Mitre 10 Cup 2018
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@taniwharugby yep from Wellington.
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@taniwharugby Confirms Macalai is out. We look short on size, experience and pace in back 3. Options? Hyland, how is Matt Wright playing - he wasn’t his best last year, plus...Debreceny is an option I guess
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@kev yep certainly light at the back.
Matt Wright will need to be much better than last year, Hyland will def be there, I think with the recent signings indicates Debreceny is likely to slot in at the back, my preference is for Ranger to play wing rather than mid-field given we have Tua-Hohaia-Verney, and possibly some use of Goodhue
Fromt here we start looking at youngsters like Murray, Te-Nana to name a couple.
If he can stay fit, I'm picking big things from Hohaia this season.
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@kev said in Mitre 10 Cup 2018:
We look short on size, experience and pace in back 3. Options? Hyland, how is Matt Wright playing - he wasn’t his best last year, plus...Debreceny is an option I guess
Scott Gregory should be an option? Particularly if Matt Wright doesn't find his old form. Midfield is congested and he seems to be playing more in the back three recently (NZ u20's, Blues dev etc)
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@taniwharugby Forgot about Ranger. Lots of young guys and will be interested in how Gregory looks at this level. Like Te Nana, Murray, others...all young. Looking for those that back up attack with good defence.
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updated squad with the addition of 5 more local players
The countdown begins when Northland kick-off against North Harbour on Thursday 16th August in Albany.
Congratulations to Temo Mayanavanua, Renata Roberts-Te Nana, Tim Blundell, Paddy-Joe Atkins and Noah Cooper who have recently signed for the Northland Taniwha team.
2018 Northland Taniwha Mitre 10 Cup Squad to date:
HOOKERS
Jordan Olsen
Club: Mid Northern
Northland Caps: 27Matt Moulds
Club: Otamatea
Northland Caps: 45Ross Wright
Club: Wellsford
Northland Caps: 82PROPS
Ropate Rinakama
Club: Waipu
Northland Caps: 10Jack Straker
Club: Kamo
Northland Caps: 0Isileli Tu’ungafasi
Club: Mid Northern
Northland Caps: 0Paddy-Joe Atkins
Club: Wellsford
Northland Caps: 0Boyd Wiggans
Club: Old Boys Marist
Northland Caps: 0LOCK
Joshua Goodhue
Club: Kamo
Northland Caps: 22Murray Douglas
Club: Awanui
Northland Caps: 10Temo Mayanavanua
Club: Waipu
Northland Caps: 0Tom Robinson
Club: Western Sharks
Northland Caps: 5LOOSE FORWARD
Matt Matich
Club: Western Sharks
Northland Caps: 19Kara Pryor
Club: Hora Hora
Northland Caps: 38Kane Jacobson
Club: Kamo
Northland Caps: 0Jaycob Matiu
Club: Hora Hora
Northland Caps: 17Sam McNamara
Club: Waipu
Northland Caps: 0HALFBACK
Sam Nock
Club: Kerikeri
Northland Caps: 27Jono Kitto
Club: Hikurangi
Northland Caps: 0Mac Sykes
Club: Kamo
Northland Caps: 8FIRST FIVE EIGHTH
Jack Debreczeni
Club: Rebels
Northland Caps: 0Myles Thoroughgood
Club: Kamo
Northland Caps: 0Tim Blundell
Club: Wellsford
Northland Caps: 3MIDFIELD
Jack Goodhue
Club: United Kawakawa
Northland Caps: 9Scott Gregory
Club: Hikurangi
Northland Caps: 0Blake Hohaia
Club: Kamo
Northland Caps: 5Tamati Tua
Club: Hikurangi
Northland Caps: 16Regan Verney
Club: Chiefs
Northland Caps: 0UTILITY
Jordan Hyland
Club: Wellsford
Northland Caps: 29Rene Ranger
Club: Wellsford
Northland Caps: 76WING
Jone Macilai
Club: Awanui
Northland Caps: 36Renata Roberts-Te Nana
Club: Old Boys Marist
Northland Caps: 0FULLBACK
Matt Wright
Club: Wellsford
Northland Caps: 38OUTSIDE BACK
Noah Cooper
Club: Kerikeri
Northland Caps: 0 -
Congratulations to all the players that have made the cut,
Interesting selections,I guess the most interesting non selections given they both have Mitre10 Cup experience are Wiseguy Fianne and Dan Koroi,hopefully both will hang around with the Dev squad as there are sure to be injuries..I sense the budget or lack of it has played a part in the most recent selections which is not a bad thing as its good to see so many local guys come through..
The loss Jone Macilai is gonna hurt,even more so with Solomon Alaimalo no longer at the Taniwha..so we really need Matt Wright to step up,looks like Noah Cooper will be covering fullback as well,quite happy with the way Hyland has developed over the last 2 x seasons,so I guess he will take the right wing,
The left wing I am thinking we can give Renata Roberts or Noah Cooper a crack,there’s also the option of Ranger,Midfield I am thinking Ranger/Goodhue or Ranger/Hohaia
Debreczeni at first five,interestingly he was originally named as a fullback,but I see he is now listed at first five.
Halfback Nock/Kitto
Forwards...?
I
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@duluth apparently Wiseguy is the next cab off the rack if there are any injuries,Thorougood and Blundell played their way via consistent club form and they had been beennpart of the HP squad from the beginning of the season..
Thoroughgood looks the better of the 2,but has played behind a very good Kamo pack.runs to the line well.
Blundell played for the Dev squad last year,but came into the squad later in the year when their were injuries..Steady footballerDebreczeni was listed as a fullback/first five when the squad was being put together,but with Matt Wright also a fullback and Noah Cooper who is a very intelligent outside back in the mix,he is also a fullback possibility.
Debreczeni will be the starting pivot
Northland have 2 x preseason games
2nd August 2:30pm v Counties Manukau in Pukekohe
9th August 2:pm v Southland at the Papatoetoe Rugby Club Auckland. -
@steven-harris said in Mitre 10 Cup 2018:
Midfield I am thinking Ranger/Goodhue or Ranger/Hohaia
Suggest Goodhue won't play many Northland games this year
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@booboo be surprised if Goodhue even gets 2-3 games in the Cambridge blue jersey this year,that’s why I did the combos,the interesting wild card will be Regan Verney whom was signed from Wellington,but from what I understand picked up an injury playing club footy ,,so don’t know his current status injury wise
Hopefully someone in Wellington can enlighten me, -
Fair bit of guess work gone into this?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=12091171
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@taniwharugby Got work with what you’ve got I guess..
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I'm keen to see how Roberts-Te Nana goes, is tall, good balance and gas...
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@steven-harris what aboutTua?
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@kev Good point,while looking over the squad,I completely missed Sweetman,I would imagine he would have been in a battle with Temo Mayanavanua from Waipu as the 4th lock and selectors decided to go with the more athletic man.
As for Tua,he’s gonna have to a bit to win me back over,it was great to see him get some game time for the Blues,but in all honesty if he had not broke his hand doing dumb stuff,he would have got way more time in a Blues Jersey given their injuries and that you can only attribute which I believe is an issue since his elevation to super level,needs to have a very good season and show he has potential.Interesting to see Chris Apoua has been picked up by Southland,I remember Dale MacLeod telling me,Chris has got potential,but fitness was an issue...wish him well apart from when he plays us.
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@steven-harris so Dale likely have dragged Apoua down there.
We never got to see much of Apoua after his brief outing when he got hooked after subbing on a short time earlier in a match when his scrumming really struggled.
