2018 AB Depth Chart
-
@Tim said in 2018 AB Depth Chart:
And number 6:
- Kaino (old legs keep going, please!)
- Big Gap
- Ioane
- Squire
- Fifita
- Mitchell Brown
- Players at Highlanders/Crusaders better than Taufua/Dixon
I'd rank both Dixon and Taufua above Brown.
For the future, Hugh Renton (Hurricanes) might be worth a mention, if he can stay fit. He hasn't had much game time for Hawke's Bay and the Hurricanes yet due to injury, but he's only 21, so has plenty of time. He showed some great skills for the Magpies last season and I hope to see more of that this Mitre 10 Cup season.
Reed Prinsep?
-
@taniwharugby said in 2018 AB Depth Chart:
@Tim Pulu is not NZ qualified.
Augie Pulu the 9 is test capped as an AB. T Pulu the winger is not eligible.
-
@Tim said in 2018 AB Depth Chart:
Alright, I suppose I'm still doing this. Let's go at number 8.
- Read
- Big Gap (Kaino can fill in here)
- Squire
- Ioane
- Whitelock
- Shields/Messam
- Savea
For the future, Marino Mikaele-Tu'u looks promising. Hopefully he'll get plenty of game time during Mitre 10 Cup and will be picked up by a Super Rugby squad. Strong lad, who played well for the NZ U20s.
-
@Stargazer will be a fair few of the winning team this year running out for their Mitre 10 Cup teams with a few likely to pick up super contracts for 2018 as well.
-
@Tim said in 2018 AB Depth Chart:
On to the glamour positions. The fucking backs.
Number 9:
- Smith
- TJP
- Weber
- Pulu (not a starting option, I hope)
- Drummond
- Hall
- ??
Hoping for big seasons from Nock, Enari, and that U20s guy who came on for the Hurricanes.
Hauiti-Parapara, yes.
-
@taniwharugby I hope so! That's one of the things I like about MItre 10 Cup. Seeing some young blood on the paddock, learning from and playing with the more experienced players. It's a pity that so many positions in SR squads have already been filled before the Mitre 10 Cup season.
-
@Tim said in 2018 AB Depth Chart:
Number 12:
- SBW (unmatched physical ability)
- Crotty (admit it, you thought that Mr. Gap was going in here)
- Laumape
- ALB
- Moala
- Buckman
- Faiane
- Ngatai (fingers crossed for a full season in 2018)
- Aso
- Faauli
- Havili
- Thompson
I'd put Crotty ahead of SBW; and Ngatai and Buckman ahead of Moala; and Havili and Thompson ahead of Faauli.
I think Jordie Barrett belongs in this list, even though he hasn't played there for the Canes.For the future, keep an eye on Orbyn Leger.
-
@Tim said in 2018 AB Depth Chart:
Centre:
- ALB
- Crotty
- Goodhue
- Fekitoa (still available at this stage)
- Ioane
- Moala
- Aso
- Procter
- Vaega
- Tamanivalu
Again, I'd put Crotty ahead of ALB; Tamanivalu and Proctor ahead of Aso.
I'd also add Jonah Lowe and Buckman (this is his preferred position).
-
@Stargazer Is Lowe playing for the Hurricanes next year? It'd be good to see him get some game time.
-
Added tables to the first post in the thread (mainly so it looks better when people hit the front page)
-
@Tim He's on a one-year contract, so he'd need a new one. The Hurricanes' coaches are reportedly very happy with how he's developing, so fingers crossed. I'm a bit at a loss why has hardly been allowed to play club rugby, the last few months. I think he's had 4 club rugby games and the Prov Baabaas game during the SR season. Must be terribly frustrating. I can imagine he'll come out firing once they let him loose in Mitre 10 Cup.
-
@Stargazer gonna be interesting to see what happens for Northland this year with Goodhue/Tua, Tua played a little at 12 last year, but I suspect if they want both out there, Goodhue is more likely to push in.
-
@taniwharugby Tua to the wing?
-
@Tim said in 2018 AB Depth Chart:
Time for number 7.
- Cane
- Todd
- Savea (not very good this year, more of an impact player)
- Gibson
5. Dillon Hunt - Pryors
- Lentjes
- Boshier
Probably a couple of others worth naming.
Up and comers: There's a couple in the U20 team - Luke Jacobson and Dalton Papali'i.
I have been really impressed by Dillon Hunt.
Has come in this year as a virtual unknown (at least to me as it's hard to follow NZ Schools/Club rugby from Sydney) but has been very very impressive in his first year of Super Rugby.
I think he has shown a maturity which belies his youth and prior to this season his inexperiance at these levels. He also played very well in that Lions game as well!
He is quick and good over the ball as all Kiwi 7's tend to be with a huge appetite for work.
What impresses me most is that he has that nose for the ball and his support lines are excellent.
Not wanting to jinx him but to me he has a bit of a young McCaw about him.
At 22 years of age I think he has a huge future ahead of him and I hope he continues to improve and hopefully will be in contention for higher honours some time down the track.
Just struggling to find his current height and weight to get an idea of how he stacks up against the other 7's on the list.
-
@Tim Donald also plays 12, so surely should be in the list. Probably not enough champion blues in either of the centres lists, throw Ioane in there. Surely there's a possibility Little could be thrown a bone? I'm pretty sure I've seen Adrian Smith slot in at 2nd receiver at some stage, so he's in. Reckon we could get Thompson down to at least 15.
-
@Tim said in 2018 AB Depth Chart:
There's a little troll in each list for the keen eyed reader.
Yes - I figured there were a few barbs being thrown in. Ignoring that some of these are barbs....
at 6 - Dixon definitely and probably Taufua ahead of Mitchell Brown. Haven't watched him closely, but Gareth Evans seems to have been quite effective for the Highlanders.
Sam Cane can play 8 competently - I'd have him there ahead of Ardie.
At halfback, put Billy Guyton in at 3 - or failing that - I think Pulu has to be ranked ahead of Weber, since he's had test starts.
Second five - personally, I'd have Ngatai at 5 and Rob Thompson no lower than 8.
Crotty clearly ranked ahead of ALB based on last week's selections and moved further ahead after playing the game. Sonny Bill played centre in the RWC final, so should be somewhere on the list even though Hansen seemed to say they don't see him as a centre. Tamanivalu a bit higher than he is, since again he has recent test caps at centre.
Wing - Jules higher.
Fullback - Havili at 5, Michael Collins at 6, maybe Faddes and Buckman somewhere - probably Beauden should feature at 2 pushing everyone else down a slot.
-
@Bones Good call on Donald! He's been alright there this year. Adrian Smith is concentrating on hooker down at the Highlanders, but there's a couple of U20 players at Northland who I'll fit in there.
Sadly Little is no longer playing in NZ! Never say never though.
-
