While everyone has been celebrating the Tongan rugby league revolution, Samoa has been plagued with all sorts of low key dramas from too much eating in Samoan camp to niggly political stuff that seems an issue across all Samoan sport
No NRL Warriors footy this weekend sets the scene for some intriguing selections in reserve grade, while the ever-rotating cast of Jersey Flegg lads now includes highly recruited Tongan Eliesa Katoa who will make his Warriors Flegg debut.
Manu Ma’u is starting at edge, Siliva Havili starting at hooker and then it’s Moeakia Fotuaika vs Jason Taumalolo in an epic little weekend of #KiwiNRL Tongan footy.
Aotearoa Kiwis coach Michael Maguire has the luxury of choice mid-way through the 2019 season in selecting his squad to face Tonga and that presents a different vibe to what Maguire is going to serve up.
Tonga will again roll out an exceptional forward pack against Aotearoa, although there are a few niggly selection nuggets in the backline for coach Kristian Woolf to suss out.
With every round of footy and every NRL season that I absorb into my loins, it's super duper clear that sustaining a high level of performance on a game to game basis is nek level difficult.
We are 10 rounds into the 2019 NRL season and we still don't quite know, with any great certainty what this Aotearoa Warriors forward pack is capable of.
Sitili Tupouniua has been sizzling for Sydney Roosters and now has a contract extension, Jahrome Hughes is back for Melbourne Storm and a couple young #KiwiNRL Sharks are holding it down in the Shire.
We are quickly approaching the first Aotearoa Kiwis appearance of 2019 as the Kiwis host Tonga on June 22 and that means that there is a squad of Kiwis to suss out.
Aotearoa Warriors have released Sam Cook to link up with Mackay Cutters in Queensland's Intrust Super Cup and I'm going to get nerdy about the Warriors play-makers.
Regardless of how you feel about Penrith Panthers and their hot pile of trash performance in hosting Aotearoa Warriors, the feeling permeating from the Warriors group in defeating Penrith was undeniable.
The past 12 months have only really involved drama for Penrith Panthers and with the Panthers sitting in 15th spot, this is an enticing opportunity to see what Aotearoa Warriors are upto after a fairly meh start to the season.
Braden Hamlin-Uele is blossoming for Cronulla Sharks, Jesse Arthars made his #KiwiNRL debut for Gold Coast Titans and Mawene Hiroti starts on the wing for Rabbitohs in NRL round 10.
Sydney Roosters have started the 2019 season in similar fashion to how they finished their Premiership run last season and Otara Scorpions junior Sio Siua Taukeiaho has been a key figure up the guts for the Chooks this year.
Leading into the weekend's fixture vs St George Illawara Dragons, there was a wee shuffling of Aotearoa Warriors cards that had a reasonable impact on the Warriors performance.
Nothing about Aotearoa Warriors win over St George Illawara Dragons was magical, in fact for much of this game it was an absorbing, niggly encounter featuring many of the familiar issues of 2019.
Even though I spew up positive optimism regarding Aotearoa Warriors, especially in the junior ranks now that a few changes have been made, it's impossible to ignore the fact that all three Warriors teams sit in the lower half of their competition ladders.
Magic Round in Brisbane will hopefully bring a sprinkling of magical abundance for Aotearoa Warriors as they come up against St George Illawara Dragons on Saturday night.
Jason Taumalolo is back like he never left, Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s not quite offering his usual dominance and Jesse Arthars is set to make his #KiwiNRL debut for Gold Coast Titans.
The rise of Tongan rugby league in recent years has laid the platform for a new wave of potential internationals to come through and follow the example set by the Tongan leaders.