2023/24 Kiwi-NRL Train And Trial Breakdown
Train and trial information dropped last week, again highlighting how much Kiwi-NRL talent is competing for NRL opportunities. Check in with the 2022/23 Kiwi-NRL Train and Trial Breakdown which set the tone for all Kiwi-NRL and NZ Warriors footy this year. Thankfully most of the work has already been done for the 2023/24 Kiwi-NRL Train and Trial Breakdown because many of these lads have featured in recent deep dives.
The Kiwi-NRL Juniors Who Helped Australian Make Finals 2023 yarn featured the following players who are now in the Train/Trial mixer: Te Hurinui 'Apa' Twidle, Salesi Foketi, Jayden Harris, Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, Elijah Rasmussen.
All five of these lads started the year in Under 18 Mal Meninga Cup or Under 19 SG Ball. Not only did all five then play U21s in either state, they have now progressed to summer Train/Trial gigs. This is also a sign of Aotearoa's rugby league quality as there aren't many Aussie lads in the Train/Trial list who played U18/19 this year. After a fabulous year celebrating Aotearoa rugby league, there is a sneaky storyline of Aotearoa producing better rugby league talent than Australia slowly emerging.
Two more players started this year in U18/U19 footy. Sio Kali played league and union at St Paul's College in Auckland while also playing most of the SG Ball season on the wing for NZ Warriors. Rabbitohs picked up Marist junior Nazareth Taua who played prop for Norths Devils U18s this year.
Staying in the U18/U19 bracket and fitting snug into the theme of Peter O'Sullivan consistently offering the best recruitment from 1st 15 rugby union, is Tevita Naufahu joining Dolphins. Naufahu played 1st 15 for St Kentigern College and finished this season in the NZ Schools team that toured Australia. Impressive 1st 15 players who have Kiwi-NRL links are often overlooked for NZ Rugby representative teams and Naufahu's swift promotion from 1st 15/NZ Schools to an NRL Train/Trial contract with Dolphins highlights how entrenched Kiwi-NRL recruitment is in 1st 15 rugby.
O'Sullivan has overseen Dolphins signing Valynce Te Whare from rugby union in Aotearoa, plus Rasmussen who came through Westlake Boys High School 1st 15. John Finenaganofo has already dominated junior footy in Queensland after being recruited by Dolphins from Auckland Grammar School 1st 15. Now O'Sullivan has added Naufahu and this is a theme that is likely to continue given O'Sullivan's history of snaring 1st 15 talent.
The most intriguing Kiwi-NRL Train/Trial opportunity is Caius Fa'atili moving to Storm. While highlighting a lack of clarity around Fa'atili's presence in the Broncos system, the Kiwi-NRL Junior Big Bopper deep dive included Fa'atili as a up and coming forward. The Hornby junior left Christchurch to join the wider Broncos mixer where he was a steady presence in Wynnum U21s and then Queensland Cup teams.
Fa'atili is precisely the type of big bopper that Storm need with his size, power and mobility likely to thrive in one if, if not the best development systems. Storm also have K-Ci Newton-Whare (Riccarton) in their system as a Kiwi-NRL Junior Big Bopper which gives Storm two young big boppers from Christchurch who could flow into their NRL squad in the next two years.
Panthers had Daeon Amituanai (Whiti Te Ra) on a Train/Trial contract last summer and he is back in this bracket. Amituanai spent most of this season in NSW Cup where he played 18 games, after grabbing 11 games in 2022 on the wing. Another player who featured in last summer's Train/Trial breakdown is Manurewa junior Vaka Sikahele with Titans and he rolled through 23 games of Queensland Cup with Burleigh this year.
Setu Tu also featured in last year's Train/Trial group but that was with Dolphins, before he appeared in the NZ Warriors NSW Cup team. The repeat Train/Trial contracts for Amituanai, Sikahele and Tu highlight how these, along with Development Contracts are being used to expand NRL squads. There is a consistent history of players with Train/Trial or Development Contracts playing NRL footy in the same season and wise management of these contracting layers allows NRL teams to develop talent in/around their NRL squad.
Jenson Taumoepeau (Western Suburbs - New Plymouth) has moved from Sharks to Cowboys. Sharks are flush with outside back depth and Taumoepeau's move to Cowboys could provide an easier path to NRL game time. Cowboys have also promoted Sean Mullany (Glenora) after initially being recruited by Cowboys as a Kiwi-NRL junior and then returning to Auckland for a stint with NZ Warriors. Mullany has played the last three Queensland Cup seasons with Mackay Cutters and appears to have transitioned from a hooker to small middle forward, which presents more opportunities.
Cowboys don't have Townsville Blackhawks as one of their reserve grade teams anymore as Townsville have linked up with Rabbitohs. Mangere East junior Nicholas Halalilo has earned a Train/Trial contract with Rabbitohs through this connection and while he is likely to stay in Queensland Cup with Townsville, this is a fabulous opportunity. Halalilo started 2022 with NZ Warriors in NSW Cup before a mid-season switch to Central Queensland Capras, who have a connection to Dolphins.
Taniwharau junior Austin Dias is another reserve grade trooper with a Train/Trial contract for Sea Eagles. Dias made his NRL debut for Tigers in 2022 and then moved to Sea Eagles were he played 25 games of NSW Cup. Having already spent a year around the Sea Eagles NRL squad, this may offer another example of nifty salary cap mahi as Dias offers depth to the Sea Eagles middle forward ranks without having a spot in the top-30.
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