Best of Scotty & Izzy: What's needed to make Test rugby league more appetising to Kiwi players?

This week, we reflected on the NRL Finals, dissected Stacey Jones' first NZ Kiwis' selection and its associated challenges, as well as the make-up of Clayton McMillan's All Blacks XV.

The lads also took a moment to cover the state of the Manawatu rugby and examined the wider picture of provincial rugby's fight to have a seat at the table.

There was also plenty of debate over the struggling Blackcaps and their prospects, as they prepare to head to India on a daunting three-Test series. After a 2-0 defeat in Sri Lanka, can they turn their momentum around under new skipper Tom Latham on the notoriously spin-friendly pitches of the subcontinent?

Relive some of the best of the week that was with SENZ's Scotty & Izzy.

Doug Tietjens
Manawatu Rugby CEO Doug Tietjens joined the show to talk about the outlook for the game in the region, the future talent coming through and the provinces' ongoing competition with the international markets.

Willie Poching
The former NZ Rugby league international dialled in to discuss the naming of the Kiwis team for the upcoming Pacific Championship, with a spotlight on the handful of debutants selected by Stacey Jones.

He also took a look at the state of international rugby league as a whole, and what he thinks needs to happen in order for it to be a more attractive proposition for the players.

Cory Jane
Following the news of the All Blacks XV team naming, the former All Blacks winger phoned in to chat about the selection process for the squad, some of the players who may have been unlucky to miss out, as well as his own experiences with the transition to coaching.

Tune into Scotty & Izzy from 6-9am weekdays on SENZ, available on the SENZ app or find your local frequency here.