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Kiwis Shaun Johnson and Jesse Bromwich have made it onto the shortlist to win the coveted 2014 Golden Boot award.
The prize to be crowned league's best player in the world for the year was last won by a New Zealander in 2010, by Benji Marshall, but Johnson and Bromwich have made onto the six-man shortlist.
Other players on the list are Johnathan Thurston, who would be the first player to win it three times if he comes out on top, Greg Inglis, James Graham and Sam Burgess.
No players from the Super League made the cut, highlighting the dominance the NRL has at the top level of the game.
There are two other players who've won the award twice, Andrew Johns (1999 and 2001) and former Australian captain Darren Lockyer (2003 and 2006).
Thurston missed the Four Nations but was named man of the match in the Kangaroos' Anzac Test win over New Zealand earlier this year and enjoyed another outstanding NRL campaign with the Cowboys.
Thurston, who won the coveted award in 2011 and last year, has stiff competition, though.
Burgess won the Clive Churchill Medal for being the best player in the NRL Grand Final, when he played in the Souths win with a broken jaw and Graham had a strong season with the Bulldogs and went onto captain England in the Four Nations.
Graham is regarded as one of the best props in the world, but Bromwich has just had the best year of his career with the Storm and Kiwis.
But the best hope from a New Zealand point of view has to lie with Johnson, who continues to improve and has become the player he always had the potential to be.
He won the award for the Player of the Four nations and had two outstanding performances against Australia.
The 2014 recipient as well as a World XIII will be revealed in next month's Rugby League World publication, out on December 19.
SIX OF THE BEST THE NOMINEES
Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne Storm and New Zealand)
Sam Burgess (South Sydney)
James Graham (Canterbury and England)
Greg Inglis (South Sydney, Queensland and Australia)
Shaun Johnson (Warriors and New Zealand)
Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland, Queensland and Australia)
PAST GOLDEN BOOT WINNERS
1984: Wally Lewis
1985: Brett Kenny
1986: Garry Jack
1987: Hugh McGahan, Peter Sterling
1988: Ellery Hanley
1989: Mal Meninga
1990: Garry Schofield
1999: Andrew Johns
2000: Brad Fittler
2001: Andrew Johns
2002: Stacey Jones
2003: Darren Lockyer
2004: Andrew Farrell
2005: Anthony Minichiello
2006: Darren Lockyer
2007: Cameron Smith
2008: Billy Slater
2009: Greg Inglis
2010: Benji Marshall
2011: Johnathan Thurston
2012: Kevin Sinfield
2013: Johnathan Thurston
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/63420335/Kiwis-duo-up-for-international-league-player-of-year
The prize to be crowned league's best player in the world for the year was last won by a New Zealander in 2010, by Benji Marshall, but Johnson and Bromwich have made onto the six-man shortlist.
Other players on the list are Johnathan Thurston, who would be the first player to win it three times if he comes out on top, Greg Inglis, James Graham and Sam Burgess.
No players from the Super League made the cut, highlighting the dominance the NRL has at the top level of the game.
There are two other players who've won the award twice, Andrew Johns (1999 and 2001) and former Australian captain Darren Lockyer (2003 and 2006).
Thurston missed the Four Nations but was named man of the match in the Kangaroos' Anzac Test win over New Zealand earlier this year and enjoyed another outstanding NRL campaign with the Cowboys.
Thurston, who won the coveted award in 2011 and last year, has stiff competition, though.
Burgess won the Clive Churchill Medal for being the best player in the NRL Grand Final, when he played in the Souths win with a broken jaw and Graham had a strong season with the Bulldogs and went onto captain England in the Four Nations.
Graham is regarded as one of the best props in the world, but Bromwich has just had the best year of his career with the Storm and Kiwis.
But the best hope from a New Zealand point of view has to lie with Johnson, who continues to improve and has become the player he always had the potential to be.
He won the award for the Player of the Four nations and had two outstanding performances against Australia.
The 2014 recipient as well as a World XIII will be revealed in next month's Rugby League World publication, out on December 19.
SIX OF THE BEST THE NOMINEES
Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne Storm and New Zealand)
Sam Burgess (South Sydney)
James Graham (Canterbury and England)
Greg Inglis (South Sydney, Queensland and Australia)
Shaun Johnson (Warriors and New Zealand)
Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland, Queensland and Australia)
PAST GOLDEN BOOT WINNERS
1984: Wally Lewis
1985: Brett Kenny
1986: Garry Jack
1987: Hugh McGahan, Peter Sterling
1988: Ellery Hanley
1989: Mal Meninga
1990: Garry Schofield
1999: Andrew Johns
2000: Brad Fittler
2001: Andrew Johns
2002: Stacey Jones
2003: Darren Lockyer
2004: Andrew Farrell
2005: Anthony Minichiello
2006: Darren Lockyer
2007: Cameron Smith
2008: Billy Slater
2009: Greg Inglis
2010: Benji Marshall
2011: Johnathan Thurston
2012: Kevin Sinfield
2013: Johnathan Thurston
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/63420335/Kiwis-duo-up-for-international-league-player-of-year
