Good to hear Macilai has re-signed. If he can get fit and stay fit he will be a massive weapon for us next year. With him and Roberts-TeNana there I don't think we need to recruit from outside the province for outside backs. Ravouvou was talked about but he doesn't seem like the sort of player I want to see us chase.

Feel really sorry for Matich. Has been very consistent for years now and hasn't looked out of place in his few chances at SR yet keeps missing out to unproven youngsters like Sotutu.

I wonder if Ranger does re-sign whether it might be worth looking at putting him on the wing. As much as he was our most dangerous back this year, I also wonder if he was a big part of Hyland not seeing much ball at all. Perhaps if we played a distributor like Gregory at 12 it won't be so bad but if we're stuck with Hohaia playing like this year at 12 we might be better with someone else at 13.

@taniwharugby said in semi final v Waikato:

@chiefy07 think Stokes is closer to a 7 than any of the others in the team, so for me its Matiu/Matich.

What we lose in work rate and accuracy MAtiu brings with his ball carrying and probably harder defence.

The Tua one is interesting, especially as his defence has been poor this season, so he needs to be on ppoint this game otherwise the game could well again get away from us pretty damn quick.

@taniwharugby I think Matich is more than capable of playing 7 at this level. Wasn't he playing 7 for Akl before coming back North? I think Stokes is decent and hasn't done anything wrong but would've liked to have seen Matich in for his defensive work rate - think that will be very important Vs Waikato

Agree on Tua - very important that he is solid in defence. Surprised given how both have played on the wing and how both have played in the midfield this year that they're named how they are.

Biggest surprise for me is Stokes starting ahead of Matich and Tua in midfield whilst Gregory is on the wing. Good to get Ross Wright back. After his defence the last few weeks, Rinakama might be a tad lucky to start.

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

@chiefy07 said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

Wright and Moulds - where I would still rank him personally.

LOL, OK. Not behind Olsen too?

Not currently but if Olsen had the same amount of game time in a top of the table team I'm sure he would look good too. Considering Olsen works full time outside of M10 Cup season I would say he could potentially be better if put in a full time professional environment like Abel has been in for the last 5 years.

I think Ross Wright is the best hooker out of all of them but unfortunately spends most of his time playing loosehead prop.

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

@tim he is of the Going line

IIRC he has been part of a Brumbie Dev/WTG/Main squad for quite a few years, when he played for Northland (suffered a season ending injury fairly early on I think) about 4 or so years back he came and was part of one of the Brumbie squads then.

I suspect they will probably be looking a wee bit closer at him now though.

No he was fit the whole season but ranked behind Wright and Moulds - where I would still rank him personally. IIRC he had a 2 year contract but got out of the 2nd year because he didn't want to be a bench warmer again.

@jc said in British Politics:

@chiefy07 said in British Politics:

A lot of left wing apologists I met try to make it sound like it's all middle aged white people and right wing neo Nazis that voted Brexit or think immigration is out of control. It's most definitely not. I was in a position where I was going to all sorts of different parts of London for work during the Brexit referendum and I always found it interesting hearing peoples thoughts on it.

Well this middle aged white guy voted Remain. And if they have a second referendum I'll probably do so again (even though the idea of a second referendum is retarded). I just don't think unwinding the union is going to solve the problems that the UK has, as many of the Brits seem hellbent on retaining the worst outcomes of EU membership with or without the Europeans. Dollars to donuts the immigration issues that the majority of Leavers wanted to address get reintroduced in nearly identical form as a priority following the exit.

I know you weren't the only one @JC

I didn't vote, as I knew I was moving back to NZ I didn't feel it was my place to vote on something so important for the U.K. I have regretted that ever since as being engaged to a Brit and (hopefully) having kids means either we or kids will likely live there again at some stage in the future.

So much of this game will depend on the injury list.

These are the sorts of games the SR coaches will be looking for guys to step up. So big opportunities for guys like Nock, Matich, Robinson, Hyland, Olsen, Kitto, Tua who may be on the fringes

@majorrage said in British Politics:

And yet, it's the same rhetoric that I've not witnessed once, from anybody living here.

I think a lot of Londoners don't actually know what is going on in their own City. Living over there the last 3 years I was amazed by just how many people largely spend most of their lives in the borough they live in. Venturing out only to catch the bus/coach to Stansted or Gatwick for the week long all inclusive beach holiday at Mallorca or Ibiza etc. I was always shocked how many of them have barely seen their own city let alone their own country. It's one thing living in Wimbledon or Barnes and discussing politics with friends over high tea and a completely different story going to somewhere like Southall, Edmonton Green or Harlesden etc.

A lot of left wing apologists I met try to make it sound like it's all middle aged white people and right wing neo Nazis that voted Brexit or think immigration is out of control. It's most definitely not. I was in a position where I was going to all sorts of different parts of London for work during the Brexit referendum and I always found it interesting hearing peoples thoughts on it.

@duluth said in Steamers in Tauranga:

Thoroughgood over Faiane is about local pathways? What is Debra ahead of Thoroughgood? How much club rugby did he play?

If the player is committed medium term to the province I don't think it matters. He'll be fully in the club comp next year.. it's not a one season thing

I'd say they signed Debreczeni for his experience more than anything else and because he was playing SR couldn't play club rugby. Northland apparently tried to sign Fletcher Smith before JD so it was clear that they wanted at least one experienced 10 and supplement with guys from club rugby. Thoroughgood spent the whole club season up here and would've been regularly watched. He was the form 10 in club rugby so deserved his shot, certainly no better or worse than Faiane in the club games I watched. Maybe it hasn't turned out to be the right choice but the thinking behind it at the time was right.

Faiane is a talented young player earning his way - from what I heard and saw he certainly wasn't bashing the door down in club rugby. Might be good for him slowly making his way.

@taniwharugby I think you're right it would be best if Gregory has another year developing, I just won't be surprised if he gets a gig given how the contracting is going now.

@kev it will be interesting to watch how Tua develops, he's definitely got some talent and size is a natural advantage but hasn't looked like a SR player yet. He showed potential last year but hasn't really built on it this year. As you say, the defence is the big work on and if he can sort that out will be very handy for us.

Agree @taniwharugby that McNamara has been good. Think he will improve a lot over the next few seasons as he gets a bit bigger and more experienced. He's the kind of hard working unflashy player we need in the pack.

The thinking behind selecting Thoroughgood and Blundell ahead of Faiane was sound - if he had played the whole season of club rugby he might have made it. Now that he has been performing in the Bs he gets his chance. NRU have done well to stick to the process to show local guys that their is a pathway. Yesterdays game is an example of showing Club and Development Squad form will be rewarded.

@taniwharugby It probably should be too early but I don't think it's too early for a contract for Gregory given how the squads contract these days. He's showed more than what Tua did last year from a Northland point of view. If he does I hope it's somewhere other than under Tana Umaga. Maybe Crusaders and form an all Taniwha midfield down there