NPC - news, injuries etc

[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?

[Bones]

@Nepia yeah thought he was off to Leicester?

[OleOleOle]

@Bovidae McWhannell was still in a moon boot at the club final (he broke his leg during the club season and needed surgery) I am not sure if he will return during the M10 Cup Season. Not sure if Seu's injury was Super Rugby ending or season ending.

I have heard Waikato have signed a lock out of Canterbury...

[Bovidae]

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

I have heard Waikato have signed a lock out of Canterbury...

Yes, was mentioned on here. Antonio Shalfoon, out of Lincoln.

Any club locks worthy of selection? I see that Peniasi Iowane played for Tech during the season. He was involved a few seasons back.

[Stargazer]

@Nepia At the time of the announcement that he'd signed with Leicester, it was already said he'd stay in NZ until later in the year and play for Ta$man if he wasn't in the RWC squad.