NPC - news, injuries etc

[Bovidae]

@mariner4life Blame his parents, as both sons went there.

Edit: I found this, Poihipi is a boarder from Te Puke. His father is a policeman and his mother a school teacher in the King Country. He was the 2016 1st XV captain.

[African Monkey]

@chchfanatic Poihipi is some player. Best non-super rugby player I've seen in the metro comp this year. Suprised his name hasn't popped up more for playing 12 for the Crusaders in the future.

[mariner4life]

@African-Monkey said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@chchfanatic Poihipi is some player. Best non-super rugby player I've seen in the metro comp this year. Suprised his name hasn't popped up more for playing 12 for the Crusaders in the future.

wait, he's a 12? haha it never occurred to me he wasn't a halfback

still a poach

[Stargazer]

This is why Ranfurly Shield games between Heartland teams and Mitre 10 Cup teams are awesome.

.

The next Heartland Ranfurly Shield game is this Friday, 26 July 2019.
Otago v North Otago
Friday at 2.05pm
Whitestone Contracting Stadium, Oamaru

[Stargazer]

Otago squad for the Heartland Ranfurly Shield game against North Otago.

.

He didn't make the M10 Cup squad, but now I see that Ash Moeke has returned from France. IIRC, he was pretty handy for Otago several years back.

[Stargazer]

Not sure whether this has already been posted.

Preseason game:
Northland v Counties Manukau
Friday, 26 July 2019
Kick-off 5.30pm
Kaikohe Rugby Football and Sports Club

[Yeetyaah]

Waikato Squad will be named on Tuesday 6th of August. Seems a bit late, but I'm just itching for it to build some hype.

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah Strawbridge must be wanting to finalise his squad after the 2 pre-season games.

[Bovidae]

Waikato Rugby Union continues to strengthen their forward pack with the signing of Fijian International, Apisai Naikatini, for the 2019 Mitre Cup.

Apisai Naikatini signs with Waikato

Waikato Rugby Union continues to strengthen their forward pack with the signing of Fijian International, Apisai...

I'd rather they reward local players than sign a 34 yr old Fijian.

[OleOleOle]

@Bovidae I would rather they reward someone local or have re-signed Jordan Manihera, he had a couple of good seasons with Waikato!

[Bovidae]

@OleOleOle Loose forwards won't be a problem, but lock maybe.

Thinking some more maybe Naikatini is being lined up to play lock because they are short of experience there, assuming Bond won't be back. Tucker should be one of the locks but has been playing no.8.

Are McWhannell and Seu fit?

[Yeetyaah]

Manihera was great last year. As was Tucker. Seu and McWhannell hopefully our starting locks. Tucker at 6. This new dude on the bench. I only say McWhannell coz he was good last year and the Chiefs need some locks for next year when Guzzler is away.

[Stargazer]

Also posted in the Auckland 2019 thread:

[Stargazer]

Ta$man are just making fun of us. Some of their signing announcements are not new at all. They're just dripfeeding their 2019 squad.

[Canes4life]

@Stargazer shit, does this mean we are left with O'Reilly. FFS Wellington.

[Stargazer]

@Canes4life Ben Power is back in Wellington, isn't he? And I read somewhere that - when he's not playing for Wellington U19s - they expect Tyrone Thompson to play in the main squad, too. A rookie, but a good rookie.

[Canes4life]

@Stargazer Aumua will obviously be first choice as I don't think he will make the WC squad unless injuries strike, but yeah from what I've seen from O'Reilly he just doesn't seem upto it. Obviously has bad habbits off the park aswell.

[Stargazer]

@Canes4life It will certainly be interesting to see who'll replace Apisai in the squad and who'll get game time if Aumua is not on the field. No matter how much I dislike the Thompson twins signing with Wellington, I want them to do well, so I hope Tyrone gets enough opportunities to develop at M10 Cup level and becomes Aumua's back-up either this or next season.

[Bovidae]

Tane Te Aho might be in the mix.

[Nepia]

@Stargazer I would have assumed he wouldn’t have signed with Ta$man and thrown his lot in with Samoa for the RWC - I guess he’s still contracted to NZR?