Kodi Nikorima and Te Maire Martin are in a low key battle against each other and Benji Marshall for a Kiwis halves spot, Ofahiki Ogden’s up against a ruthless Sharks forward pack and Esan Marsters will line up against Greg Inglis.
Aotearoa Kiwis coach Michael Maguire may be sniffing around various NRL head coaching jobs, he's still got a major focus on Kiwis rugby league and injuries to top-tier Kiwis Joseph Tapine and Dean Whare will be testing that focus over the coming weeks. I'll also touch on a rampant Bulldogs #KiwiNRL crew as well as Leeson Ah Mau's low key steadiness as the Dragons lose the plot.
After stumbling to make any progress, it appears as though we will be treated to more Tongan rugby league after the NRL season.
As Aotearoa Warriors defeated Penrith Panthers, sealing their first NRL Finals appearance since 2011 when the made the Grand Final, more confusion about team selection and combinations appeared.
However you want to slice this pie, Aotearoa Warriors win over Penrith Panthers was a fairly breezy 80 minutes of footy for the Mt Smart grim reapers.
Aotearoa Warriors plan of flying under the radar is live and in full effect as they host Penrith Panthers at Mt Smart on Friday night, sans Blake Green.
All #KiwiNRL eyes will be on Jordan Kahu vs Joseph Manu, along with Alex Glenn vs Isaac Liu. Dragons and Bulldogs will carry two very different #KiwiNRL bench utilities and Penrith Panthers have made #KiwiNRL changes.
For the past three years, I've dropped a Niche Cache Maori All Stars team and now, with the NRL announcing a New Zealand Maori vs Australian Indigenous fixture to replace the All Stars game, we are back for the fourth annual Niche Cache Maori All Stars team
Losing to Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs, while New Zealand Warriors are in preparation for Finals footy, wasn't part of the plan.
As slick as Aotearoa Warriors have looked in their past two games, taking on Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs in Sydney could present a niggly challenge for the Warriors.
Mawene Hiroti has been named to make his debut for South Sydney Rabbitohs, finally giving the Bunnies some #KiwiNRL funk. There’s also a #KiwiNRL dummy half battle between two 2015 Junior Kiwis and Isaac Liu has low key moved to edge forward for Sydney Roosters.
As Sydney Roosters step into their post-Origin power, Joseph Manu has served up low key immense performances at right centre. This leads into a few thoughts on a possible 'Young Kiwis' team and that naturally leads into pondering Benji Marshall's Kiwis future ... again.
While there are a couple of low key players still unsigned for next season, Aotearoa Warriors have gone hundies on keeping David Fusitu'a at Mt Smart.
Back to back wins. How good does that feel? And not just any old wins either, two classy wins over St George Illawara Dragons and Newcastle Knights in which the Warriors scored points when they needed to, while flexin' with their defence.
Aotearoa Warriors have signed Todd Payten as an assistant coach to Stephen Kearney for three years in a move that bolsters a staff roster that is already full to the brim with experience and talent.
After last week's high of an almighty win against St George Illawara Dragons in Australia, the Warriors are back in Auckland to face Newcastle Knights.
Wayne Bennett is hating on Jordan Kahu, Marata Niukore is holding it down for #KiwiNRL in Parramatta and Canberra Raiders are building a #KiwiNRL crew to rival the best.
The NRL is so crazy, I love it. Four weeks out from the Finals and Penrith Panthers coach Anthony Griffin is gone, which even though this news had been simmering away since pre-season, is still crazy af.
The 2018 NRL season is rounding the last corner into Finals footy and there is not only a heavy #KiwiNRL presence in among the NRL's best teams, those teams desperate to crack the top-8 also have plenty of #KiwiNRL funk in them.
Having seen the effort and intensity that Aotearoa Warriors showcased in their 18-12 win over St George Illawara Dragons in Wollongong, this isn't a case of where has that been over the past few months.