In tracking all things Kiwi-NRL the mahi of Deine Mariner in Australia has caught my attention not only as Mariner's clearly a high quality Kiwi-NRL prospect but also because this falls into alignment with wider Kiwi-NRL ideas.
Expect a hearty bounce back from the Kiwi-NRL Sea Eagles, while James Fisher-Harris comes up against a ruthless Eels forward pack.
For the sake of all our sanity, let's chalk Aotearoa Warriors NRL matters up to the curse. Redcliffe Aihe Under 21s (Hastings-Deering Colts) and reserve grade (Intrust Super Cup) are both in the finals for their respective competitions.
The first round of NRL finals footy dished up plenty of Kiwi-NRL intrigue as every base was covered. There were dominant performances commanding plenty off attention, more subtle Kiwi-NRL contributions and some low key deep cuts that reflect the Kiwi-NRL funk.
Monster weekend of Kiwi-NRL finals footy coming up. We’ve got a breakdown of the Kiwi-NRL players and notes on match ups, key players and stats.
Were Wests Tigers fun to watch this season? No.
While all of Aotearoa wanted a 1-outs with anyone who disregards Tokoroa's Joseph Manu, Sydney Roosters dished out the 18th Kiwi-NRL debut as Moala Graham-Taufa was graced with a couple minutes of NRL footy.
Junior Ratuva was already an intriguing footy player from a Kiwi-NRL perspective as he was recruited out of Kings College 1st 15 by Melbourne Storm back in 2017.
Two teams have dominated the NRL for the past decade and while lots of flashy blokes have snapped up the headlines throughout this period, Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters have two hearty Aotearoa troopers leading their success in Jesse Bromwich and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
Like most NRL clubs, Manly Sea Eagles are bolstered by Kiwi-NRL players at all levels.
Newcastle Knights have named St Paul's College junior Jirah Momoisea to make his NRL debut this weekend, making Momoisea the 17th Kiwi-NRL debutant of 2021.
What happens when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Lesson Ah Mau depart Aotearoa Warriors? The whanau win three games in a row, churning out fun footy against weaker teams and continuing their sneaky push for a top-eight spot.
Add three more Kiwi-NRL debutants to the tally for 2021 now that Naufahu Whyte, Griffin Neame and Makahesi Makatoa all made their debuts over the weekend.
Depending on whether you're optimistic about Aotearoa Warriors sneaky NRL finals push or if you reckon the curse won't be vanquished this season, in Chanel Harris-Tavita and the Aotearoa juniors there are plenty of reasons to tap into Warriors mahi.
In covering Kiwi-NRL matters at the top end of NRL business and also the junior pipelines offered by every NRL club, a strong trend of SEQ emerging as a pivotal round-a-bout of Kiwi-NRL prospects quickly perked my antenna.
Late last year Viliami Vailea earned the 'Best All-Round Sports Boy' award at Aorere College and now he's the 13th Kiwi-NRL debutant of 2021 - remember there were 14 Kiwi-NRL debuts in 2020.
Rugby league is in a strange ol' spot mid-way through 2021. Nah, this isn't about any of the many weird NRL antics ... well apart from the already monumental Kiwi-NRL numbers.
Aotearoa now has 10 Kiwi-NRL debutants in 2021 after Junior Pauga and Tukimihia Simpkins helped Wests Tigers snare a win over Brisbane Broncos.
Are we sure of Joseph Manu's ceiling?
NZ Warriors trauma was on full display in last weekend's loss to Dragons and the game was so diabolical that it those vibes permeated throughout the Dragons and from my perch in Aotearoa I can have a chuckle at all the shenanigans.