BOP v Canterbury (SF)

[Duluth]

1 Aidan Ross, 2 Kurt Eklund (c), 3 Benet Kumeroa, 4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 5 Aisake Vakasiuola, 6 Jacob Norris, 7 Joe Johnston, 8 Nikora Broughton, 9 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 10 Kaleb Trask, 11 Reon Paul, 12 Willis Halaholo, 13 Emoni Narawa, 14 Leroy Carter, 15 Cole Forbes

Reserves: 16 Taine Kolose, 17 Josh Bartlett, 18 Filipe Vakasiuola, 19 Kalin Felise, 20 Semisi Paea, 21 Lucas Cashmore, 22 Fehi Fineanganofo, 23 Cody Vai

[Duluth]

1 Finlay Brewis, 2 Brodie McAlister, 3 Joe Moody, 4 Tahlor Cahill, 5 Zach Gallagher, 6 Billy Harmon (c), 7 Corey Kellow, 8 Cullen Grace, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 10 Rameka Poihipi, 11 Ngatungane Punivai, 12 Dallas McLeod, 13 Braydon Ennor, 14 Chay Fihaki, 15 Isaac Hutchinson

Reserves: 16 Ben Funnell, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Seb Calder, 19 Dominic Gardiner, 20 Tom Christie, 21 Willi Heinz, 22 Jone Rova, 23 Ryan Crotty

[Duluth]

In a competition that is getting younger and younger, the Cantabs have some old heads

6 players over 30, 3 of them over 35

[gt12]

That Cantab team looks very strong.
Not sure why they have Grace at 8, I'd switch them around and have Harmon at 8.
Bay at home. Hmmm.

[Canes4life]

@gt12 said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

That Cantab team looks very strong.
Not sure why they have Grace at 8, I'd switch them around and have Harmon at 8.
Bay at home. Hmmm.

Does it look strong? That tight five looks fairly weak to me. Brewis (meh), McAlister (meh), Moody (out of posititon and passed it), Cahill (meh). Certainly not as strong without their ABs in the tight-five.

Loosies and backline solid though.

Canterbury by 10

[Canes4life]

@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

1 Aidan Ross, 2 Kurt Eklund (c), 3 Benet Kumeroa, 4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 5 Aisake Vakasiuola, 6 Jacob Norris, 7 Joe Johnston, 8 Nikora Broughton, 9 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 10 Kaleb Trask, 11 Reon Paul, 12 Willis Halaholo, 13 Emoni Narawa, 14 Leroy Carter, 15 Cole Forbes

Reserves: 16 Taine Kolose, 17 Josh Bartlett, 18 Filipe Vakasiuola, 19 Kalin Felise, 20 Semisi Paea, 21 Lucas Cashmore, 22 Fehi Fineanganofo, 23 Cody Vai

Justin Sangster is a huge loss for BOP.

[darylmitchell]

That BOP backline is certainly one of the strongest in the comp but that pack looks lightweight and average, can't see them winning this one.

[KiwiPie]

@darylmitchell said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

That BOP backline is certainly one of the strongest in the comp but that pack looks lightweight and average, can't see them winning this one.

I can't see it either but I'll go along as it is our first ever home semi-final. And stranger things have happened.

[Duluth]

@KiwiPie said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

@darylmitchell said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

That BOP backline is certainly one of the strongest in the comp but that pack looks lightweight and average, can't see them winning this one.

I can't see it either but I'll go along as it is our first ever home semi-final. And stranger things have happened.

Betting market has BOP as favourites

[ARHS]

The Narawa and Carter x factor...

[bayimports]

@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

@KiwiPie said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

@darylmitchell said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

That BOP backline is certainly one of the strongest in the comp but that pack looks lightweight and average, can't see them winning this one.

I can't see it either but I'll go along as it is our first ever home semi-final. And stranger things have happened.

Betting market has BOP as favorites

Just looking at each teams last game and then losing Sangster up front on top of that 1.97 for Canterbury seems very generous.

[Donsteppa]

GO THE BAY!!!

Now for Clayton or Surf Features to call up some last minute Cantabs into the AB's/AB's XV.

[Bovidae]

@Donsteppa Grace starting to justify being named in the AB XV squad post-match.

[Canes4life]

@Bovidae said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

@Donsteppa Grace starting to justify being named in the AB XV squad post-match.

Razor conveniently said they’ll announce another loosie in 1-2 weeks so he’s definitely waiting to see how far the Cantabs go in the comp.

[ARHS]

Would have hoped decision is simply between Haig and Lio Willie to join AB's. Iose and McWhannell dead unlucky to miss AB XV so would have thought they more likely than Grace. On the other hand Corey Kellow...

[KiwiPie]

@bayimports said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

@KiwiPie said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

@darylmitchell said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):

That BOP backline is certainly one of the strongest in the comp but that pack looks lightweight and average, can't see them winning this one.

I can't see it either but I'll go along as it is our first ever home semi-final. And stranger things have happened.

Betting market has BOP as favorites

Just looking at each teams last game and then losing Sangster up front on top of that 1.97 for Canterbury seems very generous.

$25 for a ticket and put $25 on Canterbury to win - it's worth $50 to see us reach our first ever NPC final or it's a free ticket to a semi-final.

[Duluth]

Kicking off now

[antipodean]

Bad luck Ah Kuoi - good counter ruck but picked it up.

[Stag]

O’Keefe making plenty of questionable calls already, certainly more than you would expect from a ref of his experience…

[NTA]

Canterbury defence is suffocating