League: Juniors show they're Kiwis in waiting

There are more Benji Marshalls and Sonny Bill Williams' in the rugby league pipeline says Junior Kiwis coach Tony Benson after the age-group team's return from Australia.

The Junior Kiwis thrashed their Australian counterparts 46-8 at Wynnum-Manly in Brisbane last weekend, a comprehensive effort from all 17 players in all positions, Benson said.

The Junior Kangaroos have won 49 of 56 games played against all comers over the years, with New Zealand's previous best effort a 36-14 win at Carlaw Park in 1992.

The New Zealanders won one of two tests in 2003, but victories were few and that contributed somewhat to a feeling of inferiority in the build-up to the two-test series, Benson said.

"We had a big, strong and powerful team, but they didn't really understand the game and they didn't have a lot of self-confidence."

After a win over the Roosters development side they played their first "test" as a curtainraiser to a Storm game in Melbourne and lost 42-24.

It was not a comprehensive hiding, Benson said. The Australian score looked good because of better goal-kicking and a last-gasp length-of-the-field try.

"We hadn't played our own game. We wanted to use the power game, wear them down in the middle and their flanks would have to come in to help and then we'd attack their flanks."

In game one the Australians forced them to play in the corners. In game two the Junior Kiwis executed the plan.

"We beat them everywhere across the park. We fielded their kicks on the full, we made them play at their end and we forced six repeat sets of six."

Greg Eastwood who is in the Broncos development programme and has been at centre for the Toowoomba Clydesdales was shifted in to five-eighth and five-eighth Daniel O'Reagan, who is a nephew of former Kiwis Ron O'Reagan, as well as Shane Cooper went to halfback in a shuffle that worked well.

Eastwood's kicking game was good. He is big for a half, nicknamed "Bear" by his team mates.

Benson said the halves' prospects for the Kiwis looked good. Isaac Luke also playing well.

Australian talent scouts and club bosses followed each game but 17 of the 21 players in the squad are already contracted to NRL sides, including Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Sonny Fai and Marvin Filipo at the Warriors.

"Daniel Anderson (who remodelled the NZRL development programme) said it was important for us to win but it was more important to find future Kiwis.

"I think we did that and got the win too," Benson said.

Finds included Miguel Start from the Pakuranga club at centre, Alistair Taua'a from the Otahuhu club at prop and Darren Kingi from Otahuhu who normally plays halfback but was shifted to hooker, Ben Te'o who is on scholarship at Keebra Park High School, the Gold Coast college that is a feeder to Wests Tigers.

Eels wing Iwi Hauraki and centre Josh Davis were good. Sonny Fai and Sam Rapira provided good leadership and a platform in the forwards.

Six of the team were second-year-round in the JKs and their side was younger on average than the Australians, with seven of them able to compete at under-19 level next year.