Waikato 2024

[Mr Fish]

So, given the tie-break if two teams are equal on competition points is who won the regular season fixture, Waikato could finish as high as fifth (possibly equal on points with BoP but they lost the H2H during the season) or as low as ninth depending on results over the weekend.

They'll likely finish fifth if they win against Canterbury this weekend (unless Hawke's Bay upsets Wellington), seventh if they lose but get a BP, and either eighth or ninth depending how big a wins Harbour and Counties get over Southland and Manawatu.

Could be close! Waikato will go into their match knowing exactly what they need to make the finals because Harbour and Counties play earlier on the Saturday.

[Bovidae]

Wins should be the first tie-breaker but it isn't. CM can't overtake Waikato based on head-to-head but NH can.

[Mr Fish]

@Bovidae said in Waikato 2024:

Wins should be the first tie-breaker but it isn't. CM can't overtake Waikato based on head-to-head but NH can.

If all three have the same number of points then I think it's possible that Waikato would come third of the trio but I not certain...

[Bovidae]

@Mr-Fish said in Waikato 2024:

If all three have the same number of points then I think it's possible that Waikato would come third of the trio but I not certain...

I had a closer look at the NPC Competition rules and regulations, and from what I could find there is a different tie-breaker for two teams finishing on the same points and three teams finishing on the same points.

Where three or more Premier Competition Unions are tied:
i. If all tied Premier Competition Unions have played each other the tied Premier Competition Union with the most competition points in that year against the other tied Premier Competition Unions shall have the higher position (or seeding).

In this instance Waikato would be last of the three, as you say, as they didn't get a losing BP.

Where any two Premier Competition Unions are tied:
i. The winner of any Round Robin match played between the two Premier Competition Unions in that year will have the higher position (or seeding).

Waikato, NH and CM all have a 1-1 record.

Simply put, Waikato need at least a BP against Canterbury to make the QFs.

[Bovidae]

The main winners at the Awards:

Kukri Representative Coach of the Year
Finalists: Sean Botherway, Ross Filipo, James Semple
Winner: James Semple

Hendl & Murray Representative Team of the Year
Finalists: Waikato Under 19s, Waikato NPC, Waikato Group: Waikato Women
Winner: Waikato Under 19s

University of Waikato Emerging Women’s Player of the Year
Winner: Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu

Waitomo Group Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year
Winner: Grace Houpapa-Barrett

Emerging Men’s Player of the Year
Winner: Malachi Wrampling

Waikato Draught Bunnings NPC Player of the Year
Winner: Bailyn Sullivan

Joe’s Garage People’s Choice Award
Winner: Daniel Sinkinson

Aaron Hopa Memorial Trophy
Recipient: Laghlan McWhannell

Manatiaki Award
Recipient: Chelsea Semple

Hare Puke Memorial Trophy Tainui Waka Maori Player of the Year
Recipient: Reese Anderson

Gallagher Sportsperson of the Year
Finalists: Damian McKenzie, Cortez Ratima, Kennedy Tukuafu nee Simon
Winner: Cortez Ratima

Ian Clarke Supreme Award
Recipient: Cortez Ratima

2024 SupaPwr Waikato Rugby Awards Evening

Waikato Rugby celebrated their 2024 SupaPwr rugby awards on Tuesday 8 th October, at K aute Pasifika village fale....

[Steven Harris]

@Bovidae I would have made up an award for Ollie Mathis
OMG award ?

[Bovidae]

@Steven-Harris They should have had an age-group award.

[frugby]

Question for Waikato fans, could wing actually be Mathis' best position? Seems like a really good finisher, but on the face of it lakes the size to be world class openside?

[brodean]

How big is Ollie Mathis?

Kwagga Smith is listed as 181cm and 97kg. He plays way above his weight. Mathis would make an interesting bench option for the AB's.

I guess he's only 19 so could put on a bit more size.

[Bovidae]

Here is a more recent photo with Messam and Narawa for comparison. Narawa is listed as 1.84 m.

[ploughboy]

given the age of our team this year .I'm pretty happy with the season

[booboo]

@frugby said in Waikato 2024:

Question for Waikato fans, could wing actually be Mathis' best position? Seems like a really good finisher, but on the face of it lakes the size to be world class openside?

Eric Rush type vibes?

[Mr Fish]

It is an interesting one because he's not going to get anywhere near as much space if he's playing in the loose forwards as he will in the outside backs so it's not like he can bring a lot of his open field talents to that role (obviously there are some skills that are useful wherever you play but he's got a pretty decent sidestep which won't be utilised much in the narrow channels).

In saying that, I feel like some of his loose forward skills could be used in the midfield.

In all likelihood though, he'll just end up as a flanker who occasionally pops up on a highlight reel for a play where he happens to find space...

I do wonder how an average club player would do if they were thrown, for example, on the wing for the All Blacks.

[reprobate]

Too short. Needs to bulk up massively and be the next Dane Coles.

[booboo]

@reprobate said in Waikato 2024:

Too short. Needs to bulk up massively and be the next Dane Coles.

Michael Hooper wasn't tall

[reprobate]

@booboo a fair point, and it was a bit tongue in cheek. He's certainly not too small if we have a big 6 and 8, but at present an optimistically claimed 1.87m seems to be the preference for all positions.

[Bovidae]

For my own curiosity I did a scan of the team lists throughout the season to see how many different players were used, and who was missed.

Two of the original locks (James Tucker and Hamilton Burr) only played a single game each, Tucker the first game of the season and Burr when he returned from Scotland in Rd 3. The same for Andrew Smith who could have covered at lock. It meant that the depth at lock was tested. Josh Balme came into the squad by Rd 4 and Tai Cribb was also added early. Laghlan McWhannell carried a huge workload.

Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia started at hooker in Rd 1 and was first-choice for most of the season but wasn’t part of the original squad. The other player who never played in the NPC was Mitch Jacobson. Both Oli Mathis and Senita Lauaki were squad additions to play openside.

With no Coombes-Fabling, and then injuries to Daniel Sinkinson (Rd 4), Josh Moorby (Rd 4), and later Gideon Wrampling, Filipo brought in the young players on the wing - Aki Tuivailala, Jole Naufahu and Waisake Salabiau are all U20 or U19 players. And then finally Oli Mathis in that position. Cody Nordstrom was on loan to KC so wasn’t available.

The final count was 13 extra players used during the season, many regular starters by mid-NPC.

Those that made their debuts were:
Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia
Gabe Robinson
Josh Balme
Oli Mathis
Andrew Smith
Senita Lauaki
Adrein Wharawhara
Jole Naufahu
Waisake Salabiau

Most of the above players are in the 19-21 age group so will have gained valuable experience. Some will likely be training with the Chiefs over the summer.

Best performance: vs Hawke's Bay
Worst performance: vs North Harbour

The overall record was 6-6 but two of those losses were in the last play of games. Given Waikato upset Taranaki and made the SF I'd rate the season as a B.

[ARHS]

With plenty of hope for next season. The young players have such huge potential. Just need to hugely improve the lineout accuracy and ball retention when hot on attack.

[Bovidae]

Re: the lineout

I wasn't familiar with Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia, other than seeing him play for Varsity in a club game pre-NPC. Google says he went to Scots College and spent time in both Otago and Canterbury. I hope Waikato keeps him, as he looks a better long-term option at hooker than Pita Anae-Ah Sue.