Kiwis coach Michael Maguire has gone experimental to address his side’s lack of depth at centre.
It was an area of concern in an otherwise stacked squad heading into the World Cup. Only three primary centres were selected; however, Joseph Manu is playing at fullback and Sebastian Kris was uncappedwhen the team was selected. Peta Hiku was the only obvious pick, leaving Maguire in search of someone to suit up on the other side of the field.
After two World Cup matches and a warm-up match against Leeds, that search is ongoing.
The Kiwis will play their third different centre in as many pool games when they take on Ireland on Saturday morning, with Briton Nikora filling the void.
While it’s not unusual to see edge forwards fill in at centre, it’s a surprise selection from Maguire given Nikora has played exclusively in the second row or as a bench forward in his four-year NRL career with the Cronulla Sharks.
Nikora fills the role after Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Marata Niukore started against Lebanon and Jamaica. Niukore, also a second rower who can play centre, was injured in their match against Jamaica and will miss at least one week.
Briton Nikora will start at centre for the Kiwis' test against Ireland. Photo / Photosport
Maguire said he had been looking at Nikora as a potential option at centre for some time. Nikora had spent time training in the role since the side touched down in the UK, and Maguire believed he had the skills to excel in the position – particularly on the defensive end.
“Not to say that I haven’t been pleased with the players I’ve got, I’ve just got an opportunity to put Brit out there,” Maguire said.
“Charnze has done a great job and unfortunately Marata hurt himself last week and is on the sideline. I feel with Brit’s defence, quality of attack and the way he can play, he’ll be a really good fit out there. He’s got his opportunity to show us what he’s capable of this week.
“He’s a pretty handy player, Brit, and very coachable. He picks things up really quickly. He’s got an opportunity to show us what he can do there in the centres, and he’s jumped in at training this week and been high-level. It’s one to watch this weekend to see how he goes there.”
Nikora’s move to the centres was one of two eye-catching changes Maguire has made to his squad, with imposing prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona starting in the second row.
A star in the position during his time in the NRL under 20s competition, Asofa-Solomona has made just one start on the edge in 164 NRL appearances for the Melbourne Storm, which was a switch made not long before kickoff in the 16-0 win over Penrith in round 22 this year.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona will make an appearance in the second row for the Kiwis against Ireland. Photo / Photosport
It’s an intriguing move from Maguire on both sides of the ball as the 200cm, 115kg enforcer will have the opportunity to run at the opposition halfback, while will have to deal with defending players with more speed as opposed to the slower, but more powerful props in a middle role.
The move comes as Maguire looks to find his best mix of players and what roles to pay them in as the knockout stages of the tournament approach, with having Isaiah Papali’i on the bench providing the luxury of an elite talent able to cover any position in the forwards as required.
“I will have a look at how well Nels will go on that right edge, and the time he can actually play,” Maguire said. “As a back rower, you can punch out a few more minutes as well, but Nels obviously can go and we can adjust him into the middle or I can alternate between those two playing on the edge or in the middle.
“It’s quite amazing for a guy his size just how quickly he can get across the park,” Maguire added of Asofa-Solomona. “You’re going to get a lot of ball players trying to go at a big guy like big Nels but if they go anywhere near him, he tends to get a hold of them and it’s pretty scary after that.
“He’ll be a good one to see for us how we manage that one throughout the game and how long he can go there, but he’s going to be a big man running at a halfback – they’re going to have to figure out how they can stop him.”
Kiwis: Joseph Manu, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Briton Nikora, Peta Hiku, Jordan Rapana, Dylan Brown, Jahrome Hughes, Jesse Bromwich (c), Brandon Smith, James Fisher-Harris, Kenny Bromwich, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Joseph Tapine.
Interchange (from): Isaiah Papali’i, Kieran Foran, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Isaac Liu, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Scott Sorensen.
