2022 Rugby League World Cup: Aotearoa Kiwis Squad
Aotearoa Kiwis mana has arrived, restored and rejuvinated after the 2017 shambles. Kiwis coach Michael Maguire named his Aotearoa Kiwis World Cup squad and while there are a few funky selections, Maguire has built a hearty squad covering all bases. Most importantly though, Maguire continues to develop Kiwis turangawaewae and mana that will fuel rugby league in Aotearoa.
A wider squad was named a few weeks ago with Braden Hamlin-Uele, Corey Harawira-Naera, Shaun Johnson, Te Maire Martin, Ken Maumalo, Griffin Neame, Kodi Nikorima, Jordan Riki, Bailey Simonsson and Matthew Timoko dropping out of the mix. Hamlin-Uele is named in Samoa's squad and the youngsters in this group highlight the future of Aotearoa Kiwis rugby league.
Compare the vibe now to what was happening prior to the 2017 World Cup held in Aotearoa. Back in 2017, there were weird selections as well as players changing nations last minute which scattered the culture and mana of Aotearoa Kiwis. Five years later and coach Maguire has been able to build with the same group of players. Hamlin-Uele is the only player currently switching between nations as he played for Aotearoa Kiwis late in 2019, then he was selected in the wider squad before being named for Samoa.
Thinking back through various Aotearoa Kiwis teams of the past 20 years, they have rarely featured consistent selection and such strong mana. Many folks are buzzing about the level of talent in this Aotearoa Kiwis squad, yet the most influential factor may be their cohesion and how all these blokes want to represent Aotearoa. On tour, for a World Cup, these Aotearoa elements can't be overlooked.
The funkiest selection pocket is the Raiders trio of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Sebastian Kris and Timoko. Kris was essentially selected ahead of Timoko as a centre and Kris is a bigger body, who has also played wing for Raiders in NRL. Nicoll-Klokstad was stuck behind Xavier Savage in the Raiders fullback slot, while also stuck behind Kris and Timoko as a centre.
Coach Maguire loves Nicoll-Klokstad though. When Raiders were sizzling in 2019, Maguire groomed Nicoll-Klokstad at centre during the World Cup Nines and Nicoll-Klokstad then played centre against England in Aotearoa to round out pre-pandemic bliss. Nicoll-Klokstad can provide fullback and centre cover which is crucial during a tournament, but most importantly coach Maguire can rely on Nicoll-Klokstad at Test level.
Isaac Liu is a similar selection despite his move from Roosters to Titans. This resulted in Liu losing 18 games which is the most per season of his career and yet Liu was selected in the squad that faced Tonga, then specifically mentioned as being unavailable to play. Like Nicoll-Klokstad, Liu offers value in a tournament as he can cover middle and edge forward. Most importantly though, coach Maguire loves Liu and he is a reliable Aotearoa Kiwis veteran.
Same thing with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak as coach Maguire made him Aotearoa Kiwis captain soon after getting the coaching gig. Watene-Zelezniak is footy royalty in Aotearoa and like these other veterans, he has been instrumental in rebuilding Aotearoa Kiwis mana. While Watene-Zelezniak can cover fullback, he will primarily operate as a winger behind Ronaldo Mulitalo and Jordan Rapana.
This is why Jesse Bromwich is named captain. Praise Jah that South Auckland's Manurewa Marlins will have Bromwich and Krystal Rota as captains for Aotearoa, which is a celebration of their mana. The only bloke with similar mana as Bromwich is Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and while folks get caught up in fantasy line ups, these two will be crucial as leaders on the field as well as deepening this team's turangawaewae.
Marata Niukore started at centre against Tonga and this role is one of a few enticing selection decisions. Niukore can bolster the forward pack and his presence on a bench would revolve around middle forward mahi, also covering edge forward and centre. Niukore could pop up in any of these positions as Aotearoa Kiwis tinker with their squad against weaker nations and Niukore could be low key influential in a tournament format.
Kieran Foran will offer halves depth behind Jahrome Hughes and Dylan Brown, as well as covering hooker as he did against Tonga. Jeremy Marshall-King will start a game or two at hooker to help ease the burden on Brandon Smith but Foran is better suited to the bench gig when Aotearoa Kiwis are in full strength mode.
Most importantly, Aotearoa Kiwis are equipped for injuries and mid-game issues. This World Cup starts a couple weeks after the NRL season and Aotearoa Kiwis are well poised to manage workloads throughout the tournament. Such factors could be more important than straight up talent in a World Cup format and when spending a month away on tour, Aotearoa Kiwis turangawaewae and mana will be highly influential.
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