The performance of Starford To'a in a hefty Tigers win over Cowboys may have surprised some folks, while others saluted one of the most dominant Aotearoa juniors in recent years.

Starting an NRL career in the rain against Roosters at Mt Smart and then facing Panthers in James Fisher-Harris' return isn't ideal for a young lad, although Otahuhu junior Demitric Sifakula's journey ensured he was well prepared for this rugged entry to NRL footy.

Anyone tracking the best youngsters rising through Australian rugby league systems in the past few years would know all about Mangere East junior Greg Marzhew.

After the Kiwi-NRL debut of Valynce Te Whare in his regular position of centre, Northcote junior Keano Kini made his debut in the Titans win over Eels, coming off the bench to play hooker.

In his second season of rugby league, Valynce 'The House' Te Whare made his Kiwi-NRL debut for Dolphins vs Sharks.

After watching the likes of Dylan Brown and Isaiah Papali'i enjoy different development boosts with Parramatta Eels, Northland's Wiremu Greig can now be added to this group.

Whether Naufahu Whyte receives a late promotion from the Roosters extended bench for Sunday's encounter with NZ Warriors or not, the Bay Roskill junior has been plugging holes in the Roosters forward pack to start 2023.

In his second season as a certified starter at centre for Canberra Raiders, Matthew Timoko leads his team for tackle busts and is basking in career-best mahi.

Prior to last season, Leo Thompson made a shift from Raiders to Knights which saw him make his NRL debut in the first round. Now he is one of the busiest Knights forwards.

Tangaroa College caught a trendy wave with a 1st 15 doco series recently but the Otara high school has been brewing as a force in Auckland footy for a long time and Connelly Lemuelu is a shining example.

The first Kiwi-NRL Spotlight check in with Redcliffe Dolphins featured a couple paragraphs about Jamayne Isaako as he scored four tries in three games during their undefeated start of the season