Māori Players Showcased in Nrl Nines Finals

Even though the Warriors didn't make it to the Nines finals yesterday there were players of Maori descent playing for the Broncos and Cowboys who did. Pere Wihongi has more. There were five players of Maori descent playing in the finals. Here's a replay of one of the two tries Curtis Rona scored. He's a fresh recruit for the Cowboys. He's expected to shine this year and make the Kiwis by the end of this year. Rona and James Tamou both played for the Cowboys. Besides James Tamou, there's also Jason Taumalolo and team captain, Gavin Cooper. We saw with the Warriors in the quarter finals the types of players who need to be on field. Players who are solidly built are the key to success in this game. Alex Glenn, Kodi Nikorima and Josh Hoffman played for the Broncos. In terms of the Warriors, they had skilful non-Maori players on field, but they haven't recruited many local Maori talent. They've chosen to go over the ditch and have done really well over there. It's hard to believe that just yesterday Eden Park was alive with thousands of fans. Now its walls are silent. When it comes to Nines, all the players are all super stars. So this competition is sure to be a repeat success year after year. Warriors' fans are hopeful their team will play better in the NRL's 15-man aside team. Pere Wihongi, Te Karere.