Auckland Rugby 2022
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@Tim especially when Wallace Sititi is playing for Marist today and has not featured at all in preseason games? I hope he isn't lured away. Also Sione Tuipulotu is yet to feature so i don't know if he is returning? Queenslander Connor Vest is also playing today at Lock. I understand them looking for Locks a bit more as we do struggle with Locking depth in Auckland.
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@Bovidae Of likely Auckland squad members there are 7 Ponsonby players in the Auckland preseason game while 3 are playing the semi final for Ponies today (Joel Cobb, Terrell Peita and Hamdahn Tuipulotu). likewise GT have 3 playing for them and 3-4 for Auckland. Maybe they allowed the clubs to play up to 3 rep players each. Its annoying as a club supporter to be playing a semi final below strength.
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@Daffy-Jaffy Some of those guys have missed much of the club season? I wonder if they are eligible for finals games?
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Gallaher Shield Semi final results -
Ponies 31 GT 12
Manukau 21 Varsity 19 -
@Daffy-Jaffy Damn, University were up by 19 to nil at halftime!
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@Daffy-Jaffy that's a great initiative
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@Tim The Auckland rugby results page says it was Rifles that lost by default to Eden.
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@Daffy-Jaffy Oh, looks like they changed it!
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The Gallaher Shield Final will be live on Sky 51 next Saturday at 4:30pm between the FPC and NPC games from Eden Park.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Auckland Rugby 2022:
@Tim The Auckland rugby results page says it was Rifles that lost by default to Eden.
Still interested in why if anyone knows?
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Well, now we know why Lemeki Namoa disappeared off the scene.
Idiot!
Former head prefect faces prison over Comanchero drug ring
EXCLUSIVE: Young rugby star at crossroads after pleading guilty to meth charges.
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This is the article:
Jared Savage
Investigative JournalistThe promising future of a schoolboy rugby star is at a crossroads after getting caught running drugs for the Comancheros motorcycle gang.
Lemeki Namoa was the head prefect for Sacred Heart College in 2017 and captained the prestigious Auckland school's First XV rugby team for two years, including an appearance in the final of the top-tier competition.
The outside back was an age-grade representative for the Blues and on track for a professional career after being named in 2019 as the Super Rugby franchise's development player of the year.
"I've been pretty lucky, [I'll] keep working hard," Namoa said in accepting the award at a black-tie dinner.
"Whatever comes at me, comes at me."
But the following year, the 19-year-old was arrested by detectives from the National Organised Crime Group investigating a drug syndicate run by the Comancheros gang.
About $20,000 cash was found in Namoa's bedroom, as well as a black leather vest with yellow trim. The colours are synonymous with the notorious outlaw motorcycle club from Australia.
He was arrested in December 2020 as part of the second phase of Operation Cincinnati and this month, on the eve of a High Court trial, pleaded guilty to a pair of methamphetamine offences.
One of the charges he admitted was being in possession of 1kg of the Class-A drug for supply.
Namoa, now 22, declined a Herald on Sunday request for an interview.
His defence lawyer, Tiffany Cooper, said she was unable to comment ahead of the sentencing hearing in the High Court at Auckland.
Although Namoa was near the bottom of the pecking order in the drug ring, he still faces a potential term of imprisonment.
Regardless of the final sentence, it's a remarkable fall from grace for a talented young man who once spoke of following in the footsteps of his childhood heroes, Doug Howlett and Joe Rokocoko, the great Auckland and All Blacks wings.
Sacred Heart College headmaster Patrick Walsh said it was "disappointing and sad" to hear about the poor decisions the former head prefect had made.
"During his time at the college, Lemeki was a well-respected leader with outstanding potential and charisma," Walsh said.
"We hope that Lemeki can receive the support and guidance needed to make personal changes for the better and his future."
A spokeswoman for the Blues said Namoa had not been part of the development group since 2019 and the franchise was unaware of the drug charges.
She referred the Herald on Sunday to the North Harbour Rugby Union chief executive Adrian Donald.
He confirmed Namoa had previously been in the development programme in 2020 and 2021 although he was not currently contracted to the union.
"He's been in our high-performance environment as a talented player and he's been playing club rugby for Massey this year," said Donald.
"We're aware of the charges but can't really comment because everything is still before the court. We've given Lemeki plenty of support and will continue to do so.
"Our vision at North Harbour is 'improving life through rugby'. We think rugby, and sport in general, give people great opportunities and this would be no different, in that sense."
His downward spiral can be traced straight back to his decision to associate with the Comancheros.
Namoa never joined the gang himself.
But some of his childhood friends did when the motorcycle club established a New Zealand chapter in 2018 after senior patched members were deported from Australia.
Seiana Fakaosilea was one of the founding members and, at just 20 years old, was then promoted to be the acting "National Commander" of the Comancheros in 2020.
That same year, Fakaosilea became the principal target of Operation Cincinnati, led by Detective Sergeant Jason Hunt, a nine-month investigation into the distribution of drugs by the Comancheros and Rebels gangs.
Ten of the 14 accused - including Lemeki Namoa - pleaded guilty to the various methamphetamine and MDMA charges they faced on the eve of the High Court trial.
These admissions whittled the trial down to four defendants, with the evidence put before the jury largely focused on an alleged plot to import 600kg of methamphetamine from South Africa.
Fakaosilea pleaded guilty to several charges of possession of Class-A drugs for supply, as well as supplying commercial quantities of methamphetamine.
However, the 22-year-old has denied six other charges, including the alleged conspiracy to import drugs from South Africa, and another alleged shipment from Fiji.
"While the Crown and police have some things right they have an enormous amount wrong," his lawyer Jasper Rhodes told the jury in an opening statement.
The trial is expected to conclude next week.
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@Tim said in Auckland Rugby 2022:
This is the article:
Jared Savage
Investigative JournalistThe promising future of a schoolboy rugby star is at a crossroads after getting caught running drugs for the Comancheros motorcycle gang.
Lemeki Namoa was the head prefect for Sacred Heart College in 2017 and captained the prestigious Auckland school's First XV rugby team for two years, including an appearance in the final of the top-tier competition.
The outside back was an age-grade representative for the Blues and on track for a professional career after being named in 2019 as the Super Rugby franchise's development player of the year.
"I've been pretty lucky, [I'll] keep working hard," Namoa said in accepting the award at a black-tie dinner.
"Whatever comes at me, comes at me."
But the following year, the 19-year-old was arrested by detectives from the National Organised Crime Group investigating a drug syndicate run by the Comancheros gang.
About $20,000 cash was found in Namoa's bedroom, as well as a black leather vest with yellow trim. The colours are synonymous with the notorious outlaw motorcycle club from Australia.
He was arrested in December 2020 as part of the second phase of Operation Cincinnati and this month, on the eve of a High Court trial, pleaded guilty to a pair of methamphetamine offences.
One of the charges he admitted was being in possession of 1kg of the Class-A drug for supply.
Namoa, now 22, declined a Herald on Sunday request for an interview.
His defence lawyer, Tiffany Cooper, said she was unable to comment ahead of the sentencing hearing in the High Court at Auckland.
Although Namoa was near the bottom of the pecking order in the drug ring, he still faces a potential term of imprisonment.
Regardless of the final sentence, it's a remarkable fall from grace for a talented young man who once spoke of following in the footsteps of his childhood heroes, Doug Howlett and Joe Rokocoko, the great Auckland and All Blacks wings.
Sacred Heart College headmaster Patrick Walsh said it was "disappointing and sad" to hear about the poor decisions the former head prefect had made.
"During his time at the college, Lemeki was a well-respected leader with outstanding potential and charisma," Walsh said.
"We hope that Lemeki can receive the support and guidance needed to make personal changes for the better and his future."
A spokeswoman for the Blues said Namoa had not been part of the development group since 2019 and the franchise was unaware of the drug charges.
She referred the Herald on Sunday to the North Harbour Rugby Union chief executive Adrian Donald.
He confirmed Namoa had previously been in the development programme in 2020 and 2021 although he was not currently contracted to the union.
"He's been in our high-performance environment as a talented player and he's been playing club rugby for Massey this year," said Donald.
"We're aware of the charges but can't really comment because everything is still before the court. We've given Lemeki plenty of support and will continue to do so.
"Our vision at North Harbour is 'improving life through rugby'. We think rugby, and sport in general, give people great opportunities and this would be no different, in that sense."
His downward spiral can be traced straight back to his decision to associate with the Comancheros.
Namoa never joined the gang himself.
But some of his childhood friends did when the motorcycle club established a New Zealand chapter in 2018 after senior patched members were deported from Australia.
Seiana Fakaosilea was one of the founding members and, at just 20 years old, was then promoted to be the acting "National Commander" of the Comancheros in 2020.
That same year, Fakaosilea became the principal target of Operation Cincinnati, led by Detective Sergeant Jason Hunt, a nine-month investigation into the distribution of drugs by the Comancheros and Rebels gangs.
Ten of the 14 accused - including Lemeki Namoa - pleaded guilty to the various methamphetamine and MDMA charges they faced on the eve of the High Court trial.
These admissions whittled the trial down to four defendants, with the evidence put before the jury largely focused on an alleged plot to import 600kg of methamphetamine from South Africa.
Fakaosilea pleaded guilty to several charges of possession of Class-A drugs for supply, as well as supplying commercial quantities of methamphetamine.
However, the 22-year-old has denied six other charges, including the alleged conspiracy to import drugs from South Africa, and another alleged shipment from Fiji.
"While the Crown and police have some things right they have an enormous amount wrong," his lawyer Jasper Rhodes told the jury in an opening statement.
The trial is expected to conclude next week.
He should have grievously assaulted someone. He’d get a slap on the hand and a super rugby contract if that happened.
