Northland 2021
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Nga mihinui o te tau hou ki a Koutou Katoa..
Some great news to start the 2021 season ..
Former St Kentigern College first five Rivez Reihana will be returning to Whangarei to link up with the Northland Taniwha for the 2021 season ..
He has signed for 3 years ..this continues a real drive from Northland Rugby Union to recruit Northland boys who have left the union to pursue rugby scholarships at more prestigious secondary schools ..
In the last year we have seen Allan Craig St Kentigern College and Johnny Cooper Westlake Boys High also return home ..
This is fantastic too see , kids that actually hail from the area that want to represent the Taniwha in front of their Whanau and friends ..
I do know of 2 other players who are super rugby players from Northland that are both on contracts with their respective Mitre 10 cup unions , one coming off contract at the end of the 2021 season who would both love to return home to play in the Cambridge Blue -
@Steven-Harris that's great news, has Cooper re-signed? With Wright retiring and Gregory not being a FB, maybe they should give him time there, given he has played a bit there.
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@taniwharugby have not heard anything on Cooper re signing at this stage , I do know he had a contract in front of him , that was mid December..will do some investigating..
Full credit to Matt Wright for pulling the pin , a really good servant to Northland Rugby , for some reason he only played 55 x games for the Taniwha , debut in 2012, he did have a stint with RC Narbonne in the French 2nd division in 2016-2017 ..a solid fullback who I would loved to have seen have a run at 1st five , had a really solid kick game and could kick goals ..a real good bugger off the field as well..It will be interesting to see where we go as a fullback option ,
I know both Rivez & Johnny can play fullback ..
I suppose the really interesting question is going to be providing Cooper does re sign ...who do they move on ..?.Faianne or Hawkins ..? -
@Steven-Harris said in Northland 2021:
I suppose the really interesting question is going to be providing Cooper does re sign ...who do they move on ..?.Faianne or Hawkins ..?
think you know where I sit on that.
I Have long thought Wright should have been run at 10 too.
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@Bovidae we can give you one of our cast offs .
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@Steven-Harris Nah, Bryn might decide to come back home (again). Or it could be Coombes-Fabling.
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@Bovidae a player that Waikato should seriously look at D'Angelo Leuila , only 23 years old, should have played far more games for Auckland given his talent ..I actually think he has far more to his game than Harry Plummer ..a really good player ..
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@Steven-Harris Would be a decent pickup but that's pretty harsh on Plummer who is a good Mitre 10 Cup first five. Leuila looked great in one of his early Auckland starts and then went to pieces very quickly after that.
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@KiwiMurph that’s not criticism of Plummer, I just think D’angelo has genuine game, especially in and around attack but for some reason has never really got the opportunities even falling in behind Daniel Kirkpatrick who I just don’t rate ...D’angelo would florish if given more opportunities, I am a but bit biased having watched him since his senior debut with Papatoetoe as a 17year old .
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IMO the Northland coaches pissed Cooper around last year, I hope he comes back, but won't be surprised if he didn't.
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@Steven-Harris that's awesome. Testament to (from the outside) what looks like solid administration.
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@nzzp it’s been a long time coming , so much credit goes to the current administration who are working overtime as per the article attached
Northland Rugby Union and NorthTec providing opportunities for rugby community
NorthTec and the Northland Rugby Union creating educational opportunities.
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@Bovidae no idea, he had surgery booked mid-way through the M10 Cup last year (only played a couple of games last season?) so maybe just decided to focus on career outside rugby?
I think he may have had a concussion in 2019?
@Gunner ?
Shame though, in his handful of appearances for us looked bloody sharp.
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So far we have confirmed:
Props:
- Corey Te Whata-Colley
- Luatangi Li
+2
Hookers:
- Jordan Olsen
+1
Locks:
- Josh Goodhue
- Alan Craig
+1
Loose forwards:
- Tom Robinson
- Kane Jacobson
- Rob Rush
- Sam McNamara
+2
Half backs:
- Sam Nock
+1
1st 5:
- Johnny Cooper
- Rivez Reihana
MId-field:
- Jack Goodhue
- Tamati Tua
- Scott Gregory
- Rene Ranger
- Blake Hohaia
Outside Backs:
- Jone Macilai
- Jordan Hyland
- Pisi Leilua
- Brady Rush
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@taniwharugby said in Northland 2021:
@Bovidae no idea, he had surgery booked mid-way through the M10 Cup last year (only played a couple of games last season?) so maybe just decided to focus on career outside rugby?
I think he may have had a concussion in 2019?
@Gunner ?
Shame though, in his handful of appearances for us looked bloody sharp.
Retired for other ongoing medical reasons - wasn’t the concussions.
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updated list above with full contracts to be filled.
Have a list of Future Taniwha/Development contracts, there are spaces in those ones too, will put that in when I get the chance.
