Winging it: Wiki embracing her new role for the Ferns

High Performance

Nov 4, 2026

•

High Performance

Mackenzie Wiki has embraced a team first mentality in her first IRL World Cup with the Kiwi Ferns, saying she would even follow the footsteps of her father Ruben who transitioned from the backs to the front row.

“I've always made a joke that if you want me in the middle, I'll go in the middle,” Wiki said.

For now however, she looks right at home playing in the wing in a switch from her regular position of centre where she scored 10 tries in 13 appearances for the Raiders this season.

“It was a massive change from centre to wing, but I've always been told wherever you get put, to play your heart out,” Wiki told NRL.com.

“But I've found a little home at the winger spot and I'm I enjoying it.”

Ferns coach Ricky Henry praised his outside back's performance post his side's 40-12 win over PNG Orchids on Saturday night after she registered two tries and one try assist, having now scored four tries in two appearances.

“She’s been awesome,” Henry said.

“Turned up first week and unfortunately Shanice Parker got injured and she (Wiki) came in [to camp].

“She’s been asking a lot of questions, she’s built a bit of a combination with Stacey Waaka on that right edge and we’ve got something going there so really, really happy with that.

“She’s a quality player, she was unfortunate to miss our squad initially and she's come in and made every post a winner.

“So [if she] keeps playing like that and keeps scoring tries and making breaks and that sort of stuff, we’ll keep her in the team.”

Although it isn’t her first World Cup experience - having represented Cook Islands in 2021 - Wiki has still been turning to her club teammates in Zahara Temara and Leianne Tufuga for guidance.

“Those two I'm very close with back home in Canberra, so I lean on them quite a lot,” Wiki said.

“But the rest of the girls, they're all so good and I don't really have a group where I like go to more because everyone's all open arms, it's been such a great sisterhood.

“Last World Cup, four years ago, I was a full-on rookie to rugby league and it was a very different camp from this one.

“Obviously the Kiwi Ferns have been in it for a while, and I know Cook Islands have been there as well, but it’s (camp) still good, but different in their own ways.

“I love the culture of Cook Islands … I love representing my Cook Islands culture for my grandfather and for my mum.

“But it's also nice to represent New Zealand from where I grew up and where my parents both were born.”

The Ferns return to the World Cup semi finals on Saturday at McDonald Jones Stadium facing off against the flying Fetu Samoa side, a challenge that Wiki is ready to embrace.

“They're going to bring everything, they're such a great strong squad,” Wiki said.

“They’ve got a really good connection in their team and I know we do too [so] it's going to be a great battle out there.

“I know they're going to bring out their all, but I know that we are as well, but I think it's going to be a good match.”

As seen on nrl.com

Whyte looks to put cherry on top of a very sweet season

With a premiership ring and Dally M Prop of the Year gong already on his CV, powerhouse Kiwi Naufahu Whyte is daring to dream of adding a World Cup title to his haul.

And the 24-year-old, who racked up 208 run metres off the bench against Fiji on Saturday, has even joked about retiring if New Zealand can claim another World Cup to go with their 2008 success.

“Lifting that final trophy would just be the cherry on top for me," Whyte told NRL.com.

“I've joked around about it [retirement], being like, 'Oh, yeah, I think that's me after this and just retire at 24 but nah... international you know, it's the best of the best and there's no easy games.

“There’s no easy way out, coming with next two games and we honestly just got to get back to the drawing board, work on the things that we know we can improve on and just go after it."

When it comes to 'going after it', few have done it better in 2026, with Whyte dominating through the middle in the Roosters' grand final win over Newcastle and backing that up on the world stage in recent weeks.

And he gives plenty of the credit for his blistering form to his fellow Kiwi big men, who have laid a foundation for Casey McLean, Keano Kini and Dane Gagai to run wild.

“I still pinch myself to this day, being in the same room alongside these guys," he said.

“There are a lot of boys that I looked up to coming throughout the grades and it just buzzes me out that I get to play alongside them.

“You know even though I’m a premiership winner, Dally M prop, all that kind of stuff, I always think like, 'nah, I'm not as good as I think I am'.

“I've only had a good couple of years these guys [James Fisher-Harris, Joseph Tapine, Moses Leota] have been having those kinds of years for many years now and consistently too.

“I ask them what it takes to be a top-tier prop and the things that I can work on to make my game better.

“There’s no better props and middle forwards to learn from, than the boys that's in this room.”

Whyte and his Kiwi teammates now turn their attention to a showdown with the powerhouse Tonga pack in Newcastle.

“You know at the end of the day our job as forwards, as middles, as props, we lay the platform, so it allows the edges and outside backs to do their thing," he said.

“We know that as middles if we can dominate and own that middle then we can win the game.

“It’s my job and it’s not really anything too difficult or hard. It's just own the middle, run hard, tackle hard."