v Southland
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Have heard Pitman has been called into the main squad with MacLeod gone for the season, although assume Nock & Markwick being fit they will be in 23.
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Malcolm MacLeod has a torn bicep,will be out for possibly 8 x weeks,which almost effectively sees him out unless there is a miracle recovery.
Tamati Tua is out for 2 x weeks with a shoulder injury,Ropatev Rinakama is out with a rib injury,Namatahi Waa also picked up a niggle and is out this weeke do,also out this weekend is Matt Wright,concussion precaution,possibly a week only.
Troy Gilbert picked up an injury playing for the Bs,so he is unavailable,Blake Hohaia comes back into the squad,and will debut of the bench.
I would imagine with both Waa and Rinakama unavailable,Phil Kite and Chris Apoua will come in from the B squad and will be battling it out for the tighthead spot.
Just also some news on Scott Gregory,he's looking likely to get 40 minutes for the under 19s this weekend.,but will stay with the 19s for the National 19s tournament and is unlikely to feature for the top team in 2017,injures depending, me thinks.
Possible starting lineup,
Alaimalo
Hyland
Macilai
Ranger
Goodhue (2nd five)
Hawkins
NockD Pryor
K Pryor
Douglas
Bond
Goodhue
SIllioto
Phil Kite
MouldsBench
Olsen
R Wright
Chris Apoua
Matich
Markwick
Breen
HohaiaGot to feel for the coaches of the Development squad,I would imagine they will be making a ton of phone calls to pull players in,Keep your phones on lads.you never know..!
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@Steven-Harris had heard Sililoto was struggling not Waa...
Stil a handy looking side, have to think they should still be able to account for the Stags...
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Hoping it's not both props..
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@Steven-Harris just noticed, Id start Breen over Hawkins, feel he offers more on attack and off the boot.
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Some concerns there, especially in the front row if big Howard is crook.
Having said that, that's still a powerful lineup and should put Southland to sleep. They will attack us hard for a while, but we should wear them down.
I won't settle for anything less than 5 points from this game. We are a much better team and need to go out there and show them that. A bit of good old arrogance.
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A bit of rotation and injuries and some positional changes.
Still think that is a strong side, should be able to account for Southland...
Wright, Moulds, Kite
Goodhue, Bond
Douglas, Ram, Matich
Nock, Hawkins
Goodhue, Ranger
Macilai, Alaimalo, HylandOlsen, Sililoto, Apoua, Matiu, Pryor, Markwick, Breen, Hohaia
Only thing I don't like is the change at 10, the 9-10 axis is a key part of any successful team, these guys need to play together, so if they are pinning Hawkins as their 10, then he needs to start all the time.
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This doesn't say Dan Pryor is injured, so lets us assume the reason, although doesn't really say much about any of the changes, being enforced or not.
Matt Matich will make his first start of the season from the base of the scrum, replacing Dan Pryor who is out of the 23 altogether.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503448&objectid=11914607
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Southland
1 Joesph Walsh, 2 Brayden Mitchell, 3 Guy Millar, 4 Mike McKee, 5 Bill Fukofuka, 6 Phil Haler, 7 Tim Boys, 8 Elliot Dixon,
9 Liam Howley, 10 Scott Eade, 11 Aleki Morris, 12 James Schrader, 13 Matthew Johnson, 14 Ryan Tongia, 15 Lewis OrmondReserves:
16 Flynn Thomas, 17 Shaun Stodart, 18 Morgan Mitchell, 19 Tepasu Thomas, 20 Tupou Sopaga, 21 Jahvis Wallace, 22 Mike Molloy, 23 Greg Dyer -
@taniwharugby have to assume Dan is injured because he has been fantastic.
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just be nice to hear a bit more about injuries and the like.
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What a performance. Just totally dominant and a pleasure to watch.
Backs ran riot all day, hard to single anyone out in such a great team effort but Ranger was outstanding, back to his best form.
It could have easily been a bigger win if we had shown a little more patience in the first half when we made plenty of breaks but threw passes that didn't need throwing or carried loosely and turned the ball over. The pleasing thing was that they learnt from that and showed a lot more patience in the second 40.
We have to enjoy wins like this as they tend not come around too often for us Northland fans.
Whoop whoop
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Good to see a couple of new caps with Blundell and Hohaia. Hope Breen isn't out for long, Hawkins had one of his better days so he can keep that up all season.
Moulds nailed the end of game interview and said it all really. -
Hope josh goodhue is ok...we running out of locks.
Shit yea savour that moment, some tough games ahead with welly and tago looking strong.
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@kev wasn't trying to be negative, as I said very pleased with the big win.
Meant it in a positive way - score could have been sooo much more, that's how dominant we were. What was pleasing is it was obviously talked about at half time and they adjusted their play accordingly.
A few more thoughts from me:
•Macalai was in beast mode, throwing defenders off at will.
•Jack Goodhue is class (just in case you didn't already know)
•Alaimalo has clearly gone up another level after a season at the Chiefs.
•Hawkins had his best game in Cambridge Blue.
•Ross Wright is one of the best ball playing props going around.
•I am concerned at how deep we play on attack, it's working at the moment but when we come up against a better/rush defence, have we got a plan b? -
@taniwharugby two head knocks in 3 weeks. Faleafa is an option...
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plenty of players stood up tonight, great to see, and probably the thing that I liked most was the comms saying when Ram went off, we bought Pryor on!
We have some serious quality across the park at the moment, although only a few injuries away from that being gone...
LIke the Goodhue-Ranger mid-field, but then I think Goodhue is one of those players that will allow those around him to play better.
Macilai getting back to his best, Alaimalo, Nock one o fhis better games, Hawkins, I'm not a fan, but credit where its due!
Matich is a machine, hope he is ok too, liking Douglas, Bond, in fact, pretty happy across the board today.
@Gunner that turn of pace by Wright was superb, and I liked he didnt throw the off load too, was the right decision IMO.
