NZ Domestic Competitions 2019

[zer0]

Glad to see Abel back, but a shame we couldn't get Olmstead back as well.

 

[KiwiM]

Glad to see Abel back, but a shame we couldn't get Olmstead back as well.

Yeah Olmstead's ability to play lock would have been bloody handy with Scrafton (jaw injury), Lemalu and Fatialofa all missing from last year's squad. However, Auckland look to be bloody well covered at 6 with Papalii, Reidlinger-Kapa and Suafoa all highly rated in that area.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Hawkes Bay:


Ash Dixon, Ben May, Brad Weber, Brendan O'Connor, Brodie Retallick, Caleb Makene, Danny Toala, Devan Flanders, Folau Fakatava, Gareth Evans, Geoff Cridge, Hannon Brighouse, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Jason Long, Jonah Lowe, Josh Kaifa, Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe, Kianu Kereru-Symes, Lincoln McClutchie, Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, Mason Emerson, Michael Allardice, Neria Fomai, Ollie Sapsford, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Sam McNicol, Solomone Funaki, Stacey Ili, Tiaan Falcon, Tim Farrell, Timo Vaiusu, Tom Parsons, Will Tremain, Zach Donaldson, Iakopo Mapu, Jacob Devery, Joel Hintz, Namatahi Waa, Ricky Hayes, Saia Paese, Tyrone Dodd-Edwards.

 

[RebelYell]

Kurt Heatherley (Auckland) is the Kiwi fella who played for Hawthorn in the AFL and then did the last pre-season at the Rebels.

Anybody know where he's been playing footy since then?

 

[KiwiM]

Kurt Heatherley (Auckland) is the Kiwi fella who played for Hawthorn in the AFL and then did the last pre-season at the Rebels.

Anybody know where he's been playing footy since then?

I think he has been playing 7s and club rugby in the Waikato.

 

[Dan54]

Hawkes Bay:


Ash Dixon, Ben May, Brad Weber, Brendan O'Connor, Brodie Retallick, Caleb Makene, Danny Toala, Devan Flanders, Folau Fakatava, Gareth Evans, Geoff Cridge, Hannon Brighouse, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Jason Long, Jonah Lowe, Josh Kaifa, Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe, Kianu Kereru-Symes, Lincoln McClutchie, Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, Mason Emerson, Michael Allardice, Neria Fomai, Ollie Sapsford, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Sam McNicol, Solomone Funaki, Stacey Ili, Tiaan Falcon, Tim Farrell, Timo Vaiusu, Tom Parsons, Will Tremain, Zach Donaldson, Iakopo Mapu, Jacob Devery, Joel Hintz, Namatahi Waa, Ricky Hayes, Saia Paese, Tyrone Dodd-Edwards.

That is not a bad squad, I be a bit interested to see how Danny Toala goes, and if Tiaan Falcon is over his injury, like that boy at 10 and think he would of been a big help to Chiefs this year without that injury, he needs to look at the Canes for his super future too I think

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Probably timely to recap who's in which division:

Premiership:

Auckland (defending champions), Canterbury, Counties-Manukau, North Harbour, Tasman, Waikato (promoted from Championship), Wellington.

Championship:

Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Northland, Otago (beaten 2018 Finalists), Southland, Taranaki (relegated from Premiership).

Comp starts Thursday night with Southland hosting Northland, other Week 1 games are:

Friday Auckland v North Harbour
Saturday Tasman v Wellington, Counties-Manukau v Taranaki, Waikato v Canterbury
Sunday Bay of Plenty v Otago, Manawatu v Hawkes Bay

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Bay of Plenty:

Alex Ainley, Hugh Blake, Luke Campbell, Sam Cane, Aaron Carroll, Leroy Carter, Pryor Collier, Kurt Eklund, Chris Eves, Cole Forbes, Fa'asiu Fuatai, Matt Skipwith-Garland, Ross Geldenhuys, Nathan Harris, Dan Hollinshead, Joe Johnston, Richard Judd, Mitchell Karpik, Lalomilo Lalomilo, Tevita Mafileo, Hoani Matenga, Tom McHugh, Ajay Mua, Emoni Narawa, Abraham Papali'I, Liam Polwart, Joe Ravouvou, Jason Robertson, Aidan Ross, Jeff Thwaites, Chase Tiatia, Kaleb Trask, Stan van den Hoven, Nathan Vella, Baden Wardlaw, Joe Webber, Archie White

 

[Dan54]

In BOP squad it interesting to see Matt Garland has added another name to his, now Skipwith-Garland.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Waikato:

Forwards
TIM BOND, JAHROME BROWN, HAMILTON BURR, SAM COOPER, SAMIPENI FINAU, HAEREITI HETET, JOSH IOSEFA-SCOTT, MURRAY ITI, LUKE JACOBSON, MITCH JACOBSON, AYDEN JOHNSTONE, SOSEFO KAUTAI, SEKOPE LOPETI-MOLI, LAGHLAN MCWHANNELL, OLLIE NORRIS, API NAIKATINI, SIMON PARKER, TALENI SEU, ANTONIO SHALFOON, TOBY SMITH, SAMISONI TAUKEI’AHO, JAMES THOMPSON, JAMES TUCKER, MANAWA VEITAYAKI

Backs
SOLOMON ALAIMALO, TYLER CAMPBELL, MATTY LANSDOWN, ANTON LIENERT-BROWN, DAMIAN MCKENZIE, BRANDON MUDZEKENYEDZI, DECLAN O’DONNELL, CARLOS PRICE, RIVEZ REIHANA, SEVU REECE, LOUIS ROGERS, FLETCHER SMITH, JACK STRATTON, BAILYN SULLIVAN, DWAYNE SWEENEY, RANIERA TAKARANGI, NEWTON TUDREU, QUINN TUPAEA, VALYNCE TE WHARE-CROSBY

Pretty sure that's all 14 squads named now.

 

[RebelYell]

Can anybody shed any light on Tyler Campbell? Australian Schoolboys three years ago, never seems to have played senior footy here...

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

The good news from Invercargill is that it hasn't snowed for a coupla days. The not-so-good news is that's because it's been raining

Southland have lost 21 straight, an NPC top Division record, the last team they beat was tonight's opponent Northland towards the end of season 2016 when Northland were in the process of setting the previous record losing streak.

Moments silence for Sir Brian Lochore, which I expect we'll see at all the Round 1 matches, and we're underway!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Possession N'land 70-30% S'land, territory N'land 65-35% S'land so obviously it's S'land 10-6 N'land at HT

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Weight of possession & territory gets Taniwha the win, Stags coulda taken the three late for a losing BP but bizarrely kept going for the try which would still only have given them a losing BP.

 

[2bluesfan]

Stags coulda taken the three late for a losing BP but bizarrely kept going for the try which would still only have given them a losing BP.

Very strange decision(s).

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Highlights:

Match report:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...and-southland-22nd-straight-npc-loss#comments

 

[zer0]

That was a poor second half against the B team. I'm also not sure if it was the conditions, or if the Auckland halfback takes passing lessons from Greg Chappell, because there were a few awfully low passes.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Highlights of what I thought was a pretty decent game:

Match report:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12257352

My two cents: thought Harbour were in for a hiding at HT & while they did well to claw their way back into it in the second 40 Auckland would've been dead unlucky had either of the late PK's gone over. Not a fan of the three-point draw, tho, it's about time M10 got with the times & adopted the "+3 tries" BP system.

 

[Dan54]

That was a poor second half against the B team. I'm also not sure if it was the conditions, or if the Auckland halfback takes passing lessons from Greg Chappell, because there were a few awfully low passes.

I thought he lacked a good pass too zer0,rest of his game ok, but certainly needs to work on that pass, both the speed and accuracy.
I enjoyed the game, obviously as a neutral more than you mate, but did my heart good to see a game where a team (NH) just refuse to lay down. Always a little ropey this early as teams only had a couple of weeks max together, usually shows on defence, so I don't think anyone should be disappointed. Auckland will go well again if they get 9 releasing ball quicker, and I not sure a hell of a lot of it was presented to him all that well.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Mighty Mako tear Wellington Pussycats a new one in Blenheim:

Autopsy report:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...p-statement-with-dominant-win-over-wellington