Being a Kiwis league selector in Sydney has never been tougher, writes Mark Geenty of NZPA.

Where to start when compiling a list of Kiwis to watch in the National Rugby League in 2008? National selector Darrell Williams rattles off the names: Eddie Paea, Issac Luke, Chase Stanley, Rangi Chase...

They're but a few of the youngsters who've already cracked first grade, and in Stanley's case, even debuted for the Kiwis.

Then there's the relative no-names, yet to make the big time, of which there are hundreds.

Like Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart's signing Karl Filiga, snapped up from the Bulldogs last year on a three-year deal worth a reported $A600,000 ($NZ707,296).

At 19, he's yet to play a first grade match but the hulking Wellingtonian, who changed his surname from McNichol to his mother's maiden name in the off-season, has already been given the dreaded tag of "the next Sonny Bill Williams".

Young halves Sam Stewart junior (son of the former Kiwis forward) at Gold Coast and Liam Foran at the Melbourne Storm are tipped as rising stars of the junior ranks.

Darrell Williams reckons he can't keep up with it all.

Recently he was watching a South Sydney trial and a player he'd never heard of, Hala Laula, was smashing everything in sight - all 1.96m and 116kg of him.

Sure enough, young Hala, 19, emerged from Auckland's Manurewa club and followed the drift of scores of others, either with their parents or plucked across the Tasman by hungry NRL clubs.

Williams says there's up to 12 New Zealand-eligible players at each of the 15 Australian NRL clubs.

A few will emerge from unknowns to household names in the coming months.

A year ago, Jeff Lima and Jack Afamasaga were journeymen forwards. By October they'd both played a grand final for Melbourne and Manly respectively, and Lima grabbed his debut Kiwis jumper.

For a New Zealand presence, Souths lead the way with Roy Asotasi, David Kidwell, David Fa'alogo, Luke, last year's Junior Kiwis captain Paea, Jeremy Smith, Eddy Pettybourne and Fetuli Talanoa in their first grade squad.

There's also veteran Nigel Vagana who is set to lead Samoa in this year's World Cup, and a host of juniors such as Laula.

Last year's Junior Kiwis (under-19) squad which beat Australia included just four New Zealand-based players: Warriors Patrick Ah Van, Sonny Fai, Eddie Purcell and Scott Jones.

Now with the introduction of the NRL's Toyota Cup (under-20) competition this year, a whole new wave of Kiwi youngsters will emerge.

The Brisbane Broncos have five New Zealand-born players in their Toyota Cup squad of 20.

The Toyota Cup salary cap is $A250,000 ($NZ294,707) per team, but Australian clubs can lure Kiwi youngsters with an additional $A10,400-per-year allowance if they come from more than 100km away.

Williams, the former Kiwis and Manly centre, monitors Kiwis aspirants from his base on Sydney's northern beaches and said the numbers were huge.

"I'm very confident the NRL playing population will be almost 50 percent Polynesian in the next 3-4 years," he said.

"That's something the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) really needs to take note of."

He is lobbying the cash-strapped NZRL to set up a Sydney office, using the likes of himself and another former Kiwi Mark Horo, who ran last year's national squad camp in Sydney.

It would be a point of contact for youngsters, invite them to off-season camps and keep them informed of selection prospects.

Williams is worried a host of young Kiwis aspirants naturally drift towards Kangaroos selection with the lure of playing State of Origin.

"The strength of New Zealand league is in Australia now, not New Zealand.

"Within three years we could potentially have the kind of depth that the Aussies have always had...but at the moment we're gifting all these players and they're not being given the option."

With the NZRL having scrapped the Kiwis coach-must-be-resident rule, new coach Stephen Kearney can at least keep closer tabs on rising stars in his job as Melbourne Storm assistant in World Cup year.

Australian Rugby League (ARL) chief executive Geoff Carr insists it doesn't apply any pressure to young players.

In 2006 Karmichael Hunt, Auckland-born, opted for the Kangaroos while his former Australian Schoolboys teammate Benji Marshall chose the black jersey.

Carr agrees with the NZRL having more of a presence in Sydney.

"The issue is realistic. I remember in 2005 out of the 650 kids that played in our elite (under) 16s and 18s competitions, 124 were eligible for New Zealand," Carr says.

"It's a significant number of Kiwi boys that get into our elite system, a lot of those with their parents living and working in Australia.

"When you add in the Samoan and Tongan kids, there's a significant group which is increasing."

All you can say is: watch this space.

so when is new zealand going to become a australian state? might aswell..

 

 also how long is it going to be before new zealand fail to put a squad together that has the required 6 "domestic" players..that can't be to far away can it?
 

 

Good one spud, spot the aussie here in australia,  as long as we get good competition is all that matters, the worm might be about to turn sooner than we think, 10 we want 10 world cups? This might be the last year of aussie dominance, we have the home crowd, even then we are going to be over run with poms and pacific islanders. God help us, i think he is kiwi now too?

spud:

  also how long is it going to be before new zealand fail to put a squad together that has the required 6 "domestic" players..that can't be to far away can it?

Lets look at last years JNR Kiwis Squad and i will plae the players in bold they i know have played domestic League in NZ:

Patrick Ah Van	(Warriors)
Kingi Akaloa	(Gold Coast)
Alex Glenn	(Brisbane)
Chase Stanley	(St George Illawarra)
Shaun Kenny-Dowall	(Sydney Roosters)
Liam Foran	(Melbourne)
Eddie Paea (C)	(South Sydney)
Sam McKendry	(Penrith)
Masada Iosefa	(Penrith)
James Tamou	(Sydney Roosters)
Eddy Pettybourne	(South Sydney)
Sonny Fai	(Warriors)
Anthony Cherrington	(Parramatta)
Sam Stewart	(Gold Coast)
Joseph Paulo	(Penrith)
Eddie Purcell	(Warriors)
Kevin Proctor	(Melbourne)
Scott Jones	(Warriors)
AJ Taumata	(Sydney Roosters)

I am unsure on a couple of them who i suspect came from Auckland RL. Most of them in that squad are NZ born. Anyway that means all these players qualify for NZ under the domestic rule as they have played for a junior rep side in the last two years.

if they are signed by an nrl team to move to australia to play footy, they are still a domestic player. if they were brought up in australia as they moved there or were born there, they are not a domestic player.

 

nz really need to start developing more local based players. a wellington side in the nrl should be a priority.

One could argue that since there is a NZ team in the NRL that it is a Australia/NZ comp, so could that mean that any player playing in the NRL could qualify as playing in a NZ native comp? i hope not. I would like to see atleast 6 players from the warriors. As you said hutch i thinkwellington should be a priority for NRL.

I am going to dissagree on this, if you give wellington a comp you will put untold pressure on the warriors at this time. Every body knows that league in new zealand is in the growing phase, you only have to look at that last statement made by the wellington league boss who just said they are allowing the schools to play league now? Yes thats right jim, just over the pond we have league vinchy and we sat back and did nothing,

no

let league grow and let them get some local following stronger than what they are or we could be killing 2 birds with the one stone. When gallop gets 10 thousand angry wellingtons emailing him for a team, then we look at it. And he wont be threatened into this super league bid. Its a non event.

Yeh i think think before there is a wellington team, strong grass roots systems should exist, so maybe it is a while off yet. I guess i just want another NZ team in there ASAP so there's an even bigger posibility of a WCC with no pommy or aus teams, would be a great day for RL. Warriors V Catalans, Orcas V Toulouse, Warriors V Crusaders, oh the possibilities.

The Wellington SL bid i think is rubbish and if it's serious i'm against it totally, stick to this side of the world.

Yes the one thing you should always do is think logically , then sit back weigh up the pros and cons, and then think what gallop would think, its easy when you do this, really gets you into the groove. Now as for wellington, me too, i want them there and everyone would but in say 8 to 10 years they might be ready. And as you said jim, its all about grass roots, no good jumping in like the A.f.l are doing, thats a no brainer, take them 10 years to grow that in sydney, by then the rugby league will be pushing for world television rights?

yeh you're right oikee, jumping in to wellington now wouldn't be good, get some grass roots happening and them chuck them in there. What AFL is doing now is a bad move, the numbers aren't there yet for the sydney team they've got, yet they want another?

gettin back to the subject 2 playersto look out for are Russel Packer(Prop) and Sonny Fai (2ND Row)both warriors ,with Pricey and Ruben leavin there will be holes in the forward pack look for these to in years to come

Is price leaving this year,? Has he confirmed this kiwis. Thats a big hole to fill, and they must be going to run these players on alot this year if this the case. I know wiki is on his last year.

oikee:

I am going to dissagree on this, if you give wellington a comp you will put untold pressure on the warriors at this time. Every body knows that league in new zealand is in the growing phase, you only have to look at that last statement made by the wellington league boss who just said they are allowing the schools to play league now? Yes thats right jim, just over the pond we have league vinchy and we sat back and did nothing,

no

let league grow and let them get some local following stronger than what they are or we could be killing 2 birds with the one stone. When gallop gets 10 thousand angry wellingtons emailing him for a team, then we look at it. And he wont be threatened into this super league bid. Its a non event.

i disagree. rugby league has been trying to grow there for 100 years. there is plenty of talent coming from wellington, but nobody to play for. there is a market there, the soccer team is going ok in the A-league, a rugby league team would take off in the nrl, and the derby with the warriors would be unbelievable.