Northland's top age group rugby league players have the opportunity this Sunday to impress incoming Warriors under-20s coach Stacey Jones and Kiwi assistant coach Tony Iro at the Northern Swords trial.
Iro will attend the trial as part of his role with New Zealand Rugby League's high performance department while Jones' attendance looks to continue the progression of a pathway from grassroots league to the Warriors ranks.
Rugby League Northland general manager Alex Smits said this weekend's trial is an opportunity for players to see just how close they are to playing in the NRL.
"[Having Iro and Jones attend is] about engaging our players saying 'The NRL is here and it is reachable'," Smits said. "[Because], for a lot of these guys [playing in the NRL] is a goal.
"Also, by having Iro and Jones attend, players are getting the information from people at the top end of the system, it's not Johnny-nobody coaching these guys."
Smits said that after a successful Adam Blair Trophy, Northland's secondary school league competition, earlier this year, most of the players involved had gone on to play club league with many of them taking part in the trial.
However, Smits added that a handful of Adam Blair XIII players, disappointingly, had not progressed on to club level.
"I think the challenge for us [to keep a high conversion rate from the Adam Blair Trophy to club level] is to provide a credible club competition, which we do have this year ... and we need to be rewarding the boys who're playing club level [by providing a pathway to representative league]."
For the players this weekend it's not a case of performing on one day, as there are several trainings set to unfold each week between now and August when the team will be named.
Under-15 trialists: Bayleigh Bentley-Hape, Patrick Broughton, Keedon Bruce, Brodie Burndred, Tyrus Campbell, Sione Finau, Wiremu Greig, Keanye Heta, Te Ra Tutonu (Boss) Hiku-Joyce, Tan Hohepa, Joseph Johnstone, Steele Kake, Jayd Kapa, Saia Lopeti, Nabil Lotoahea, Javan Mamea, Kayleb Mathews, Markel McQueen-Stevens, Bobby Murray-Waititi, Hohua Mutu, Hori Nathan, Tamati Neho, Nathan Newton, Arvae Pitman, Hamana Rakena, Jack Rangitaawa, Tahi Subritzky, Tahupotiki Tawhiwhirangi, Rihari Thomas, Diani Timms, Xavier Toia, Lee Turner, Paul Turner, James Witehira, Orlando Woodcock.
Under-17 trialists: Caleb Aekins, Sione Aloua, Phardray Brown, Jesse Chapman, Gregory Covacich-Baanders, Piri Croft, Demrys Croft-Haenga, Zabdiel Edmonds, James-Dean Fisher-Harris, Daniel Fulop, Tumoana Halkyard, Kauri Harema, Kalani Heta, Wayne Iripa, Michael Larkin, Tonto Martin, Pana Matiu, Freddy Matthews, Gabe McBirney, Arthur McKechnie, Hamish Pomare, Kane Pomare, Jack Rangitaawa, Wiremu Rapira, Sonny Rihari-Rupapera, Kapene Ripikoi, Haane Rudolph, Nathan Saul, Corey Selwyn, Peter Smith, Thomas Smith, Manaaki Tawhiwhirangi, Jordayne Tibbits-Filimoeatu, Haimona Tierney, Chaz Wetere.