NPC 2023

[mikedogz]

Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union

2023 PIC Steelers squad confirmed

[mikedogz]

• 14 first time steelers out of club rugby

• Jimmy Tupou, Viliami Taulani and Toni Pulu have come back to the union

• Sione Molia playing 15's for us this year

• Maama Vaipulu was retired but going for another season

• Former Waikato lock James Thompson

[Tim]

From earlier this year about Blues U20 prop Salesi Tuifua:

Salesi Tuifua Secures CMRFU Contract

Pakuranga United Rugby Club would like to congratulate Salesi Tuifua on his 2023 contract with Counties Manukau. The...

Pakuranga United Rugby Club would like to congratulate Salesi Tuifua on his 2023 contract with Counties Manukau.

The premier front rower joined the club while still at St Peters, playing premier rugby while in his final year of high school. A member of the Pakuranga Academy, Tuifua was a member of the Blues Under 20s in 2022.

Director of Rugby Grant ‘Boof’ Henson said his resilience and development has been impressive.

“Sale is a special talent. He’s shown a lot of resilience the past two years, so making Auckland Bs in 2022 was a great reward as is picking up this contract.”

“There was overseas interest in Sale, but he wanted to crack the professional pathway in New Zealand – he wasn’t interested in taking the easy route and now he has his foot in the door which we’re really proud of,” said Boof.

While his provincial union development contract sees him move club affiliations to Counties Manukau, Boof said it is important for the club to celebrate success.

“It’s incredibly important for us as a club to be able to provide pathways for our players, regardless of where those pathways lead. While it would be great to have Sale still playing here at the Ranga, this is an awesome step for him in his rugby journey and one we support and back fully,” said Boof.

Damn, he played prems club rugby while at high school.

[Tim]

@mikedogz What do you think your top 23 will look like?

[mikedogz]

Special agent Boof Henson.

[Bovidae]

Yeah, good to see some older players return.

So Blake Makiri is at C-M. He played for the Chiefs Dev team earlier in the year.

[mikedogz]

Another son of a former Counties player.

[mikedogz]

No Sekope Kepu this year. I think he aggravated his injury in the club final.

[Yeetyaah]

@mikedogz said in NPC 2023:

Jimmy Tupou

Very cool to see him back for counties. I met him recently as he's been coaching the Tuakau/Onewhero First XV and I'm involved with a team in the same comp, he had them very well oiled and was a nice dude to yarn to, didn't realise who he was until after haha.

[Stargazer]

IIRC the following squads have been announced:

Counties Manukau
Hawke's Bay
Otago
Southland
Taranaki

Or did I miss some?

[mikedogz]

[Bovidae]

I'll probably go and watch that again.

[Stargazer]

[Stargazer]

The Mako got Miracle Fai'ilagi. Is he in the Samoa squad?

Edit: yes, he is.

[Tim]

@Stargazer Strong looking squad. @Chris-B What is the top 23 going to look like?

[Tim]

Any preseason games streaming this weekend?

[Chris]

Miracle Fai'ilagi Potentially a replacement for Havilli at the Crusaders.

[KiwiMurph]

@Chris that would be taking the piss

[African Monkey]

@KiwiMurph As a Moana fan and member, I'd be pissed with that.

I can understand Tavatavanawai and Aumua moving on as annoying as it is for us, but to actually develop one of our own from the Islands and then get him poached by a team that certainly doesn't need him, that's just shit, seriously. Defeats the whole purpose of us existing.

[Stargazer]

@African-Monkey I kind of agree with you, but at the end of the season there was talk about MP players not wanting to re-sign. There are more sides to a story. That rumour might be true and Miracle might be one of those players.