At the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, Samoa didn't win a game and qualified for the quarter-finals thanks to a 14-14 draw with Scotland. Now Samoa are brewing as the trendiest low key team for the 2022 RLWC held in England.
Kiwis coach Michael Maguire named his Aotearoa Kiwis World Cup squad and while there are a few funky selections, Maguire has built a hearty squad covering all bases.
Folks know that Aotearoa is in divine alignment when Parramatta Eels make their way to another NRL Grand Final, while Gayle Broughton steers Eels wahine to an NRLW Grand Final in her first year of professional rugby league.
Penrith Panthers are in their third consecutive NRL Grand Final and are chasing back to back titles, a weekend after winning NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg championships.
Penrith Panthers are the dominant force of pandemic-era NRL and a young chap from Hokianga has been a leading figure in Panthers success.
Ever since Dylan Brown left Whangarei to join Parramatta Eels he been instrumental in Eels success and his consistent development now leads Brown to a Kiwi-NRL Grand Final.
NRLWahine semi finals won't be full of Aotearoa flavour on Sunday but Roosters will have their championship trio, plus there is a sprinkle of Kiwi-NRL talent across the other three teams.
Kiwi-NRL finals shifts into the last four teams and every team has blokes who played grassroots footy in Aotearoa.
After playing every game for Canberra Raiders this season at right centre, Otahuhu junior Matthew Timoko was bumped out of Kiwi-NRL finals by Eels.
The last Kiwi-NRL spotlight put on Marata Niukore came after the Mangere East junior made his Aotearoa Kiwis debut at centre and as Eels brushed aside Raiders in NRL Finals, Niukore again showcased his versatile class.
Eels face Raiders on Friday night followed by Sharks vs Rabbitohs on Saturday and all four teams have named at least three Kiwi-NRL players from Aotearoa.
Roosters and Knights lead NRLWahine after three games with Kiwi Ferns halfback Raecene McGregor doubling down as the best play-maker in the world.
As the majority of the recent Aotearoa Kiwis team is preparing to play finals footy, there are a bunch of funky match ups and elite Kiwi-NRL mahi to enjoy.
In his last game of the season and his first game back at Mt Smart since joining Gold Coast Titans, Paul Turner snatched a win away from his former team.
Manly Sea Eagles have graced two Auckland wingers with Kiwi-NRL debuts this season as Marist Saints junior Raymond Tuaimalo-Vaega grabbed his first NRL game in a hefty loss to Raiders.
Cronulla Sharks are quietly on the rise as a Kiwi-NRL club with the same development mahi evident in Ronaldo Mulitalo, Braden Hamlin-Uele and Briton Nikora flowing into the rise of Kayal Iro.
NRLWahine round two is headlined by an almighty Kiwi-NRL match up between defending champions Roosters and Broncos, plus Gayle Broughton faces off against the classy Emma Tonegato.
Earlier this year we dropped a Kiwi-NRL Spotlight about Dylan Brown's steady development and since then, Brown has settled into his best season of NRL footy.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been a middle forward monster for eight seasons with Melbourne Storm and as the Bromwich brothers are often overlooked as influential Storm figures, it is no surprise that Asofa-Solomona's excellence also creeps under the radar.
NRLWahine footy is back for another season this year with a trio of Kiwi-NRLWahine helping Roosters defend their championship, plus Gayle Broughton is primed to takeover.