Good NZ players who never played for the Kiwis.

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

It can be anyone with NZ roots but had never played for the Kiwis.

I have Jonathan Thurston.

 

[sup42]

Good thread.

At his peak you would have to have a conversation about James Tamou,

If you are talking NZ roots then you can't get any more Maori sounding that Timana Tahu (did in fact end up representing NZ Maori vs England).

Rangi Chase could have been on the fringe somewhere in the mix had he not declared for England.

Gotta have a laugh about Nathan Fiens Grandmother from NZ that turned out to be not from here at all...ah the skulduggery of international Rugby League cheating.

Josh Papalii born in Auckland....I will leave it there and let someone else play with the toys.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

1. Hunt
2. Ponga
3. Tahu
4. Gagai
5. Holmes
6. Norman
7. Thurston
8. Mclean
9. Chase
10. Tamou
11. Mason
12. Thorn
13. Papalli

 

[Scott]

Craig Innes was the best actual New Zealander to never play for the Kiwi's. At his peak (1996-97) he was the best centre in the world.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

I cant think of any good players to never represent NZ but i can think of about 50 stink players that represented NZ

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Gotta have a laugh about Nathan Friends Grandmother from NZ that turned out to be not from here at all...ah the skulduggery of international Rugby League cheating.

Whhaaatt???...I didn't know that. Thats crazy.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Craig Innes was the best actual New Zealander to never play for the Kiwi's. At his peak (1996-97) he was the best centre in the world.

True I forgot about Innes and Im surprised he never played kiwis. A white Mal Meninga IMO.

 

[Fufu Andronez]

Whhaaatt???...I didn't know that. Thats crazy.

Nathan Fien

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

4. Gagai

Didn't know he has kiwi roots. Good team though that you made up.

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

True I forgot about Innes and Im surprised he never played kiwis. A white Mal Meninga IMO.

He played for Manly who were an ARL team. NZRL were Super League, so that ruled him out of 1997. What about 1996 though, did we select ARL players for the PNG and Great Britain tests?

 

[TheDMC]

An off-season thread in the middle of the NRL season...must be representative weekend...

 

[sup42]

Nathan Fien

Thanks.

Ruddy auto correct.

 

[sup42]

1. Hunt
2. Ponga
3. Tahu
4. Gagai
5. Holmes
6. Norman
7. Thurston
8. Mclean
9. Chase
10. Tamou
11. Mason
12. Thorn
13. Papalli

Brad Thorn what a goody.

That one really grates.

Listening to him bang on about All Black dreams.

Here's a curve ball....Ryan Hoffman played his intermediate school years with Piri Weepu in Union. Had his old man stayed on in the job in Wellington Hoffman could have qualified eventually.

Weepu himself of course played League under a false name for Wainuiomata while he was an All Black....so technically fake Piri qualified as a registered player.

 

[sup42]

Another random from the trivia files (I have lots of useless information).

Fred 'the needle' Allen played League for Auckland on Sundays after turning out for Auckland Rugby Union for Saturday games, these were during his years as an All Black.

Tough nut.

 

[Fufu Andronez]

does Narthan Cleary count lol? hes gonna be the best of the lot

 

[TheDMC]

Another random from the trivia files (I have lots of useless information).

Fred 'the needle' Allen played League for Auckland on Sundays after turning out for Auckland Rugby Union for Saturday games, these were during his years as an All Black.

Tough nut.

Far more interesting than his weekend playing schedule would be why was Fred called "the needle"?

 

[sup42]

* Posting accident

 

[Rich102]

Far more interesting than his weekend playing schedule would be why was Fred called "the needle"?

Because he would "needle" the players he coached. Get under their skin and rev them up.

 

[TheDMC]

Because he would "needle" the players he coached. Get under their skin and rev them up.

Oh. Not that interesting then lol. But thanks Rich!

 

[sup42]

Oh. Not that interesting then lol. But thanks Rich!

I tried to quote your post above (don't seem to have any joy posting from my Android for some reason).

I see Rich answered your question.

It always interest me hearing about the old fellahs that used to play both codes at a high level...many if not most New Zealanders get a taste of both codes, even if it is at lunch time during school.

Fred Allen interests me in part because he started out as a league player from a league family (Riccarton club Christchurch).

Fred was proud of his League identity / heritage even though you will find no reference of it on the interweb (too great a Union legend to mention that other lot).

John Kirwan was from a League family of course.....an aprentice Butcher from Mangere like someone else more famous in the butchery business we all know,

Rather than a good player to have never played for NZ in league you could say he was a good person....and had he switched codes at a younger age who knows....