Xavier Willison and Deine Mariner have returned to reserve grade footy in Queensland over the past few weeks, before popping up in the Brisbane Broncos squad for this round of Kiwi-NRL footy.
The return of Aotearoa Warriors to Mt Smart was also the first time those poor ol' Aussie NRL teams had to travel outside their little bubbles and for Wests Tigers debutant Austin Dias, that's glorious Kiwi-NRL alignment.
Aotearoa Warriors return to Mt Smart to face Wests Tigers on Sunday and we all know better than to break down what might happen.
Christian Tuipulotu's debut for Tonga last weekend marked the arrival of a top notch Kiwi-NRL junior on the international rugby league scene.
There was little to learn from Aotearoa Kiwi Ferns' big win over Tonga other than the continuation of wahine rugby league's growth in Aotearoa, which is steaming towards a World Cup later this year.
Aotearoa Kiwis continue to lay down solid foundations after defeating Tonga 26-6 and the elevated level of Test footy puts Joseph Manu's performance in a whole different realm.
As part of the international rugby league extravaganza, Aotearoa Kiwi Ferns will take on Tonga and the Kiwi Ferns squad highlights the continued growth of wahine rugby league.
International rugby league serves as a celebration for Aotearoa grassroots footy as players who started with the club around the corner will lace up for Aotearoa, Samoa, Tonga and Cook Islands.
From round 10 onwards, Raiders are 4-2 and Joseph Tapine enters Aotearoa Kiwis camp fresh off his fourth consecutive game with 200+ metres.
After almost a three year absence, an Aotearoa Kiwis squad has been named and international rugby league is back to tell Australia to chill out.
Unfortunately for Shaun Johnson, his Kiwi-NRL mahi reflects the predicament Aotearoa Warriors find themselves in as they battle through the last stanza of almighty pandemic niggle.
A few weeks ago Ngaruawahia junior Morgan Harper was stuck in a niggly spot with Manly Sea Eagles and that tricky patch of adversity has seen Harper raise his mana as he settles back into starting centre mahi.
The latest NRL player to enjoy a post-Warriors glow up is North Queensland Cowboys centre Peta Hiku.
The reliability of nature is soothing and as Aotearoa enters another hearty winter, Aotearoa Warriors need a new coach.
Tokoroa's Joseph Manu and Wellington's Joseph Tapine were the two best players on the field in the Raiders win over Roosters. Both are experienced in cold footy conditions back in Aotearoa and setting the vibe for Aotearoa Kiwis footy.
When the dingoes are away, Aotearoa Kiwi-NRL mahi rises like an east coast sunrise.
11 rounds of Kiwi-NRL footy are tucked away and this means that 11 weeks of Kiwi-NRL spotlights have been served up.
Aotearoa Warriors face St George Illawara Dragons for the second time this season and as Dragons snared the victory in round tahi, Warriors will be eager to stamp their authority on the bottom eight.
The 2022 NRL season has been a grind for Canberra Raiders and as niggly as their 4-6 campaign has been so far, the steady mahi of Matthew Timoko is a funky Kiwi-NRL wrinkle.
Having risen through Rotorua's thriving rugby union and league community, Hayze Perham is now stacking up Kiwi-NRL starts with Parramatta Eels.