Te Maire Martin set to answer Kiwi’s call

Te Maire Martin has only played six NRL games in his career so far, and now the young Kiwi is set to try and lead New Zealand to Four Nations glory.

Playing 23 minutes off the bench in his maiden test match against Scotland last week, Martin only managed four tackles, failing to register a single run. The game acted his first game of top line of rugby league since Round 8 when he managed to fracture his shoulder in a match against Cronulla.

Despite only playing 23 minutes of first-grade in the past seven months, Thomas Leuluai’s broken jaw suffered in that draw with Scotland means Te Maire Martin is set to lead the Kiwis in their Four Nations Final clash with Australia. His combination with Shaun Johnson will be integral if the New Zealand outfit are to claim back-to-back titles in the tournament. With Martin and Johnson both considered fairly off-the-cuff, exciting players, there’s no doubt the Kiwis will miss the organisation Leuluai brings to the table.

Whether Martin starts for the Kiwis is another. While Kidwell could decide to start Martin from the outset, the assumption at this stage is that New Zealand could start backrower at Tohu Harris for five-eighth for the ‘softening up period’. This would see Martin come on around a half-hour into the contest, running at tired forwards, which could prove effective.

Te Maire Martin burst onto the scene in Round 3, scoring a try and kicking a field goal in 23-22 victory over Brisbane. He started the following five games until a badly fractured shoulder ended his debut season. Despite Bryce Cartwright’s strong form at five-eighth in the backend of 2016, Martin is set to start in the number six jersey for Penrith in Round 1. How he combines with fellow rookie half Nathan Cleary is the biggest question mark over the Panthers in 2017.

Martin will relish his time in the New Zealand jersey, with Kieran Foran tipped to return to the Kiwi’s line-up in 2017. With Thomas Leuluai returning to the Super League with the Wigan Warriors, Martin is set to remain as halves back-up for the time being. Whether he can cement a spot with a strong performance in the Final is anyone’s guess.

New Zealand takes on the Kangaroos at Anfield Stadium, live at 1am AEDT on GEM.