Rugby League World Cup: The star players the Kiwis missed out on

New Zealand's international rugby league side has had its fair share of missed opportunities over the past couple of decades and, when it comes to player selection and retention, some of the biggest names in the game have been aligned with the Kiwis - only to ultimately pull on another nation's jersey.There are signs the tide is beginning to turn, with experienced campaigners Kalyn Ponga and Dane Gagai joining New Zealand's 2026 Rugby League World Cup squad. The path has been made clearer by changes to the eligibility rules that now allow New Zealand internationals to play State of Origin. It could mark the beginning of a new wave of dual-eligible talent choosing to represent the Kiwis.We take a look at some of the biggest players who have slipped through the Kiwis' hands:Jarome LuaiJunior Kiwis Junior Kangaroos v Junior Kiwis, international rugby league, New Zealand v Australia, GIO Stadium, Canberra, Australia. 5 May 2017, Copyright Image: Paul Seiser / www.photosport.nzPaul SeiserLuai was once in talks with the Kiwis camp to represent New Zealand and, in 2017, he did just that; turning out for the Junior Kiwis in a team that was absolutely stacked with future NRL talent.Eligible through his Māori heritage, the Kiwis could have had themselves a future four-time Premiership-winning player.But Luai, like many others, opted to play for Samoa with the chance to play for New South Wales in State of Origin.But with the change to State of Origin eligibility rules, could we one day see Luai pull on the black and white jumper again? Maybe - but probably not.Nathan ClearyNathan Cleary son of Warriors' Head Coach Ivan Cleary cheers on the team. NRL pre season trail match, Vodafone Warriors v Sydney Roosters at Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua, New Zealand. Saturday 13th February 2010. Photo: PHOTOSPORTAnthony Au-YeungThe four-time Premiership-winning half and Luai's former teammate has admitted he once considered making himself eligible for New Zealand - before his parents intervened.Cleary's dad Ivan did play for and coach the Warriors for a good part of his childhood - and he did hold a New Zealand passport.But his parents sadly talked him out of it - "I felt I was Australian the whole time anyway" - with Cleary opting to play for Australia and of course New South Wales in Origin.Leka HalasimaLeka Halasima, Tonga Pacific Championship Rugby League Team Field Session at Trusts Arena, Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand on Wednesday 29 October 2025. Photo: Joshua Devenie / PhotosportJoshua DevenieAfter bursting onto the NRL scene and making a household name for himself, Leka 'The Wrecker' Halasima was hot property when it came to the international rugby league arena with Kiwis coach Stacey Jones reportedly keen for his services.But despite feeling torn between NZ and Tonga, the second rower/centre opted to play for his country of birth.When asked by the New Zealand Herald back in 2025, Jones said the Kiwis "had players in our wider [30-man] squad that are in other squads. Players that were born here, or players that have grown up in New Zealand. But at the end of the day, I had to pick the best 21 and I feel like I've done that".Dallin Watene-ZelezniakKiwis captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak leads the haka, during the rugby league Test match between Kiwis and Tonga in June.PhotosportFormer New Zealand captain and Warriors folk hero Dallin 'DWZ' Watene-Zelezniak is the latest in a long list of Kiwi internationals to defect.Despite having made 13 appearances for New Zealand since 2016, Watene-Zelezniak has opted instead to pull on the red and white of Tonga for the first time ever for the 2026 World Cup.His great grandfather Puti Tipene 'Steve' Watene was the first ever Māori to captain the Kiwis all the way back in 1936.Addin Fonua-BlakePortrait of NZ Kiwis player Addin Fonua-Blake. 2017 Rugby League World Cup. Turangawaewae Marae, Ngaruawahia. New Zealand. Thursday 19 October 2017 © Copyright Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.Photosport.nzAndrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nzFormer Warriors prop Fonua-Blake would go on to become one of the best players in the game - but an often-forgotten fact is that in 2017 he actually represented the Kiwis at the League World Cup.In what's becoming a bit of a trend, the Kiwis had the Tongan powerhouse on their books but only ended up using him once during their entire campaign.After dropping out in the quarter-finals, it seemed Fonua-Blake had seen enough, opting instead to play for Tonga ever since.Jason TaumaloloJason Taumalolo poses for a picture during a New Zealand Kiwis rugby league media session ahead of the team's departure for the Four Nations tournament in the UK. Pullman Hotel. Auckland, New Zealand. Wednesday 19 October 2016 © Copyright Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.Photosport.nzAndrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nzTaumalolo's defection to Tonga before the Kiwis World Cup side was named in 2017 was legendary.He paved the way for some of the game's biggest names to defect from Australia and New Zealand to instead play for their island nations.The rest was history, as Tonga famously defeated the Kiwis for the first time ever in the opening stages of the World Cup - kicking off the Pasifika rugby league revolution that's still going strong to this day.Jonathan ThurstonKangaroos' Johnathan Thurston looks on. Anzac Rugby League test match, New Zealand Kiwis v Australia Kangaroos at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Friday 20th April 2012. Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung/photosport.co.nzwww.photosport.nzWhen people hear the name Thurston, they think of Queensland's glory days in State of Origin, the North Queensland Cowboys' premiership run of 2015 and Australia's absolute dominance over the world in the international arena.Although he was tempted by an offer from the Kiwis in 2004 after NZRL discovered his father was a New Zealander, Thurston opted to bide his time waiting for a call up from Australia that would eventually come in 2006.After winning multiple World Cups and playing 38 tests, he would retire from the international game one of the all time greats 11 years later in 2017.James TamouJames Tamou of the Kangaroos after the game. ANZAC rugby league Test, New Zealand Kiwis v Australia Kangaroos, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, 20 April 2012. Copyright Photo: www.photosport.nzwww.photosport.nzTamou was quickly snapped up by New South Wales in 2012 amid a whirlwind of controversy as New Zealanders cried foul over the eligibility rules at the time.Tamou was born in Palmerston North and raised in Levin, having moved to Australia with his family aged 13.In the end it all boiled down to the NZRL not moving fast enough; Tamou had childhood dreams of playing for the Kiwis, but earlier in the year had been in conversations with then-NSW coach Ricky Stewart, who was telling him he wanted him in his squad and to pledge allegiance to Australia - and he did just that.The ones we got back: Dane Gagai and Kalyn PongaPhotosport NZFormer 2017 World Cup-winning Kangaroo Gagai has changed his international eligibility from Australia to New Zealand.He had applied to the International Rugby League (IRL) for the eligibility switch, but was initially turned down.However, the IRL appeals committee overturned that decision, leaving Gagai, 35, available for the Kiwis for their opening World Cup fixture against the Kangaroos in Sydney on 15 October.Gagai qualifies for New Zealand through mother Tania and has played for the Māori All Stars since 2019, because of his Ngāti Pikiāo heritage.The IRL also recently permitted Ponga to switch his international allegiances to New Zealand and AJ Brimson to play for England, after both had represented Australia at the 2019 IRL World Cup Nines.Changes to State of Origin eligibility rules also enabled Kiwi players Briton Nikora, Casey McLean and Addin Fonua-Blake to play in this year's series, despite not being eligible for Australia, as they had previously represented New Zealand.RNZ will be blogging all the action from the Kiwis and Kiwis Ferns games, as well as other key match-ups.