2018 Mitre 10 Cup Form XV

[KiwiMurph]

I think that's pretty good except I wouldnt have Ennor at 13 - he's gone missing against the big teams.

[Crazy Horse]

Jeez, Akira can't even make this team!

Edit - apart from ChrisB's

[Dice]

I didn't go overboard with this...

I went a bit NBA style with it.

Mitre 10 Cup 1st XV

15 - Will Jordan
14 - Melani Nanai
13 - Tumua Manu
12 - TJ Faiane
11 - Sevu Reece
10 - Mitch Hunt
9 - Brad Weber
8 - Akira Ioane
7 - Dalton Papali'i
6 - Ethan Blackadder
5 - Luke Romano
4 - Jack Whetton
3 - Tyrel Lomax
2 - Samisoni Takei'aho
1 - Wyatt Crockett

Mitre 10 Cup 2nd XV

15 - Shaun Stevenson
14 - Malo Tuitama
13 - Quinn Tupaea
12 - Dwayne Sweeney
11 - Salesi Rayasi
10 - Harry Plummer
9 - Jonathan Ruru
8 - Teariki Ben-Nicholas
7 - Mitch Jacobson
6 - Tom Robinson
5 - James Blackwell
4 - James Tucker
3 - Marcel Renata
2 - Andrew Makalio
1 - Reuben O'Neill

Mitre 10 Cup 3rd XV

15 - George Bridge
14 - Jonah Lowe
13 - Matt Faddes
12 - David Havili
11 - Jona Nareki
10 - Fletcher Smith
9 - Finlay Christie
8 - Marino Mikaele-Tuu
7 - Dillon Hunt
6 - Mitchell Crosswell
5 - Pari Pari Parkinson
4 - Gerard Cowley-Tuioti
3 - Sione Mafileo
2 - Robbie Abel
1 - Sam Prattley

Player of the Year - Luke Romano
Defensive Player of the Year - Dalton Papali'i
Attacking Player of the Year - Sevu Reece
Rookie of the Year - Quinn Tupaea
Captain of the Year - TJ Faiane
Coach of the Year - Alama Ieremia

Plenty of decent players missed out, but many of them could easily be in there though. Was pretty tough to decide who to leave out. You could make a fairly decent 4th XV.

[cgrant]

So you rate James Blackwell higher than Pari Pari Parkinson.

[chchfanatic]

@dice haha 2 Canterbury players in your 3 teams , yet we’ll still win the Comp.

[Dice]

@cgrant As a prospect, no, but on form, yes. Never rated Blackwell before this season, but he's been close to Wellington's best this year. Not much between the two, but Blackwell's play has popped out to me more regularly than Parkinson's play has.

[Dice]

@chchfanatic said in 2018 Mitre 10 Cup Form XV:

@dice haha 2 Canterbury players in your 3 teams , yet we’ll still win the Comp.

Canterbury's a bit of a funny one, because they're obviously a top 3 team, but they don't have many players who are the top 3 form players in their position.

[chchfanatic]

@dice they’ve had so many injuries. So not many players have played consistently. Only really Romano , bridge and Drummond. To be fair I think any of the top 4 can win it. I’m going for 2 upsets. Wellington over Auckland and Canterbury over Ta$man

[Bones]

@chchfanatic and did wellington get two players in the top XVs?

[chchfanatic]

@bones I don’t watch Wellington so have no idea who plays for them. I couldn’t go thru those teams and name what union they play for. I’ve lost interest in a lot of rugby at the moment.

[Machpants]

Attacking player of the year, very apt.

[taniwharugby]

@machpants someone had to say it.

[African Monkey]

@chchfanatic Says more about the standard of the comp tbh. That Canterbury team is shit but are still somehow there. Having Romano there has made a huge difference to an average side.

[taniwharugby]

@african-monkey thought the quality was much better last year than this year, whereas this year some teams have been very good and then have also been poor, lack of consistency, that I guess is probably about right given the largely amateur nature of many of the players.

[Nepia]

@taniwharugby It was way better for me, purely because the Magpies were competitive this year. My enjoyment of watching them has meant I'll watch more other games as well to see how the other contenders are going.

[Tim]

Canterbury and Taranaki were below par this year, but Auckland and Wellington were huge improvements for the Premiership.

Harbour lacked a midfield, and a six without Preston.

[Steven Harris]

@dice I would have had Matt Faddes in my 2nd team after last Saturday’s Ranfurly Shield result, I thought he absolutely schooled Quinn Tupaea by some distance.

[African Monkey]

@taniwharugby Yeah from a premiership POV, Taranaki's depth has been exposed big time, Canterbury have done ok for a side rebuilding but haven't looked convincing for most of the season which is understandable considering the quality they have lost, having said that they always find a way to win even when they aren''t expected to, Counties wouldn't have made the championship semis but will be stoked to have stayed up with the very limited side they have, North Harbour will be disapponted with their season with the side they have as they should have done a lot better, Wellington are talented but still a bit raw but will be strong in the coming years, Auckland has suprised many, it's amazing what a half decent coaching team can do and Ta$man are doing what they should be doing as they came into the season as overwhelming favourites.

In a way, the comp has become more even due to Canterbury coming back to the pack, but I do feel that the comp was stronger in previous years where sides like Auckland who were far stronger on paper would miss out on the semis, Taranaki were always tough, Counties would be far more competitive with guys like Nanai-Williams, Pulu, Manu, Aki etc. and Wellington were a championship side.

[Stargazer]

@african-monkey The funny thing is, that at the beginning of the season, a few Waikato supporters on the Fern were complaining about Taranaki stealing some of their players and Waikato ending up with some unwanted former Taranaki players (the O'Donnells come to mind). Now Taranaki goes down to the Championship, while Waikato may go back up to the Premiership if they can win the SF and F.

[Chris B.]

@african-monkey said in 2018 Mitre 10 Cup Form XV:

@taniwharugby ....and Ta$man are doing what they should be doing as they came into the season as overwhelming favourites.

Not according to the TAB, Ta$man weren't!

Anyone who got on Auckland at $12 would be reasonably happy though and Ta$man at $7 were good value!

@stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

The TAB have released their Odds for the Outright Winners for the Heartland Championship , Mitre10 Cup Premiership and Mitre10 Championship.
Early Favourites are, respectively :
Wanganui / Canterbury / Otago

2.00 Canterbury
5.00 Wellington
6.00 Taranaki
7.00 Ta$man
9.00 North Harbour
12.00 Auckland
21.00 Counties Manukau