Family ties CNK to Maori All Stars but won't take him back to Warriors

When Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad runs out for the New Zealand Maori All Stars on Saturday night he'll have his son's names on his wrist and his father's heritage in his heart.

Nicoll-Klokstad doesn't need to look far for inspiration when helping to raise his two boys from a distance every day with his father Perry by his side throughout his life. 

The Maori All Stars fullback relies on technology to stay in regular contact with sons Rio, 4, and Kyrie, 2, who live with their mother Sarah in New Zealand.

It's another delicate situation for the Raiders fan favourite, who has spoken candidly in the past of his family's struggles en route to his rise in the NRL.

Perry raised Nicoll-Klokstad and nine other siblings as a single father during a four-year period while his mother, Monica, was in a New Zealand prison for drug offences.

Saturday's Harvey Norman All Stars match is the first time Charnze will be able to represent his father's Maori heritage at any level after being named at fullback.

"Growing up, I played a lot for the Cook Islands and it was more my little brother who represented our Maori heritage," Nicoll-Klokstad told NRL.com.

"To put the shoe on the other foot is going to be an amazing experience.

"It's a real privilege and honour to be able to represent my father's side. He's played a big part in my life and done a lot for our family. I owe a lot to him.

"When the opportunity came up to represent him I couldn't give it up, especially after quarantine in New Zealand when I went home to visit my family I joined the Maori's team there.

"I've kept a close eye on the game and for me to be able to experience that now it will be one to remember."

Despite family ties linking him back home, Nicoll-Klokstad has poured cold water over any talk he may be the man to replace Roger Tuivasa-Sheck at the Warriors next year.

Nicoll-Klokstad, who played seven Telstra Premiership matches for the Warriors in his rookie year of 2017, is contracted to the Raiders for three more seasons and is settled in the nation's capital.

"It is tough to be away from them [family], away from footy I'm a dad and it's a little bit hard to be that when they're not around," he said.

"You've just got to do the best you can and tick the boxes by keeping in regular contact and let them know how much you love them.

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"The boys at training have actually been giving me a little bit of stick about replacing him [Tuivasa-Sheck] but as far as I'm concerned I'm signed with the Canberra Raiders for the next three years.

"In 2019, we were 10 minutes away from winning a grand final and last year we were one game away from making another."

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