Leota is injured. Peter Hiku has gone quite well for the Kiwis in the past, he was part of the Stephen Kearney era in which we were very good. Not sure of his form in the UK. This should really be a Four team tournament. I do however expect the Aussies to dominate early and hopefully we can play ourselves into some form against Tonga. A few Kiwis with points to prove, like Riki who is from a gun team which has been underperforming. Hopefully at the very least we are competitive and build some depth for the future. Origin has cancelled out a number of options for us, hopefully we have picked up some good young guns from the Panthers to counter that. Samoa are playing the Poms this year.
Samoan team is weak despite the fluffing headline:
Anthony Milford (Dolphins)
Blaize Talagi (Penrith Panthers)
Deine Mariner (Brisbane Broncos)
Francis Molo (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Gordon Chan Kum Tong (Manly Sea Eagles)
Izack Tago (Penrith Panthers)
Jake Tago (Parramatta Eels)
Jarome Luai (Wests Tigers)
Jazz Tevaga (Manly Sea Eagles)
Jeral Skelton (Wests Tigers)
Jeremiah Nanai (North Queensland Cowboys)
John Asiata (Leigh Leopards)
Josiah Pahulu (Gold Coast Titans)
Junior Pauga (Sydney Roosters)
Keenan Palasia (Leeds Rhinos)
Lazarus Vaalepu (Melbourne Storm)
Luciano Leilua (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Paul Roache (Warriors)
Ricky Leutele (Leigh Leopards)
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Warriors)
Shawn Blore (Melbourne Storm)
Simi Sasagi (Canberra Raiders)
Terrell May (Sydney Roosters)
@SBW1 said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
Jerome Hughes has withdrawn from the Pacific Championships, looks like we need another halfback.
Well, we're fucked now.
@SBW1 said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
Cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Glad he backflipped on his original decision to be unavailable. We're slightly less fucked now.
Just realised Te Marie Martin isn’t in the team.
Why the fuck not, he was great for the Warriors this year.
I obviously don’t watch enough league, as the only halves I recognise from that list are Nikorima and SJ now that Hughes has been scratched.
@Gunner said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
Just realised Te Marie Martin isn’t in the team.
Why the fuck not, he was great for the Warriors this year.
I obviously don’t watch enough league, as the only halves I recognise from that list are Nikorima and SJ now that Hughes has been scratched.
He's injured.
Blow? This will improve us
That said i have seen the incident in question and 5 weeks would actually be criminal
Yeah, dont think he is that essential either but wow if he gets five weeks for that, there is something seriously wrong.
Da fuq is going on in league these days?
If Hiku is in semi decent form then he's going to put his wing away, so it will be a bit of a blow. If he's in the form that that he had when playing for Mariner's team then yeah, no big loss.
@SBW1 said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/afl/hiku-facing-pacific-champs-ban-over-bizarre-charge/ar-AA1sgxUB?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=f600d4eb5f4c45b7b31517ffd9cb8155&ei=53 Which confirms my last post.
I've now seen the video and the fact he's being asked to defend his actions is the most idiotic thing I've seen in sport for quite some time.
@SBW1 said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
Tongans looked a lot stronger than Samoa last year. Not sure what to make of the Roos. Been very little news of late on the Kiwis.
If we still had Madge as coach I'd be fully confident we'd walk this tournament. Oz are a team of fullbacks and loose forwards shoehorned in everywhere and the Tongans are the same as usual, strong pack which we can handle and extremely average halves (Katoa isn't there yet and the other one is Tui).
But, we have Stacey, love the guy as a player, but not sure he has the coaching ability. And the rest of his coaching team don't inspire much either.
@Nepia said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
@SBW1 said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
Tongans looked a lot stronger than Samoa last year. Not sure what to make of the Roos. Been very little news of late on the Kiwis.
If we still had Madge as coach I'd be fully confident we'd walk this tournament. Oz are a team of fullbacks and loose forwards shoehorned in everywhere and the Tongans are the same as usual, strong pack which we can handle and extremely average halves (Katoa isn't there yet and the other one is Tui).
But, we have Stacey, love the guy as a player, but not sure he has the coaching ability. And the rest of his coaching team don't inspire much either.
The Kiwis are struggling for playmakers too. We might be closer to Tonga than we hoped.
@Crazy-Horse said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
@Nepia said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
@SBW1 said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
Tongans looked a lot stronger than Samoa last year. Not sure what to make of the Roos. Been very little news of late on the Kiwis.
If we still had Madge as coach I'd be fully confident we'd walk this tournament. Oz are a team of fullbacks and loose forwards shoehorned in everywhere and the Tongans are the same as usual, strong pack which we can handle and extremely average halves (Katoa isn't there yet and the other one is Tui).
But, we have Stacey, love the guy as a player, but not sure he has the coaching ability. And the rest of his coaching team don't inspire much either.
The Kiwis are struggling for playmakers too. We might be closer to Tonga than we hoped.
Did you not hear that Laoitian Jesus is back (lets just overlook his 2024 form 
)? The Kiwis instagram page spent 4 posts in a row about it.
Even so, without that hype, I think an SJ/Nikorima combo is a step above Katoa/Tui.
@booboo said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
@Nepia said in Rugby League - Kiwis:
Laoitian Jesus
Who?
Johnson.
New Zealand team: 1. Keano Kini 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Matt Timoko 4. Peta Hiku 5. Will Warbrick 6. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 7. Shaun Johnson 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Griffin Neame 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Scott Sorensen 13. Joe Tapine 14. Kodi Nikorima 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Marata Niukore 17. Jordan Riki 18. Erin Clark 19. Trent Toelau 20. Casey McLean
If its Shaun ball I guess they believe we dont really need a decent six. Depending on which Shaun turns up that is good or very bad.
FFS. Charnze at 6, I think I'm going to join @mariner4life in death riding the Kiwis now.
It's a very ordinary side with a couple of guys to watch for the future.
We will get towelled by a kangaroos outfit that's had a tune up.
Best chance is beat Tonga and make the final and ambush them
12-6 to the Kangaroos at halftime.
If AFB was still a Kiwi we'd be in the lead as we had so much ball 5m out and couldn't get over the line.
Kini has been great (fearless in defence for a smaller guy), CNK is a non existent 6. Tommy Turbo is in pretty unstoppable mood, Timoko on an unfamiliar side is having trouble dealing with him.
22-10 final score to the Roos.
Kiwis actually did a bit better than what I thought we would when I saw the named 17.
We still need an actual second half though. Nikorima in at 6, CNK to centre in place of Hiku, move Timoko back to his side.
Stacey seemed a bit stubborn not bring Nikorima earlier and at 6. I love CNK but he's not a 6 and he didn't get into the game.
@SBW1 I doubt Tonga can score the long range tries that the Roos did. I saw enough today to be confident for the Tonga game.
I think Australia are entitled to be a bit disappointed in today. A win under their belts already, and while they too are down a couple of troops, that's a team of origin players, while what was that kiwi team? And yet it was a 12 point win.
Mal is a shit coach. Lucked in to a generational Queensland team that he basically only had to stay put of the way and they would win.
We are on the rebuild and was good to see some of our younger players step up to test level.
The big name origin players for OZ had their moments but I was expecting a 20+ point drumming when I saw who they had