Rugby League World Cup quarter-finals have arrived and after celebrating Test footy through the group stages, knockout footy amplifies all that is fabulous about international rugby league. Australia face Lebanon in the first quarter-final on Saturday morning, then England vs Papua New Guinea before Aotearoa vs Fiji on Sunday. Praise Jah for a Monday morning Tonga vs Samoa banger that will whip Auckland into a frenzy.

Fiji have named three lads from Aotearoa in their team to face Aotearoa. King Vuniyayawa (Manurewa) starts in the middle, Siua Wong (Mt Albert Grammar) is named on an edge and Lamar Manuel-Liolevave (Marist) is on the bench. Wong has had a fabulous 2022 as he featured for Sydney Roosters in a trial game before playing SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup in the same season. Now Wong is at RLWC starting for Fiji at 19-years-old.

Aotearoa Kiwis have named their squad and while the headlines highlight Dallin Watene-Zelezniak's selection, he is unlikely to play. Big ups Aotearoa Warriors but Kiwi-NRL and Aotearoa Kiwis has nothing to do with Warriors, so an Aotearoa Kiwis team with no Warriors for a RLWC quarter-final would be epic. Remember that there were no Warriors in the mid-season Test team that defeated Tonga.

Moses Leota, Marata Niukore, Sebastian Kris, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Jeremy Marshall-King are not named in the squad to face Fiji. Leota and Niukore would be contenders for selection but have been battling injury niggles, while Waerea-Hargreaves is in control of his availability and his actions took him out of the equation. Kris is surplus outside back depth and Marshall-King sits behind Kieran Foran in the bench utility spot.

Here's how Aotearoa may line up...

• Fullback: Joseph Manu (Tokoroa)

• Wings: Ronaldo Mulitalo (Ellerslie), Jordan Rapana (Porirua)

• Centres: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (City Newton), Peta Hiku (Manurewa)

• Halves: Jahrome Hughes (Harbour City), Dylan Brown (Hikurangi)

• Middles: Jesse Bromwich (Manurewa), James Fisher-Harris (Hokianga), Joseph Tapine (Harbour City)

• Edges: Kenny Bromwich (Manurewa), Briton Nikora (Tauranga)

• Hooker: Brandon Smith (Waiheke)

• Bench: Kieran Foran (Ellerslie), Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Upper Hutt), Isaiah Papali'i (Te Atatu), Isaac Liu (Otahuhu)

• The homies: Scott Sorenson (Sydney), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Ngaruawahia)

Sorenson could be selected ahead of Liu, although coach Michael Maguire has embraced Kiwis mana and experience. Either option is all good in this bench role. Coach Maguire has also tinkered with the edge forward position and while Papali'i could start ahead of Nikora, Papali'i can also play through the middle and this may suit a bench role. Alternatively Papali'i can start, then enter the middle forward rotation when Nikora comes on.

Everything from this preview about Aotearoa Kiwis still applies for the quarter-final against Fiji. Defence is a key factor for Aotearoa under coach Maguire. While this will be evident in how Aotearoa controls ruck speed and defends their try-line, defensive intensity will be crucial deeper in Fiji's half. Brown and Hughes will need to find open turf with their kicks, allowing Aotearoa to pin Fiji back in their half.

With the footy, it all starts with the Waiheke Ram Brandon Smith. Smith is one of the most dynamic runners from dummy half in the world and these runs often come tight around the ruck, plus Smith loves to scamper across field to drag defenders with him. When Smith scoots, Manu is likely to take the next scoot and this combo may be the best attacking weapon at RLWC.

Release the group stage. Aotearoa rolled out the Brown/Hughes halves combination just once, everyone in the squad got game time and the emerging nations provided funky challenges while losing by hefty margins. Aotearoa has been building towards knockout footy at this RLWC since Maguire took over the coaching duties and while we all have the trauma of 2017 tucked away, Aotearoa should elevate their intensity and class against Fiji.

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Peace and love.