As each New Zealand Kiwi Ferns squad looks stronger than the last, women's rugby league in Aotearoa is put in the spotlight as well as a growing hunger for wins against Australia. Coach Ricky Henry has named five possible debutants in the squad of 21 and also dropped a wider squad of nine players, although some have already been named for Tonga.

The wider squad features Jasmin Strange, Mackenzie Wiki, Matekino Gray, Moana Courtenay, Payton Takimoana, Tenika Willison, Trinity Tauaneai and Martha Mataele. Courtenay and Mataele are also in the Tonga squad where they are certain to play instead of being in development spots for Aotearoa.

This clutters the vista for Strange because she is a top notch NRLW player at Roosters and is eligible for Aotearoa, Australia and England. Strange has already represented Aotearoa Maori and her selection in the wider squad probably won't impact her eligibility for the other nations, so maybe she is catching the Kiwi Ferns vibe to help her suss out her international future.

Aotearoa's depth is evident in the rest of the wider squad. Wiki has already played for Kiwi Ferns while Gray, Takimoana, Willison and Tauaneai are all likely to represent New Zealand in the next two years. Gray and Tauaneai are young forwards who can cover both middle and edge roles, with Tauaneai also eligible for Samoa.

Most Tests for Kiwi Ferns in current squad

Georgia Hale: 20
Apii Nicholls: 15
Raecene McGregor: 15
Mele Hufanga: 10
Otesa Pule: 10
Abigail Roache: 8
Shanice Parker: 8
Brianna Clark: 8

Wiki, Takimoana and Willison are outside backs. Even though Takimoana excelled in her first season of NRLW, Wiki and Willison have both had at least two seasons of NRLW and have shown their versatility playing wing and centre. Takimoana finished her season at centre for NZ Warriors where she continued her try-scoring form which started on the wing and all wider squad players will benefit from being part of the Kiwi Ferns touring party.

It is a bummer that we probably won't get two Willison debuts this year though. Tenika is the cousin of Xavier and after starting her NRLW career on the wing last year, she made a successful move to centre with Knights this season. Hopefully both the Willisons can represent Aotearoa in the same window over the next few years.

The new players named for Kiwi Ferns are Ivana Lauitiiti, Patricia Maliepo, Shakira Baker, Shaniece Monschau and Tysha Ikenasio. Monschau is the only player not with NZ Warriors as she played her first season of NRLW with Bulldogs this season and along with Baker, they were fabulous edge forwards who provide power and mobility to the Kiwi Ferns edges.

Ikenasio joins an outside back group featuring Mele Hufanga, Shanice Parker, Leianne Tufuga, Abigail Roache and Annessa Biddle. All of these wahine played centre in NRLW this season but Parker and Tufuga have played on the wing for Kiwi Ferns, Roache can cover any backline position and Biddle has played edge forward for Kiwi Ferns before.

Such outside back depth could bump Biddle to an edge forward role along with Baker and Monschau. Alexis Tauaneai's best position is middle forward but she also dabbled in edge forward mahi for Bulldogs this season, but the best edge forward combo from the squad selected seems like Biddle and Baker.

Maliepo could be a starting half on debut for Kiwi Ferns, such was her form in NRLW and how she balances the leadership of Raecene McGregor. Ash Quinlan and Tyla King are other halves options in the squad, although King got more game time as a bench utility this season for Sharks and as there isn't a specialist dummy half in the squad, King is likely to do that role behind Brooke Anderson.

Anderson played as a small forward for Sharks in NRLW and has been a hooker for Aotearoa before. The toughness and grit of an Anderson/King combo will be useful for Kiwi Ferns as they still offer enough craft around the ruck, but they have already proven that they can handle the physicality in the middle for Test footy.

Lauitiiti's x-factor may also see her rise swiftly through the Kiwi Ferns squad. There aren't many spots up for grabs in the middle forward ranks though with Tauaneai, Georiga Hale, Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa, Brianna Clark, Otesa Pule and Tiana Davison all established internationals for Aotearoa.

The selections of Lauitiiti and Maliepo are informative of the Kiwi Ferns culture. Lauitiiti is also eligible for Samoa and Maliepo is also eligible for Tonga, but both want to be part of the Kiwi Ferns crew. Maliepo is especially funky because she joins Hufanga as Tongans from Southern Cross Campus who are embracing Kiwi Ferns.

The cultural diversity of this Kiwi Ferns is a glorious reflection of their mana and team culture. Not only are their Samoans and Tongans who still want to represent Kiwi Ferns, there is also a hearty group of Australians like Parker, Anderson and Clark who have made long-term commitments to Aotearoa, as well as Teakaraanga-Katoa who grew up in Australia.

Despite all of these positives, there is still no player from the South Island in the Kiwi Ferns squad. Here is a regional break down for the Kiwi Ferns squad...

Auckland: Abigail Roache, Annessa Biddle, Apii Nicholls, Georgia Hale, Ivana Lauitiiti, Leianne Tufuga, Mele Hufanga, Otesa Pule, Patricia Maliepo, Shaniece Monschau, Tyla King, Tysha Ikenasio (Mackenzie Wiki)
(Bay of Plenty: Matekino Gray, Payton Takimoana)
Waikato: Ash Quinlan (Tenika Willison)
Taranaki: Tiana Davison
Manawatu: Shakira Baker
Wellington: Alexis Tauaneai (Trinity Tauaneai)
Australia: Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa, Brianna Clark, Brooke Anderson, Raecene McGregor, Shanice Parker (Jasmin Strange)

Kiwi Ferns had a hefty 4-54 loss vs Australia in the 2022 World Cup final and bounced back with a gritty loss (10-16) vs Australia then a win in the 2023 Pacific Championships final vs Australia (12-6). Last year though they had two losses vs Australia with a combined scoreline of 4-38 and they will be hunting a return to the 2023 vibe this year.

Even with five debutants in the Kiwi Ferns squad, it is more experienced and more players have had more games of NRLW to ensure that Aotearoa has similar preparation to Australia. The gap between New Zealand and Australia should be closing, so this year's Pacific Championship will be an important indicator of where Kiwi Ferns are at under coach Henry.

Kiwi Ferns roles

Fullback: Apii Nicholls - Shanice Parker
Wingers: Shanice Parker, Leianne Tufuga - Tysha Ikenasio
Centres: Mele Hufanga, Abigail Roache, Tysha Ikenasio
Halves: Raecene McGregor, Patricia Maliepo - Ash Quinlan, Tyla King
Hooker: Brooke Anderson - Tyla King, Ash Quinlan
Middle: Georgia Hale, Alexis Tauaneai, Angelia Teakaraanga-Katoa, Brianna Clark, Otesa Pule, Tiana Davison, Ivana Lauitiiti
Edge: Annessa Biddle, Shakira Baker, Shaniece Monschau

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