Steamers 2018
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Well, it seems the Northland and Hawkes Bay forums have been active of late and theres been plenty of media releases about signings and preseason games in those provinces etc etc. The Bop Mafia, The BOPRU and the local press have been very quiet however but I'm sure things will "warm up" closer to the season.
I'm sure the high performance squad has been training, new recruits have been locked and those in the know will already have an idea of the makeup of this years team but I have no idea.
The only recruit that I know of is this one :-
Apparently he originally came from Mount Maunganui and played three games (off the bench) for Waikato in 2016 and played in Japan last year. Do any from the Waikato know much about him ?
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Whoops. This is the video I meant to post
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Looks like we will be having three pre season games. Two weeks before the above game there is the Manawatu/Wanganui/BOP game in Taihape. I'm assuming there will be another in the intervening week.
Incidentally did anyone get to the BOP-Waikato Wasps/Harliquins game at Matamata a few weeks back? The BOP side featured several current Steamers, a few new contracted players and many from the Academy . I hear The Bay team won.
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I see that the squad will be announced on the 20th of July.
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Okay, this image was posted on the BOP Rugby facebook page a couple of days back. I assume these guys will be in this years Steamers team. I'm pretty sure I can name them all apart from the guy in the front left. Any body know his name ?
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Whoops. It seems the image isn't posting. Can anyone post it correctly ?
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@snollygoster Maybe the file was too large? Try resizing it before posting.
Is it the photo from the F45 gym?
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@snollygoster said in Steamers 2018:
Whoops. It seems the image isn't posting. Can anyone post it correctly ?
Was this it?
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Yes, Thanks for that
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Its been bought to my attention that the unknown guy may have been an instructor and not a Steamer. As a side note check out the size of their arms...good to see the gym work paying dividends.
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And Lats is back.
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3 seasons will be enough for him to get past the 100 - always hoped he would come back to the Bay.
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Okay the Bay team is announced this week and I'm sure the details of it are already known in rugby circles. Given what has been posted on social media and some guess work, here is my selection. Remember... it is only my guess and I'm more often than not wrong..
Hookers :- Harris, Polwart, Siataga and Meachen.
Props :- Ross, Thwaites, Sakalia, McHugh, Mafileo and Frost.
Locks :- Wardlow, Leaupepe and Morris.
Loose forwards :- Cane, Latimer, Mua, Blake, Karpik, Ardron and Axtens
Halfbacks :- Judd and Campbell.
First Five :- Delany, Robertson and Trask.
Midfield :- Hepetema, Fuatai and Steel,
Outside backs :- Garland, Simonson, Webber, Collier and Te Aute
I'm not sure what the injury situation is with Ross and Webber or the availability of Parete and Tiatia and possibly one more lock is needed. Do any Mafia members have any inside knowledge of selections?
Anyway I look forward to seeing who is actually selected. Does anyone know of the availability of players for club finals given the Steamers pre season camp and games ?
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@snollygoster I don't have as much insight as you so I cannot comment on who's being picked - but appreciate you laying that squad out.
With comparative riches in the loose forwards and the dearth of experienced locks, what about moving Ardron there permanently - he's certainly done a job for the Chiefs and his mobility will be handy.
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@kiwipie Thanks Kiwipie. Your comments about me having more "insight" were hilarious. Many of my selections were based purely on the people in that photo I posted earlier in this thread and and the makeup of the team which played against that Waikato selection. I don't know (or pretend to know ) anymore about whats going on than you guys.
My selections for lock are based on part logic and part bias.....Wardlow is presently involved with the Chiefs and Leaupepe and Morris both play for my home team (Te Puke). Having said that , Leaupepe played for Wellington a couple of seasons back and Morris was contracted to the Steamers two years ago but missed the entire season with injury. I haven't seen Ardron play since last year but I hear he has been playing well so maybe should get a permanent locking position.
Its nice to see someone else commenting on this forum.
