Wellington vs Waikato (SF)
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Starting this thread early.
All four ABs will drop out of the side but I’m hopeful we’ll get Shields back for the semi.
If we can put out a starting XV reflecting the below, we shouldn’t lose too much in performance.
- Numia 2. Poasa 3. Lauaki 4. Delany 5. Plummer 6. Shields 7. Kirifi (c) 8. Lakai 9. Preston 10. JGB 11. Patafilo/Filipo 12. Higgins 13. Umaga-Jensen 14. Savea 15. Clarke
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I'm worried about JGB in do or die footy. The numerous errors I fear will really bite us.
That being said, there is enough quality throughout the rest of the squad to hopefully compensate for it. But, finals footy is gonna be tight, and those lapses may be our down fall.
Waikato are a quality team, and whilst somewhat lucky to make the 8, now they're here they're going to be tough to turn over. I think we're favourites but not by much.
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@foobaNZ said in Wellington vs Waikato (SF):
I'm worried about JGB in do or die footy. The numerous errors I fear will really bite us.
That being said, there is enough quality throughout the rest of the squad to hopefully compensate for it. But, finals footy is gonna be tight, and those lapses may be our down fall.
Waikato are a quality team, and whilst somewhat lucky to make the 8, now they're here they're going to be tough to turn over. I think we're favourites but not by much.
I think the loss of Jacobsen will be huge for them, when you add Finau and also the unavailibility of Moorby and Sinkinson, they definitely aren't as strong as they could be.
Re JGB, we just have to hope that he pulls out a good couple games to finish off the season. He usually plays well every 1/10 games so hopefully he can bring his best.
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Unless Waikato can miraculously get back a bunch of their injured guys then it's hard to see them putting up too much of a fight.
In their QF they were without Ayden Johnstone, Pita Anae Ah-Sue, Hamilton Burr, James Tucker, Mitch Jacobson, Paddy McCurran, Xavier Saifaloi, Taha Kemara, D'Angelo Leuila, Austin Anderson, Gideon Wrampling, Liam Coombes-Fabling, Dan Sinkinson and Josh Moorby.
Unlikely they'll get back more than one or two of those guys, unfortunately...
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@Canes4life 100% hope he has a one of those games , hes been frustrating to watch to say the least
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@Mr-Fish said in Wellington vs Waikato (SF):
Unless Waikato can miraculously get back a bunch of their injured guys then it's hard to see them putting up too much of a fight.
In their QF they were without Ayden Johnstone, Pita Anae Ah-Sue, Hamilton Burr, James Tucker, Mitch Jacobson, Paddy McCurran, Xavier Saifaloi, Taha Kemara, D'Angelo Leuila, Austin Anderson, Gideon Wrampling, Liam Coombes-Fabling, Dan Sinkinson and Josh Moorby.
Unlikely they'll get back more than one or two of those guys, unfortunately...
And Andrew Smith
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Waikato have definitely had some significant long-term injuries. Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia (hooker) and Josh Balme (lock) have been regular starters for most of the NPC but neither were named in the original squad. The same for both young "wingers". Leuila and Anderson were HIAs so there may be a chance they are involved this game. I expect Lauaki replaces Jacobson and Saifaloi replaces Finau.
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With Peter Lakai being called up to the ABs, the Lions will desperately need either Shields or Ropeti to come back into the fray. Halalilo is too small to be an 8 IMO.
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Waikato missing Samisoni Taukei'aho, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson, Cortez Ratima, Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown.
Plus likely the injured guys from above... Ayden Johnstone, Pita Anae Ah-Sue, Hamilton Burr, James Tucker, Mitch Jacobson, Paddy McCurran, Xavier Saifaloi, Taha Kemara, D'Angelo Leuila, Austin Anderson, Gideon Wrampling, Liam Coombes-Fabling, Dan Sinkinson and Josh Moorby.
So 20 players all up... Frankly amazing they've made the semis this year at all.
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@Darren said in Wellington vs Waikato (SF):
So I think Wgtn missing Aumua, Savea, Lakai, TJ, Barrett, Proctor, Love
That leaves some pretty big holes, especially Aumua and Lakai.Not sure where the Barrett came from. We are also missing O’Reilly, Sheck, Ropeti, Patafilo and potentially Shields.
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@Canes4life said in Wellington vs Waikato (SF):
@Darren said in Wellington vs Waikato (SF):
So I think Wgtn missing Aumua, Savea, Lakai, TJ, Barrett, Proctor, Love
That leaves some pretty big holes, especially Aumua and Lakai.Not sure where the Barrett came from. We are also missing O’Reilly, Sheck, Ropeti, Patafilo and potentially Shields.
Yeah no idea, lol Got confused with Super I guess, Alzheimer's kicking in again
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@Darren I don't really think we're missing Aumua, Savea, TJ, Proctor or Love tbh. They have only played a few games, or not at all. To win the NPC you've got to forget about your ABs, for the most part.
Same with Waikato. Guys like Ratima, ALB & DMac don't count as missing imo.
Lakai is the only one I really consider a loss from our side, given he's suited up all season.
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@foobaNZ said in Wellington vs Waikato (SF):
@Darren I don't really think we're missing Aumua, Savea, TJ, Proctor or Love tbh. They have only played a few games, or not at all. To win the NPC you've got to forget about your ABs, for the most part.
Same with Waikato. Guys like Ratima, ALB & DMac don't count as missing imo.
Lakai is the only one I really consider a loss from our side, given he's suited up all season.
The team will be named later today but if our 23 looks something like the below (which I expect based on recent player movements / injuries) I'd be pretty happy and confident we'll get the job done.
- Numia
- Poasa
- Lauaki
- Ieremia
- Plummer
- Delany
- Kirifi (c)
- Shields
- Preston
- JGB
- Filipo
- Higgins
- Umaga-Jensen
- Savea
- Clarke
Reserves: - Apisai
- Kamimori
- Chrichton
- Paulo
- Halalilo
- Muriwai
- Harkin
- Solomon
Other players that may come into the mix as I'm not sure of their availability are Patafilo, Sheck and Ropeti which will strengthen us even more. I've got Shields starting because he's been used on the social campaign to promote the semi-final.
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No injury returnees apart from McCurran.
1 Ollie Norris (Hautapu)
2 Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia (University)
3 George Dyer (Fraser Tech)
4. Josh Balme (Hamilton Marist)
5 Laghlan McWhannell (Hautapu)
6 Xavier Saifoloi (University)
7 Senita Lauaki (Hautapu)
8 Malachi Wrampling (Hamilton Old Boys)
9 Xavier Roe (Hamilton Old Boys) – Captain
10 Aaron Cruden (Morrinsville Sports)
11 Aki Tuivailala (Hamilton Old Boys)
12 Quinn Tupaea (Hamilton Old Boys)
13 Bailyn Sullivan (Hamilton Marist)
14 Oli Mathis (University)
15 Tepaea Cook-Savage (Fraser Tech)16 Sean Ralph (Te Awamutu Sports) – Blazer Game (18th Waikato Cap)
17 Mason Tupaea (Hamilton Marist)
18 Sefo Kautai (Hamilton Marist)
19 Tai Cribb (Hamilton Marist)
20 Patrick McCurran (Fraser Tech)
21 Quintony Ngatai (Hautapu)
22 Newton Tudreu (Hamilton Marist)
23 Waisake Salabiau (Hautapu)
Waikato named for Bunnings NPC semi-final clash with the Wellington Lions.
Waikato will travel to the capital this week to face the Wellington Lions in a Bunnings NPC semi-final at Sky Stadium...
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@mikey07 said in Wellington vs Waikato (SF):
@Duluth Haha I tried to post it first but wouldn’t let me…glad they’ve gone with Harkin JGB must be injured no other way they’d start him.
Awesome to see Harkin start. So JGB and Umaga-Jensen also injured. We won't lose much with Proctor at 13.
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