Ultimate NPC: - Waikato
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If we have to pick a captain, to me it comes down to Mitchell, Gibbes or Messam. Bennett doesn't make the team ahead of Gatland and neither would Bates.
It's amazing that Mitchell remains the 2nd highest try-scorer for Waikato with 67. I wonder how many of those were from pushover tries?
For lock I think you need a power lock to complement Robinson. Anderson, Gordon or Willis.
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@Bovidae said in Ultimate NPC: - Waikato:
OK, to get some input from other Waikato fans.
The front row would be unanimous.
Choices for other positions:
Locks - Steve Gordon, Brent Anderson, Mark Cooksley, Keith Robinson, Royce Willis, Jono Gibbes
Blindsides - Miah Melsom, Richard Jerram, Aaron Hopa, Steven Bates, Liam Messam
Opensides - Duane Monkley vs Marty Holah
No.8s - Brian Morrissey, John Mitchell, Deon Muir, Sione Lauaki
Halfbacks - Rhys Duggan vs Tawera Kerr-Barlow. Kevin Putt, Simon Crabb, Brendon Leonard and Byron Kelleher also in the mix.
1st 5s - John Boe, Ian Foster, Glen Jackson, David Hill, Stephen Donald
Midfield - Chris Ellis, Arthur Stone, Matthew Cooper, Rhys Ellison, Scott McLeod, Keith Lowen, Richard Kahui, Anton Lienert-Brown
Wingers - Bruce Smith (70 tries in 83 games), Bruce Reihana (45 in 81), Roger Randle (50 in 59), Sitiveni Sivivatu (19 in 30), Sevu Reece (26 in 33)
Fullbacks - Andrew Strawbridge, Daryl Halligan, Matthew Cooper, Todd Miller, Mils Muliaina, Damian McKenzieKeith Lowen wasn't alone in that NPC winning midfield...he had a future AB next to him, who at least deserves to make a list featuring Ellis, Lowen and Ellison....
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@ploughboy said in Ultimate NPC: - Waikato:
gats could captain team. i would pick willis if we had to go for a power lock. captain has to be a starter pick your best players not your captain and make him a starter.
Fair enough. Honestly, I always thought Mitchell was the least deserving of that loose forward trio to make the ABs. Jerram and Monkley should have made the ABs ahead of him.
I would happily pick Hopa at 6 and Messam at no.8. I would still select Holah though.
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@shark said in Ultimate NPC: - Waikato:
Keith Lowen wasn't alone in that NPC winning midfield...he had a future AB next to him, who at least deserves to make a list featuring Ellis, Lowen and Ellison....
The reason I didn't include Regan King was that he only played 23 games for Waikato. The others played 50+, and in some cases 100+. None of them makes my team anyway.
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@shark said in Ultimate NPC: - Waikato:
I fucked that up anyway. Waikato didn't win the NPC in 2002, did they? But they must have had a good run. I was living in Australia at the time but recall the hype around King and Lowen and Waikato doing well??
No, lost to Auckland in the final. Lowen set up King for a lot of tries IIRC.
I watched it live from the USA.
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@Bovidae said in Ultimate NPC: - Waikato:
@Crucial So we are down to our 3rd choice 1st 5 now?
I'm tempted to go for Wayne Smith as the best option for our backline, not Foster. A game for Waikato B must count!
No one will remember Murray Taylor. I don't.
Well if you didn’t poach your 10s from elsewhere you wouldn’t have that problem.
I have put Foster in at the moment but you can decide a late sub if you want