EOYT 2017
-
I fear the 2017 Maori All Blacks could be the weakest team for years. Probable team :
15 Marty MacKenzie
14 Jonah Lowe
13 Proctor
12 Walden
11 ?
10 West
9 TTT
8 Dixon
7 Pryor
6 Pryor
5 Franklin
4 Price
3 ?
2 Dixon
1 EvesI think a Junior All Blacks team would have been more competitive and more interesting as a reserve pool for the All Blacks.
-
I fear the 2017 Maori All Blacks could be the weakest team for years. Probable team :
15 Marty MacKenzie
14 Jonah Lowe
13 Proctor
12 Walden
11 ?
10 West
9 TTT
8 Dixon
7 Pryor
6 Pryor
5 Franklin
4 Price
3 ?
2 Dixon
1 EvesI think a Junior All Blacks team would have been more competitive and more interesting as a reserve pool for the All Blacks.
JABs is hardly ever used though because it is the designated number two team that counts toward locking you in under WR rules (unless that has changed).
You will get guys already committed happy to play but those that want to keep options open should they not make the ABs would be reluctant to join in. -
I fear the 2017 Maori All Blacks could be the weakest team for years. Probable team :
15. Marty MacKenzie
14. Jonah Lowe
13. Proctor
12. Walden
11. ?
10. West
9. TTT
8. Dixon
7. Pryor
6. Pryor
5. Franklin
4. Price
3. ?
2. Dixon- Eves
I think a Junior All Blacks team would have been more competitive and more interesting as a reserve pool for the All Blacks.
JABs is hardly ever used though because it is the designated number two team that counts toward locking you in under WR rules (unless that has changed).
You will get guys already committed happy to play but those that want to keep options open should they not make the ABs would be reluctant to join in.Maybe less so now that's it's 5 rather than 3 years before you can play for Ireland...but for those qualified by grannie rule for the Pacific islands it could still be a big call.
-
@cgrant Looking at the team fielded in June:
1 Kane Hames
2 Ash Dixon (captain)
3 Ben May
4 Joe Wheeler -> to be replaced by Leighton Price
5 Tom Franklin
6 Akira Ioane
7 Elliot Dixon
8 Liam Messam -> Jordan Manihera*
9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow -> Brynn Hall
10 Damian McKenzie -> Ihaia West
11 Rieko Ioane -> needs to be replaced
12 Charlie Ngatai
13 Matt Proctor
14 Nehe Milner-Skudder - Jonah Lowe* (or left wing)
15 James Lowe -> Marty McKenzieReserves
16 Hikawera Elliot - Leni Apisai or Joe Royal
17 Chris Eves
18 Marcel Renata
19 Leighton Price -> Jacob Skeen
20 Kara Pryor
21 Bryn Hall - TTT*, Enari or Hauiti-Parapara
22 Ihaia West - Otere Black
23 Rob ThompsonMaybe Bateman and/or Tiaan Falcon* also in the squad. Both can cover 10 and 12. Jason Emery is also an option.
Because they are likely to use the Maori ABs as another reserve squad for the ABs, they can easily put Hames & A Ioane in there, because they're not full AB squad members now either. But they could pick Mike Kainga if Hames ends up in the AB squad and Reed Prinsep for Akira.
Wing seems to be the most difficult position. For the wing, Guildford could be an option if the NZR can finally see he's on the right track with his mental health issues. Anyway, wingers must come from the Mitre 10 Cup squads, because the SR wingers (if not in the ABs) seem to be either PI or Pakeha, but not Maori?
*=uncapped
-
Tamati Tua is another that will have his hand up for the Maori, can play 12/13 too possibly Namatahi Waa for front row.
-
@Bones Easy thing to say; which two wings do you think will make it? There are not many Maori wings. Do you think they'll go for (former) sevens players like Ambrose Curtis, Joe Webber and/or Declan O'Donnell again (assuming they won't be in the sevens squad)?
-
With so many players out for the year for various reasons (B. Smith, Franks, Moody and maybe Dagg), it will be interesting to see how the AB management will handle the end of the RC and the EOYT. Must they send two different teams to SA and Argentina in order to :
- Test new players who haven't featured yet (Akira Ioane, Jack Goodhue)
- Bring a higher level of emulation (?)
- Avoid long and tiring travels for the players
-
NMS obviously out, man that guy has shit luck!
Who is next in line I wonder? A few names off the top of my head:
Duffie
Alaimalo
BridgeElsewhere I'd say Jack Goodhue will get his boarding pass, he's been outstanding.
Still no halfbacks are saying 'pick me', I wonder if they go for someone who has been there before in Pulu or Weber, or and up and coming young fulla like TTT or Nock.
When do they name the team?
-
Interesting. TTT was atrocious in the Hurricanes v BI Lions game. I place a lot of emphasis on those games for assessing for higher honours.
Although, unfortunately, Duffie also had a mediocre gave v Lions, and I'm a fanboy of him.
Bridge rivalled, in fact shaded, TTT for worst performance v Lions.
TTT gets more marks off though for the fact his teenage debutant replacement aced it, and for the fact his most memorable contribution was a classless head rub and shove of Biggar who had just concussed himself in an unsuccessful attempted try-saving tackle on Laumape's thigh.
-
Yea there is a big drop from TJP to #3 with TKB off.
Webber is likely well off the pace so if they do take a 3rd it'll be a youngster to develop.
-
@taniwharugby I wouldn't write off Weber yet. He's had no Super Rugby season at all and only 2/3 of a Mitre 10 Cup season behind a scrum that constantly went backwards in a badly coached squad. His 2018 SR season will be crucial, but based on previous seasons in which he even regularly kept TKB on the bench, he should still be in the discussion.
I also wouldn't ignore the fact that Drummond has had an excellent SR and Mitre 10 Cup season. He should be in the discussion as well.