Looking forward to 2019...
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http://www.mitre10cup.co.nz/News/34454/northland-primed-for-tilt-at-promotion
Northland coach Derren Witcombe has ensured a solid foundation will be behind his side's Mitre 10 Cup Championship efforts to do better than the fourth placing they achieved in the last two years.
Beaten last year in the semifinals by eventual winner Waikato, Northland maintained the progress they made since finishing last in the 2016 competition.
QUICK TAP: TARANAKI LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK IN 2019
A feature of the 37-man squad is the fact 11 debut players are included.Not surprisingly, given Witcombe's former hooker status, he has looked to build up his reserves in the tight five. Appearing alongside incumbent front rowers 87-game veteran Ross Wright and emerging prop Isileli Tuungafasi, who played 11 games last year, will be hooker Jordan Olsen who, with former captain Matt Moulds now overseas, will have the chance to build on his 38 games for the side.
Others who will ensure competition within the squad are props Barnaby Abdale-Weir, who has played his club rugby in Auckland and 20-cap former Counties Manukau prop Coree Te Whata-Colley. Joining them will be former NZ Under-20 prop Boyd Wiggins, who had played for North Harbour before transferring to Northland last year and Paddy-Jo Atkins who made six appearances in his debut season last year. Tom Stevens is a newcomer from Northland at prop while Nick Hyde will be a back-up hooker.
Blues Super Rugby lock Josh Goodhue will have a big role to play in the side where last season's newcomer Temo Mayanavanua has returned while NZ Under-20s lock in 2016-17 Sam Caird has moved north after playing 10 games for Waikato last season. Sean Sweetman, who has eight games for the side, also returns.
Giving the side a lift in the loose forwards will be one of the stars of the Super Rugby season Tom Robinson. He demonstrated that it was still possible for players to emerge from the regions and make their mark at the higher level and he will have plenty of experience to give to the side.
Matt Matich, with 28 games, and Jaycob Matiu with 26, offer great support while Kane Jacobson will have his econd season with the side. Aorangi Stokes and Sam McNamara are also back from last year.
Northland will be without halfback Jono Kitto but with Sam Nock and the former 2015 NZ Under-20s and New Zealand Schools halfback Harrison Levien joining the side after time with Waikato in 2017 and North Harbour in 2018, they should be well served.
Making a return to the side is first five-eighths Dan Hawkins, who has been playing for Mitsubishi in Japan. Originally from Marlborough, Hawkins played 47 games for the province before heading overseas. He had three games for the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby in 2016 and earlier had a stint with Sligo in Ireland rugby.
Chiefs and former Rebels Super Rugby player Jack Debreczeny has returned to give the side great options both at first five-eighths and fullback. He and Hawkins should ensure good goal-kicking returns.
Joining 86-game veteran Rene Ranger in the midfield will be Matt Johnson, who had nine games for Southland in 2017 and who was a member of the Blues squad in 2018 only to be forced out with heart valve problems, before recovering to play another 10 games for Southland.
New Zealand Sevens and double NZ Under-20 representative Scott Gregory offers plenty of excitement from the back, or in the midfield, and with Maori All Black Jordan Hyland alongside him Northland will enjoy some potent attacking options.
The Northland squad is: Ross Wright, Isileli Tuungafasi, Boyd Wiggins, Jack Straker, Tom Stevens, Barnaby Abdale-Weir, Coree Te Whata-Colley, Jordan Olsen, Paddy-Jo Atkins, Nick Hyde, Josh Goodhue, Sam Caird, Temo Mayanavanua, Sean Sweetman, Jaycob Matiu, Matt Matich, Aorangi Stokes, Tom Robinson, Sam McNamara, Kane Jacobson, Sam Nock, Harrison Levien, Tom Smith, Will Grant, Jack Debreczeni, Dan Hawkins, Corey Taylor, Jack Goodhue, Rene Ranger, Tamati Tua, Blake Hohaia, Matty Johnson, James Cherrington, Jordan Hyland, Scott Gregory, Renata Roberts-Te Nana, Pisi Leilua, Jonty Rae
LAST YEAR: Beaten semifinalist in Championship
NOTABLE GAINS: Sam Caird, Matt Johnson, Harrison Levien, Boyd Wiggins, Pisi Leilua, Coree TeWhata-Colley, Barnaby Abdale-Weir, James Cherrington, Tom Stevens.
NOTABLE LOSSES: Matt Moulds, Murray Douglas, Kara Pryor, Matt Wright, Jone Macalai, Ropate Rinakama, Jono Kitto. -
NOTABLE GAINS: Sam Caird, Matt Johnson, Harrison Levien, Boyd Wiggins, Pisi Leilua, Coree TeWhata-Colley, Barnaby Abdale-Weir, James Cherrington, Tom Stevens
NOTABLE LOSSES: Matt Moulds, Murray Douglas, Kara Pryor, Matt Wright, Jone Macalai, Ropate Rinakama, Jono KittoLosses > Gains
Maybe some of the new guys step up.. however it does look marginally weaker than last year
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@Duluth for me,
Moulds and Olsen are similar players, so while a loss, I dont think we lose alot if anything here
Douglas is a huge loss, and probably our biggest one, not sure Caird is robust enough in his huge frame to have an impact, hope I'm wrong
Kara was poor last year
Matt Wright was poor last year
not sure Jone got on the park much at all?
Ropate is a loss, although Isi got better when he got chances last year and Ropate has a tendancy to go missing
KItto is a loss as he was option to push Nock, Levien looks handy, but if he can do the business up a level remains to be seen.For me, losing Ranger (through injury) is a big loss, even with plenty of young taeltn wanting to step up.
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@taniwharugby said in Looking forward to 2019...:
@Duluth for me,
Moulds and Olsen are similar players, so while a loss, I dont think we lose alot if anything here
Douglas is a huge loss, and probably our biggest one, not sure Caird is robust enough in his huge frame to have an impact, hope I'm wrong
Kara was poor last year
Matt Wright was poor last year
> not sure Jone got on the park much at all?
Ropate is a loss, although Isi got better when he got chances last year and Ropate has a tendancy to go missing
KItto is a loss as he was option to push Nock, Levien looks handy, but if he can do the business up a level remains to be seen.For me, losing Ranger (through injury) is a big loss, even with plenty of young taeltn wanting to step up.
Jone was running around for Awanui yesterday, had a wee look and he still has that class. He seems to have dropped some weight as well. Might be someone who features if we get injuries in our back three?
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@taniwharugby said in Looking forward to 2019...:
@J77 yea in the trial you can see he still has that spark, but as we know, injuries will occur so he might still get a run.
Is he in the B squad? Can’t be assed scrolling back to find out!
Anyone keen to have a crack at a starting XV come round one?
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@J77 nah he wasnt...but I think fitness was an issue with him in the HP squad??
Northland Development Team Named!
The 2019 Northland Development Team has been named! First training is on Thursday 11th July at 6pm at Pohe Island....
Wright, Olsen, Tu'ungafasi
Goodhue, Caird/McNamara
Matich, Matiu, Jacobson
Nock, J-Deb
Gergory, Johnson
Hyland, Rae, TuaMid-field is wide open I reckon..Gregory cold move to FB and Hohaia to 12 I guess.
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@taniwharugby oh right, we’ll he looks a bit trimmer from the last time I saw him. Would like to see him put his hand up again.
That lineup looks close to what I’d go with too, however I hear this Leilua is sharp, I’d probably have him ahead of Tua.
Tua needs to step up in my opinion. He looked like the next big thing a few seasons back, but tapered off quite a lot with some up and down performances last year.
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@J77 yea I'm giving him benefit of doubt, Tua only played last few games of club season I think, and came off bench in club semi...
Leillua is a decent sized unit, he and Rae looked good in the trial at the back together, size, pace and seemed to have good positional awareness as well, both talk a lot on d too.
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@taniwharugby said in Looking forward to 2019...:
yea I'm giving him benefit of doubt, Tua only played last few games of club season I think, and came off bench in club semi...
You're picking him as winger? Is that where he's been playing?
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Player profiles...few could do with a visit to a barber haha
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@taniwharugby all those fresh faces makes me feel old.
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@taniwharugby Northland always has best hair (most) in competition.
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Team for NH
Team List
Isi Tu'ungafasi Jordan Olsen (c) Corey Te Whata-Colley
Temo Mayanavanua Josh Goodhue
Sam McNamara Matt Matich Aorangi Stokes
Sam Nock Jack Debreczeni
Tamati Tua Matt Johnson
Jonty Rae Pisi Leilua Scott GregoryPaddy Atkins Ross Wright Jack Straker Boyd Wiggins Sean Sweetman Sam Caird Kane Jacobson Jaycob Matiu Corey Taylor Tom Smith Blake Hohaia Jordan Hyland Renata Roberts-Te Nana
Unavaliable: Rene Ranger, Dan Hawkins, Tom Robinson, Harrison Levien
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@taniwharugby that’s obviously pretty close to our best lineup with a few little tweaks here and there. You’d think Hyland and Wright are certain starters come round one.
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@J77 interesting they put Tua at 12 too, given the pushed him to the wing last year and played a bit of wing in club rugby too.
But yeah, be pretty close to our best side, and looking at our bench, a few changes we lose nothing and couple we gain a bit...just need no injuries haha
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Tom Robinson looking likely to return round 4 which is great news, original prognosis not as bad as originally indicated ,
Meniscus disk issue which is not the worst, had one of those, usually resting it does the trick..
Wiseguy Faiane has been bought into the squad to cover Dan Hawkins who has a calf issue (3 x weeks)
Both Jordon Hyland and Ross Wright have rejoined the squad after having stand down periods from NZ Maori duty.
Some interesting feed back from the Counties Manukau game up in Kaikohe last Friday .
The line out was very good, but the scrum was a little up and down, got beaten on a couple of scrums, but also got the better of CM on a few, so just a concentration thing..,boys were packing a little high..
The other feature was the defence, which was rarely breached..CMs points and try scoring came from kicks in behind the defence..,so a a bit of a work on there ..
In terms of a stand out Pisi Leilua was devastating with ball in hand..could be a potential rock star..
My mail is telling me if Tamati Tua has a strong game at 2nd five tomorrow v Harbour ,he will cement the 12 jersey..
Has turned up with a new found attitude, coincidence and size..Special mention to young Tom Smith, first five from Kerikeri, was outstanding driving the team around in the first half..he’s a really talented kid and will only get better..
Really good feeling in the camp..and finally depth and not to mention plenty of fire power out wide
Finally just on Rene Ranger.might be a chance to make the paddock late in the season
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@Steven-Harris said in Looking forward to 2019...:
Special mention to young Tom Smith, first five from Kerikeri, was outstanding driving the team around in the first half..he’s a really talented kid and will only get better..
Lots of 10's
It does make me question why Hawkins is in the squad. I think he has reached his ceiling.
Debra starting with Smith/Wiseguy off the bench makes the most sense. Any game time Hawkins gets is time that would be better spent developing the next flyhalf..
Northland Rugby Union
