NRL Finals start this weekend and every team involved has a Kiwi-NRL junior named, while Bulldogs are the only team who have named less than three players with links to Aotearoa. Here is all the basic information to help you digest finals footy through the Aotearoa lens...

Melbourne Storm

Kawerau's Will Warbrick has returned from injury just in time for finals footy and he is part of the top-tier group of wingers for Aotearoa Kiwis. Joe Chan has snapped up his opportunities this season after featuring for NZ-A in 2023 and while he is eligible for a few nations having grown up in Sydney and France, Chan is cousins with Casey McLean so he appears likely to pursure Aotearoa Kiwis footy.

Chan is rewarded for his impressive season by starting at centre against Bulldogs and it's a similar yarn for Ativalu Lisati who gets a starting edge forward role. Lisati is a Glenora junior from Auckland who had a stint with Panthers before flourishing with Storm. Alec MacDonald hails from Auckland as well and while he seems unlikely to crack Aotearoa Kiwis, MacDonald is fast middle forward who has potential to play international rugby league.

Will Warbrick: Aotearoa
Joe Chan: Aotearoa/Samoa
Ativalu Lisati: Samoa
Alec MacDonald: Aotearoa

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Sitili Tupouniua is the only Kiwi-NRL junior named for Bulldogs. The Marist junior has thrived after leaving Roosters (who initially recruited him from Auckland) to join Bulldogs and he is locked in to represent Tonga again in the Pacific Championships.

Sitili Tupouniua: Tonga

New Zealand Warriors

Warriors obviously have a bunch of Aotearoa links for their finals game vs Panthers. Aside from the obvious NZ Kiwis players, Adam Pompey is a sneaky contender for NZ Kiwis as the most reliable centre for Warrors this season and there is a path for Te Maire Martin to play his way back into the NZ Kiwis squad given injuries to players like Jahrome Hughes.

Chanel Harris-Tavita could opt to switch to NZ Kiwis but will probably stay with Samoa, along with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. All three of the young forwards named on the bench are eligible for Samoa as well as Aotearoa, while Leka Halasima is a near-certainty to represent Tonga this year. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was apparently close to playing for Tonga a few years ago and he may pursue that opportunity again.

Tanner Stowers-Smith is the only player from the South Island named for Warriors. There isn't a wide mix of regions represented in the Warriors team but there is still the funky wrinkle of James Fisher-Harris coming from Hokianga in Northland and Stowers-Smith coming from Christchurch.

Mangere East and Otahuhu have two players each as grassroots clubs. Marata Niukore and Halasima started with Mangere East, while Demitric Vaimauga and Eddie Ieremia-Toeava spent most of their junior footy at Otahuhu.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad: Aotearoa
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak: Aotearoa/Tonga
Adam Pompey: Aotearoa
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: Samoa
Chanel Harris-Tavita: Samoa
James Fisher-Harris: Aotearoa
Leka Halasima: Tonga
Marata Niukore: Aotearoa
Erin Clark: Aotearoa
Te Maire Martin: Aotearoa
Eddie Ieremia-Toeava: Aotearoa/Samoa
Demitric Vaimauga: Aotearoa/Samoa/Tonga
Tanner Stowers-Smith: Aotearoa/Samoa
Extended bench: Taine Tuaupiki, Kalani Going, Bunty Afoa, Edward Kosi

Penrith Panthers

Casey McLean has blasted into the starting centre combo for NZ Kiwis with an excellent season. Isaiah Papali'i and Moses Leota are NZ Kiwis veterans, with Scott Sorenson approaching that honour as well. All four Kiwi-NRL Panthers are expected to play for NZ Kiwis in the Pacific Championships.

Casey McLean: Aotearoa
Moses Leota: Aotearoa
Scott Sorenson: Aotearoa
Isaiah Papali'i: Aotearoa
Extended bench: Trent Toelau

Cronulla Sharks

Ronaldo Mulitalo is still a top-tier NZ Kiwis winger and along with Warbrick, they are joined by Jamayne Isaako in that bracket. KL Iro will continue to play for Cook Islands having only spent a few years in Auckland with Mt Albert, while Braden Hamlin-Uele could be an option for NZ Kiwis but seems more likely to add to Samoa's middle forward depth.

Briton Nikora is named on the extended bench and if he's available, he is a starting edge forward for NZ Kiwis. Taranaki's Mawene Hiroti has been solid in limited opportunities this season and his versatility in covering all backline positions could make him a useful squad member.

KL Iro: Cook Islands
Ronaldo Mulitalo: Aotearoa
Braden Hamlin-Uele: Samoa/Aotearoa
Extended bench: Mawene Hiroti, Briton Nikora

Sydney Roosters

Naufahu Whyte has improved with each NZ Kiwis camp and enters the NRL Finals as one of the best NZ Kiwis players involved in finals footy. The Bay Roskill junior is also eligible for Samoa and Tonga but has locked himself in with Aotearoa, while Benaiah Ioelu could add to the NZ Kiwis dummy half depth but seems more likely to represent Samoa this year.

Ioelu came through Tangaroa College in Otara and along Siua Wong (Burnham/Manurewa) and Salesi Foketi (Manurewa) was recruited as a youngster from Auckland. Wong has already chosen to play for Tonga and given that Foketi played for Tonga-A in 2023, he is most likely to play for Tonga this year. Foketi played lots of NRL footy this year but drops to the extended bench for this game where he is joined by New Plymouth's Cook Islands international Makahesi Makatoa.

Naufahu Whyte: Aotearoa
Benaiah Ioelu: Samoa
Siua Wong: Tonga
Extended bench: Salesi Foketi, Makahesi Makatoa

Canberra Raiders

Matthew Timoko is already an elite centre for NZ Kiwis and the Ellerslie junior could be joined by his centre homie at Raiders Sebastian Kris, who was born and raised in Australia but chose to represent Aotearoa at the 2023 World Cup. Kris offers outside back cover and has been in fantastic form so should be in the mix, while Wellington's Joseph Tapine has been Aotearoa's best player this year.

Simi Sasagi is another Ellerslie junior at Raiders and along with Manurewa's Ata Mariota, they will probably play for Samoa in the Pacific Championships.

Matthew Timoko: Aotearoa
Sebastian Kris: Aotearoa
Joseph Tapine: Aotearoa
Simi Sasagi: Samoa
Ata Mariota: Samoa
Extended bench: Danny Levi

Brisbane Broncos

Josiah Karapani and Deine Mariner are the two wingers for Broncos and they are both likely to add to Samoa's outside back depth. Karapani is an Otahuhu junior who came through Pakuranga College and Deine Mariner is a Marist junior who came through St Paul's College. They had different journeys to Broncos though as Mariner was recruited directly as a youngster and Karapani started with Warriors, then moved to Rabbitohs before joining Broncos.

Jordan Riki is the best player from the South Island in NRL finals and the Hornby junior has had his best season, which will ensure that he is part of the NZ Kiwis squad. Riki could be a starting edge forward for Aotearoa and his mahi in finals footy will help sort through this competition for NZ Kiwis game time.

Josiah Karapani: Samoa
Deine Mariner: Samoa
Jordan Riki: Aotearoa

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