishing themselves among the NRL's elite, there is little to tie it all up under the Aotearoa Kiwis umbrella.
We now have the this Rugby League World Cup back and forth. The governing bodies from Australia (ARLC) and Aotearoa (NZRL) have opted not to play at the RLWC later this year in England. This was then met with disdain from the RLWC organisers and England's governing body (RFL), as well as the Rugby League Players Association who look after NRL players and suggested that individuals would be happy to play at the RLWC.
What we have here folks is a shit-show. The two sides of these major organisations seem to have very different views on the situation and personally I see both sides of the equation. Adding a RLWC on the end of this NRL season with all the travel niggle does seem a bit crazy, yet I'm firmly of the belief that international rugby league is the pinnacle (definitely not State of Origin) and international rugby league is never really treated as the pinnacle.
There is this vibe that international rugby league is just an add on to the NRL and with the NRL telling us that SOO is the best, things get a bit weird. It's fabulous for Tonga to be a stronger team, although viewing the Tongan rise as a massive bonus for international rugby league expansion keeps things close to home. What are we doing to help African nations, South American nations, Asian nations and more European nations?
Meanwhile, England is trying to balance rampant pandemic vibes and their desperation for activities. England doesn't even know what their priority is, they don't seem to have any control around their predicament and at the same time they are churning out cricket's The Hundred among other sporting events. It's all very weird and I don't know what is right.
All I know is that I want to see Aotearoa Kiwis play rugby league. Coach Michael Maguire sparked some momentum back in 2019 with wins and a team culture that was quite clearly brewing with a bunch of kiwi lads coming together for something greater in true Aotearoa sporting excellence fashion. Aotearoa Kiwis footy was just starting to be really fun, with a tsunami wave of youngsters moving into the NRL.
If Aotearoa and Australia opt out of RLWC, where does that leave Tonga, Samoa and Fiji? Everything that Aotearoa and Australia are worried about here is amplified for the smaller nations who definitely don't have the financial backing to make it all work as their neighbours might. The last time we saw a Tongan rugby league team was in 2019 when they were 'Tongan Invitational' and after players raised concerns about officials snatching money, that's still awaiting resolution.
Samoa has similar problems and all the fantasy team line-up possibilities don't take into account governance issues. The Rugby League Samoa Patron Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and he has a similar role Samoa Rugby Union with both organisations enduring various cases/allegations of shady business. Right now the Samoan Prime Minister is refusing to concede that he lost the recent election and Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata'afa along with her FAST party have recently been declared as the rightful government.
Both Tonga and Samoa are dealing with their own issues that are intertwined with politics. To be honest, for both nations sports are politics and with these matters ongoing in the current climate; are they going to do what Aotearoa and Australia are not?
At every level or pocket of thought that I explore around this topic three words come to mind: tricky, niggly and messy. All of which is happening while Aotearoa Kiwis, as well as Samoans and Tongans who play grassroots footy in Aotearoa on their rise to the NRL are genuinely blossoming in the Kiwi-NRL context. Like me, you probably just want to see some international footy in whatever package it comes.
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