Kiwis

[Beavers Headgear]

Gutted Fainu has headed their way

 

[Beavers Headgear]

For some stupid reason we need a 27 man squad

 

[Beavers Headgear]

And Tonga’s squad

 

[Grapple]

Plenty of big boppers in that Tongan team. Yikes!

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

My Kiwis

1. RTS
2. Rapana
3. Manu
4. Marsters
5. Watene-Zelezniak
6. Nikorima
7. Marshall
8. Warea-Hargreaves
9. Smith
10. J.Bromwich
11. K. Bromwich
12. Nikora
13. Tapine

14. Luke
15. Taupau
16. Paasi
17. NAS

 

[WellsNZ]

That Tongan middle is f**king insane.

I wish we'd picked Hamlin-Uele. He looks great, and would have given us some size to go up against the Tongans.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

My Tongan team...

1. Hopoate
2. Fusitua
3. Staggs
4. M.Jennings
5. Tupou
6. Asiata
7. Lolohea
8. Fifita
9. Fainu
10. Fonua-Blake
11. Pangai Jnr
12. Taukeiaho
13. Taumalolo

14. Havili
15. Tupouniua
16. Tatola
17. Mau

 

[Burns]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/leagu...not-a-lock-in-to-play-for-kiwis-against-tonga

Kodi Nikorima might not play because he is um, setting up his house.

 

[BLN2]

I sort of want to see Marshall and Foran in the halves, they are probably in better form than Kodi and SJ anyway. Also I think Ken deserves to be our first choice winger, we'll need his carries and has been outstanding this season, far better than Rapana and DWZ. I would go;

RTS
Rapana (if fit, looked a bit buggered last week)
Manu
Marsters
Maumalo
Marshall
Foran
Bromwich
Smith
Taupau
Nikora (looks like we've only named 2 second rowers..)
Bromwich
JFH

Nikorima
NAS
JWH
Tapine

 

[JJ]

Good to see Marshall picked TBH. Although he comes off (to me) as an arrogant douche in his media appearances lol

Both teams have pretty good packs (can't believe Adam Blair's not there), the Tongans' middle is insane... but the halves are pretty lame on both sides (variously through skill level, injury, form)

Should be a brutal test

 

[Burns]

Martin Taupau has withdrawn from Kiwis, and will now be available for Samoa.

Huge news.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Martin Taupau has withdrawn from Kiwis, and will now be available for Samoa.

Huge news.

Kidwell messin about with Taumalolo continues to destroy the Kiwis. That's where this all started from.

Kiwis jersey is now an OPTION. It's not what it was.

 

[Burns]

Kidwell messin about with Taumalolo continues to destroy the Kiwis. That's where this all started from.

Kiwis jersey is now an OPTION. It's not what it was.

Wonder how the Kiwi playing group reacts? How many more are going to decide to not play for NZ but the Pacific Islands?

 

[Mixmasterreece]

Honestly, this is beyond a joke now.

The international game has never been more farcical.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Wonder how the Kiwi playing group reacts? How many more are going to decide to not play for NZ but the Pacific Islands?

Well this is what I was ranting on about on here (by myself) when Taumalolo left. I knew of the implications back then because I know Pacific Islanders are very proud people and it wouldn't take much for them to ditch the kiwis jersey. It's just continues to unfold now and it's big names too that's going. Just when it was dying down a bit too. Would not be surprised if NAS goes next.

 

[Fufu Andronez]

seems like a positive to me, pick the players that want to play for the kiwis, that want to play for samoa, that want to play for tonga, australia, fiji etc

brings some pride back to the national jerseys. Still plenty of Maoris and Kiwis to pick from that would be proud to represent NZ, just like the tongans are proud to represent Tonga, and Samoans to Samoa etc

 

[Mixmasterreece]

It's going to be interesting to see if theres any long term negative effects from this. In the short term, if the samoans defect as well, this will hurt NZ rugby league.

You'd have to think that the NZRL would be a little gun shy spending money developing Kiwi kids of pacific island heritage, at the very least youd think there would be a bias towards Maori and Pakeha kids.

It's not like the island teams are going to develop these kids in the island themselves (they dont have the money) so there might be some unintended consequences out of this.

 

[Mr Angry]

Well I did not even know Marty had Samoan blood, thought he was a kiwi.

Who else could jump ship?

Pretty sure Shaun and Briton are kiwis only, just not sure anymore.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

We'll be alright without Marty. It's just RTS, Paasi and NAS I'm worried about at the mo. Especially if there's trouble in the camp. So far McGuires doing good IMO.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

It's going to be interesting to see if theres any long term negative effects from this. In the short term, if the samoans defect as well, this will hurt NZ rugby league.

You'd have to think that the NZRL would be a little gun shy spending money developing Kiwi kids of pacific island heritage, at the very least youd think there would be a bias towards Maori and Pakeha kids.

It's not like the island teams are going to develop these kids in the island themselves (they dont have the money) so there might be some unintended consequences out of this.

I'd hate to be the one assigned the job of sorting this out.