Aotearoa Warriors have officially re-signed Albert Vete and this means that there is slightly nek-level depth in the Warriors middle forwards. Chuck all that depth into a pot and call it a boil up.
How can Aotearoa get the W against Tonga this weekend? Stopping Taumalolo, Taukeiaho and Fifita will be crucial, they'll have to hit Tonga's weakest edge as well.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has gone from not even being in the Kiwis RLWC squad, to starting two games and named to start against Tonga. Crazy yarn that, otherwise this Kiwis team to face Tonga is fairly stock-standard.
Aotearoa Warriors have officially signed Agnatius Paasi and if you didn't know by now; we're gonna have a vastly different Warriors team in 2018.
We get the second RLWC Niggly Notebook underway with some rugby league international growth thoughts, then there's analysis on England's win over Lebanon as well as highlight Robbie Farah's edge defence (not good). Oh and WHO IS GARRY LO!?
There are a few changes to the Aotearoa Kiwis team to face Scotland and a few cuzzies are out to demand selection in Aotearoa's top-17. Ol' mate Dave Kidwell's got a few tricky decisions to make.
The glorious Rugby League World Cup has begun and we're dripping with funk from the opening round; from a crappy Samoa, to irresistible Ireland.
Aotearoa got their Rugby League World Cup campaign started with a win over Samoa. Plenty to debrief; from Samoa not posing a threat to a Kiwis forward pack dripping with variety.
Kodi Nikorima will partner Shaun Johnson in the halves for Aotearoa Kiwis vs Samoa, there's also some funk in the forward pack with Joseph Tapine sliding out to the edge. Get an Aotearoa Kiwis focus via the Black Book.
Rugby league is slowly laying down some foundations in the Pacific Islands and this goes much deeper than the Rugby League World Cup.
Fa'amanu Brown will move to a new NRL club next season and an opportunity to lead Samoa's play-making shapes as the perfect starting point for a new chapter. Tonga have Ata Hingano and Tuimoala Lolohea who are also looking at a 2018 season full of opportunity, gotta do the job for Tonga first and foremost.
Tonga got a massive boost for the Rugby League World Cup, but who is going to help them sustain success on the field and in the business meetings next year?
Aotearoa Warriors are revamping their middle forward stocks as the winds of change blow through Mt Smart, so how's that going to impact the low key impressive Tevita Satae?
Aotearoa Kiwis coach David Kidweel doesn't have a specialist edge forward in his RLWC squad, so what's the go there?
We're back another the third Niche Cache Maori All Stars and there are a few new faces joining the OG cuzzies in 2017.
Aotearoa hasn't had a whole lot of depth at centre recently and there still isn't. Times are changing though and a few blokes have a chance to join Dean Whare in being a top-dawg Aotearoa Kiwis centre.
Contrary to the usual cliché, I don’t remember where I was when Shaun Johnson scored that miracle try against England in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup semi final.
Some people don't like Wayne Bennett's England squad, but does it matter when Bennett's got a few weeks to work his magic? There's no expectations for England this time around either.
Aotearoa Warriors have officially announced the signing of Peta Hiku and there's going to be a big ol' backline shake up next season as a result.
Could Samoa creep under the radar? Well they'll be loving that all the attention is on the Tongans and they can get down to business.