Kiwi-NRL Spotlight: Daejarn Asi Mana
Aotearoa Warriors have had plenty of turnover in their halves department this year and Aranui junior Daejarn Asi is not only battling for game time right now, he is hunting for future opportunities. Asi was solid in the Warriors win over Bulldogs at Mt Smart and while his nifty left-footed kicking game will command headlines, Asi's footy instincts stood out while also exuding Warriors mana.
In the Kiwi-NRL hub of south-east Queensland, Asi flourished at a junior level. The vision of Asi's bombs drifting closer to a Mt Smart full moon was fabulous and this should not be a surprise given that Asi transitioned from rugby league with Keebra Park High School to 1st 15 rugby at Brisbane Grammar School. Whether in Aotearoa or Australia, rugby union play-makers need a more varied kicking game than rugby league and Asi's junior footy not only suggests a high pedigree talent but also well-rounded skillset.
From there Asi joined North Queensland Cowboys and made his debut during the pandemic as a 19-year-old. Asi flashed his running game for a try on debut while Cowboys were struggling and the pandemic made for niggly player development as players struggled for game time outside the NRL. Along with Cowboys getting a new coach, this ensured that Asi's progress slowed and he had to grind for any opportunity. Asi played 10 games for Cowboys with one win.
Asi then pounced on a move to Warriors and had an immediate impact in his first game against Raiders. There are lots of similarities to Chanel Harris-Tavita as they are both left-footed kickers, both love to whack in defence and are more than willing runners to the point where Asi has played centre and Harris-Tavita's done a job at fullback.
The combination of a high pedigree junior and a slow grind can be a highly beneficial in brewing a mature youngster. Now 21-years-old, Asi was everywhere on the Mt Smart turf and his energy for Warriors footy was palpable. While Reece Walsh is bemoaning a comrade, celebrating someone else's try in front of the camera or making errors, Asi offered a completely different vibe.
Asi's bombs are great, yet he also caught bombs as if the ball was magnetically drawn to him and that feels like a metaphor for Asi's footy. Whether it's vibe, mana or a more tangible measurement, good things seemed to happen around Asi. Take this try-saving defensive play from Asi where he is in the defensive line close to halfway for a Matt Burton bomb and Asi doesn't rest, he keeps cruising back to put himself in the mix and then helps make a crucial tackle.
Other aspects of Asi's footy can be measured. Asi has five try assists in six games with Warriors and averages more try assists per game than Shaun Johnson or Walsh. Asi also has six try assists in six games for Redcliffe and he has at least one try assist in eight of 12 games across NRL and Queensland Cup this year since joining Warriors. Asi has five wins and one draw when playing for Redcliffe, which is a decent chunk of Redcliffe's nine wins.
All that vibe and mana stuff from Asi's performance against Bulldogs also appears to impact Redcliffe, thus compounding on top of each other. There is plenty of development required for Asi and like with any young NRL half, repetitions are required; reps for game scenarios and reps for the weekly grind of NRL footy. Whether Asi gets those reps is the funky wrinkle moving forward.
All three of Ronald Volkman's games for Redcliffe have come alongside Asi and both have been deployed in the halves during Stacey Jones' coaching tenure. Warriors have also signed Luke Metcalf from Sharks and he has started all 11 of his games for Newtown in the halves. Newtown are first in NSW Cup (15-1-4) and Metcalf has 13 tries this season. Warriors have also signed Te Maire Martin from Broncos and all nine of his NRL games this season have been at fullback, winning the first six games of his return to NRL footy.
This leads to no clear read on what might happen with Asi. His best position seems to be the halves and Warriors will need a half alongside Johnson, as well as either Metcalf or Martin playing fullback. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad might be an option at fullback but he seems destined for a starting centre role. Competition for roles is fantastic and at the very least, Warriors have assembled talented young play-makers.
That might not include Asi though as he will be hunting the best opportunity for his career. The Warriors gig apparently started with the club and Asi exploring options for 2023 before sealing an immediate move. When Warriors signed Asi, their announcement included a “Daejarn has been in our sights for quite a while” quote from GM Craig Hodges. Hodges will now be replaced by Andrew McFadden in the same general role.
Asi seems to love playing for Warriors and his mana is palpable. Warriors seem to want Asi as well and Asi impressed under the full moon spotlight, the most visible platform for Warriors and fans. All signs feel like they are leading to Warriors signing Asi and bolstering their talent stocks, although the Aotearoa Kiwi-NRL abundance also means that a better opportunity may arise.
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Peace and love.