League: Kiwis Tour - Hits and Misses

Workaholic forward Tohu Harris was a stand-out performer for the Kiwis throughout their three-test series against England. Photo/Getty.

The Kiwis tour to England has come to an end. Michael Burgess looks at players who enhanced their reputations, and those whose stocks may have fallen.

Hits

Tohu Harris
Probably the player of the tour. Played every minute of the test series and made substantial contributions in all three matches. Has a freakish capacity for work and an amazing resilience to pressure. The Kiwis have a lot of depth among the loose forwards, but it's hard to see how Harris could be left out of any future starting XIII's.

Kodi Nikorima
No player in the Kiwis environment has made swifter progress over the past 12 months. If you consider that this time last year he was playing fullback for the Brisbane Broncos Under-20s team, his performances as halfback for the Kiwis in London and Wigan were staggering. Has a maturity beyond his years and didn't lose much in comparison with any of the other halves, on either side, across the series.

Sam Moa
Responded well to the challenge of being a senior player in a young Kiwis group. Adapted to the conditions and environment in England faster than most of his teammates, perhaps a product of his extended spell at Hull earlier in his career. Led from the front in all four matches, and his running battle with James Graham was one of the highlights of the series.

Jordan Kahu
Before the tour Kahu looked a long-shot to get game time, with Curtis Rona and Gerard Beale ahead of him in the pecking order. But Kahu played every match, and adapted well to the centre position, after playing all year at wing for the Broncos. For a test rookie, he displayed a calmness and composure that will serve him well in the future. Adds to Stephen Kearney's stocks at centre and wing.

Adam Blair
A great example, on and off the field. A consistent performer in all three tests, Blair, as co-captain with Issac Luke, led the team well in the absence of Simon Mannering and dealt with all the additional responsibilities that come with being skipper.

Misses

Martin Taupau

Never managed the impact he had made against the Kangaroos over the past 18 months. The news about his Manly contract - and the way it was leaked out mid-tour - probably didn't help his focus. The English were clever in their approach too; they made a conscious effort to avoid running directly at him, limiting the potential for his big hits. They also crowded him whenever he had the ball, getting in his face early, which stopped him producing some of the memorable charges that have sent Australian players scattering like nine pins in recent matches.

Curtis Rona
One of the form wingers in the NRL competition last season with 23 tries, Rona was expected to play a part on this trip; perhaps as a ready-made replacement for Manu Vatuvei? But he was one of just four players that didn't play a single minute on tour. With his wife due to give birth early November, he seemed torn between taking the Kiwis opportunity or being there to witness the birth of his first child. It was no surprise when he left early to jet back to Australia, arriving just in time to see the birth.

Sio Siua Taukeiaho
His was a keenly anticipated selection, after a breakout season with the Roosters. But he failed to stamp his mark on the team, and was dropped after the first test loss. Taukeiaho was perhaps unfortunate - it was a difficult game to make your debut in, with the Kiwis as a whole lacking energy that night in Hull - but he couldn't replicate his NRL form. He also struggled with conditions in the Northern Hemisphere, and battled with a heavy cold during the first half of the tour.

Tui Lolohea
Of the three prospective halves touted before the tour, Lolohea had the most experience in the position. But he'll return home as number three in the pecking order behind Nikorima and Peta Hiku. Didn't play badly in his test debut in Hull and made some nice touches. But he didn't shine either, leaving the door open for Nikorima's late parachute into the second test team. It's far from the end of the road for Lolohea, but it is a setback.

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