BOP 2022

[ARHS]

2022 Bay of Plenty Steamers squad
Aidan Ross (Te Puke Sports)
Anaru Rangi (Taneatua)
Benet Kumeroa (Rangiuru)
Emoni Narawa (Tauranga Sports)
Gillies Kaka (Whakarewarewa)
Haereiti Hetet (Mount Maunganui)
Inga Finau (Arataki) – Vice Captain
Jacob Norris (Tauranga Sports)
Jamie Dobie (Mount Maunganui)
Jeff Thwaites (Te Puna)
Joey Walton (Greerton Marist)
Josh Bartlett (Tauranga Sports)
Justin Sangster (Te Puna)
Kaleb Trask (Tauranga Sports)
Kitiona Vai (Mount Maunganui)
Kohan Herbert (Mount Maunganui)
Kurt Eklund (Mount Maunganui) - Captain
Lalomilo Lalomilo (Greerton Marist)
Leroy Carter (Tauranga Sports)
Lucas Cashmore (Tauranga Sports)
Luke Donaldson (Te Puna)
Manaaki Selby-Rickit (Mount Maunganui)
Melani Nanai (Mount Maunganui)
Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Whakarewarewa)
Nic Souchon (Tauranga Sports)
Nigel Ah Wong (Te Puke Sports)
Nikora Broughton (Rangiuru)
Pasilio Tosi (Greerton Marist)
Penitoa Finau (Greerton Marist)
Roderick Solo (Mount Maunganui)
Sam Cane (Reporoa)
Taylor Haugh (Mount Maunganui)
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (Whakarewarewa)
Tevita Mafileo (Tauranga Sports)
Veveni Lasaqa (Greerton Marist)
Wharenui Hawera (Judea)
Zane Kapeli (Waikite)
2022 Bay of Plenty Steamers Management Group
Head Coach: Mike Delany
Forwards Coach: Richard Watt
Scrum Coach: Pingi Tala'apitaga
Attack Coach: Damian Karauna
Skills Coach: James Porter
Manager: Wayne Brill Assistant Manager: Lisa Appert
Strength & Conditioning Trainer: Thomas Stebbing
Assistant Strength & Conditioning Trainer: Scott Joblin
Physio: Simon Robins
Assistant Physio: Brandon Olsen
Doctor: Dr Sophie Thomas
Video Analyst: Brad Morgan

[Duluth]

@ARHS

Kitiona Vai has potential. Good pickup for BOP.

One of the advantages of the NZ 7's program being based in the region

[Dice]

@Duluth said in BOP 2022:

@ARHS

Kitiona Vai has potential. Good pickup for BOP.

One of the advantages of the NZ 7's program being based in the region

His bro, Melani Nanai, is also in the team. That's a big surprise.

[Bovidae]

Solo is another sevens player (from Wellington).

[Duluth]

@Dice

Good to see him back. I wonder if it'll be the Chiefs or Moana Pasifika?

Still only 28 years old

[Canes4life]

@Bovidae bloody hell and Wellington decide to sign Milner Skudder instead. 🤦🏼‍♂️

[Cpt Kumera]

Cant wait for the npc to start
Alot of good sides

[Dice]

Found this tweet.

He still had a year left on his Worcester contract.

Only played 10 games in the last two seasons. Hopefully he's over those injuries.

[trooa]

Better than I expected, happy about lots of signings in the outside backs. Good balance of experience & youth throughout the squad.

[Stargazer]

@Duluth said in BOP 2022:

@ARHS

Kitiona Vai has potential. Good pickup for BOP.

One of the advantages of the NZ 7's program being based in the region

I see Gillies Kaka has returned from Japan and gone to the dark side as well. No doubt also linked to NZ 7s; not necessarily because he'll be playing for the AB7s again, but because his partner is in the BF7s.

[Bovidae]

It might have been Kaka that played at fullback and was the goal kicker in the 2nd half against CM. Hard to tell from a distance as the player was wearing headgear.

[trooa]

Best 23 something like this (not including 7s players)
1 Hetet
2 Eklund
3 Mafileo
4 Sangster
5 Selby-Rickit
6 Ah Kuoi
7 Norris
8 Finau
9 Dobie
10 Cashmore
11 Nanai
12 Finau
13 Walton
14 Narawa
15 Trask
16 Rangi
17 Kumeroa
18 Thwaites
19 Kapeli
20 Broughton
21 TTT
22 Hawera
23 Ah Wong

Tough team to pick. Kapeli being named at lock makes picking the locks/flankers even harder than it already was. Backs are a lottery and likely decided by form in pre-season. Narawa could play 13 or 15 but wanting Cashmore to get regular gametime meant Trask to 15.

[trooa]

@Bovidae Regular headgear wearer so likely. Any idea what our backline was 1H, interested where Trask, Cashmore & Narawa were playing. Did anybody stand out?

[ARHS]

Nearly 30 Super rugby or national 7s players - plus some U20's. Very strong squad in my opinion

[Bovidae]

@trooa IIRC Trask played at 10 in the first game and Cashmore was there in the 2nd game. I thought Trask was the better of the two, and the BOP backs looked slicker against Taranaki.

None of those outside backs were too familiar to me (as a neutral). I didn't see Narawa at all. Finau was the organiser at 2nd 5 against CM.

[Donsteppa]

@Stargazer said in BOP 2022:

@Duluth said in BOP 2022:

@ARHS

Kitiona Vai has potential. Good pickup for BOP.

One of the advantages of the NZ 7's program being based in the region

I see Gillies Kaka has returned from Japan and gone to the dark side as well. No doubt also linked to NZ 7s; not necessarily because he'll be playing for the AB7s again, but because his partner is in the BF7s.

I had a chuckle when I saw that name appear. Tiatia now playing for the Magpies and Kaka now with the Steamers might seem back to front this season

[trooa]

@Donsteppa We'll swap back gladly.

[bayimports]

@trooa said in BOP 2022:

@Bovidae Regular headgear wearer so likely

lol, i suspect they rotate when the other is not concussed

[ACT Crusader]

For @mariner4life just in case he doesn’t care hasn’t seen the thread

😎

[ACT Crusader]

@trooa I’d have TTT ahead of Dobie. Dobie is still pretty young and TTT was starting to find something towards the end of Super rugby.