The last Kiwi-NRL spotlight put on Marata Niukore came after the Mangere East junior made his Aotearoa Kiwis debut at centre and as Eels brushed aside Raiders in NRL Finals, Niukore again showcased his versatile class. Given that Niukore did a fabulous job at centre in the Test arena against Tonga as well as starting at centre, lock, prop, edge forward and coming off the bench suggests that Niukore is among the best utilities in the competition.

After elevating to international footy, Niukore settled into a steady role with Eels. Niukore didn't play his first game of the season until round six and from round 14 onwards, Niukore played 14 consecutive games. Niukore had four games in a row coming off the bench and the win over Raiders was his fifth game in a row starting at lock - despite being named on the bench for most, if not all of these games.

That steady role for Eels still revolves around doing whatever the team requires and Niukore's ability to cover all positions saw him switch to centre mid-game vs Raiders. Tom Opacic left the field injured in the second half and Niukore took his spot, scoring two tries from the centre position.

Depending on Opacic's availability, Eels may opt to put Niukore at centre for their upcoming finals fixture against Cowboys. This would likely see Niukore line up against Peta Hiku and this is funky because these two were starting centres for Aotearoa. Kiwis coach Michael Maguire probably rolled with Niukore at centre vs Tonga for size and physicality which aligns nicely with the intensity of international footy. The same could apply for semi-final footy.

Regardless of what Eels do with Niukore next weekend, his versatility ensures minimal disruption when players leave the field injured etc. If Eels lose Isaiah Papali'i or Shaun Lane as edge forwards, Niukore slots in seamlessly and minor details are amplified in finals footy, so absorbing an absence with minimal disruption can be crucial.

An Aotearoa Kiwis wider World Cup squad was also announced last week and Niukore is a top-17 player for Aotearoa, so forget about wider squad fluff. Niukore is probably better suited to a bench role in a World Cup tournament format where he can cover various positions and this could open up a starting centre sport for someone like Matthew Timoko. Otherwise, there aren't many centres who can trouble Niukore and he has emerged as a key figure for Eels as they chase a grand final.

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