2022 Northland Player Ratings

Thought I’d do a bit of a blurb as I used to do in the past with regards to ratings. These are my opinions only and don’t expect everyone to agree with them. Some players didn’t feature enough to gain a rating but I’ve included them anyway.

Ratings are out of 10.

PROPS

Jared Adams - 7: impressed with this pick up in the off-season. He is a good ball runner and shows a surprising turn of speed. Held his own in set piece but perhaps not as strong as some of our others there.

Elise Fono - 5: definitely in the development phase still, but you can tell he’s going to be good as he gets older and stronger. Would have learnt a lot rubbing shoulders with guys like Ofa Tuungafasi. Got dusted in scrums, but as mentioned he will only get better.

Conan O’Donnell - 4: showed some vigour against Southland with ball in hand but did not really push on as I thought he might. Set piece a problem.

Sila Puafisi - 7: I liked this guy. His scrummaging was very powerful and never let the team down. Not sure about fitness levels, but man is he strong. Hopefully we can keep him on deck for another year at least.

Coree Te Whata-Colley - 6: only let down is fitness, but he ticks every other box. If He can work hard in the off season he will go places. Love his aggressiveness, doesn’t back down to anyone.

Ofa Tuungafasi - 9: Had four outings and did not ease off the accelerator at all as some All Blacks do when returning to provincial duties. Just having him there lifted others too and you could see it. Ironically all games he was involved in were victories plus the fiery scrapping performance in the quarter final loss to Canterbury.

HOOKERS

Bruce Kauika-Petersen - 5: Looked the goods in the early rounds but fell away a bit towards the end. His lineout throwing was his main downfall. I do like him however, and if he can polish those weaknesses he will be good value in years to come.

Matt Moulds - 7: such a good leader and superb around the field. Lineout throwing has always been an issue hence his rating being a bit lower than it should have been. Hopefully we see him next year.

Ross Wright - 5: the centurion showed up for another round of NPC footy and covered prop and hooker as he’s done a lot of the years. Didn’t really standout too much and fitness looks as though it’s slid. Put in a decent showing in the quarter final which was likely his last game.

LOCKS

Sam Caird - 5: spent over half the season on the injury list so didn’t really get to show his wears. The guy is a a class player at this level, and showed that in glimpses, but he obviously wasn’t 100% this year and that reflected on occasion.

Allen Craig - 6: Developing into a really good player. We’ve got to remember he is only very young and as the years go by we will no doubt see him climb the ranks. I like the cut of his jib and see him as a mainstay in our pack in years to come.

Josh Goodhue - 7: Was hanging by all sorts of threads all season long but kept throwing himself about. Has developed into a class senior member of the team and a real reliable weapon when things get tough. Sad to see him leaving for Japan, but I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him in Cambridge Blue.

Liam Hallam-Eames - 7: absolute toiler and aggressive to boot. I like this guy. He’s no thrills and you won’t see him in the flash stuff, but he does his job and does it well. Hopefully he gets rewarded with a Super contract. Got to be on the must sign again list.

LOOSE FORWARDS

Matt Matich - 8: how good to see him back after getting some raw deals with selections in the past. Has shown his leadership value as well, and with Tom Robinsons continuing injury woes I’d like to see him perhaps get rewarded with captaincy on a permanent basis. Never stops trying and will be in the thick of it for 80 minutes.

Jaycob Matiu - 5: probably didn’t see him as much as predicted this year, but that’s testament to good healthy competition in the loose trio. We all know he’s a bruising runner and showed that on occasion this year.

Jonah Mau’u - 7: pretty much made the 7 jersey his own and put in some massive efforts. He’s definitely a player that with a bit of fine tuning will become a high value addition to any squad. Would love to see him work on his jackling over the ball more as he’s the perfect build for it.

Sam McNamara - 6: always gives 100%. Not a flashy type player, but very dependable. Had a few injury concerns this year and featured a bit more sparingly than he has in the past.

Tom Robinson - No rating: only featured twice by my count against Waikato and Auckland. Created the crucial turnover which killed off Auckland but you could tell he wasn’t running on all cylinders. Head knocks are very concerning for him moving forward.

Rob Rush - 9: my player of the year. How good was he! I was concerned when Tom Robinson didn’t feature but Rush stepped in and really stole the show. The aggressiveness and fitness of this guy is outstanding and we are sure to see big things from him in the future.

HALFBACKS

Trent Hape - no rating: got a small cameo against BOP and didn’t disappoint. Not sure of the his plans moving forward, but I’m sure he’ll get more of an opportunity next year.

Lisati Milo-Harris - 7: really stood out in his earlier outings and actually outshone Sam Nock, came back to the pack a bit towards the end of the season but still looks classy. Hopefully he shows up again next year as he has potential to be the number one halfback.

Sam Nock - 5: wasn’t his best year by his standards. Had a few shockers in particular against North Harbour where he had three box kicks charged down which lead either directly of indirectly to tries. Turned it on against Canterbury in the quarter in what was his best showing. Still frustrates with the occasional slow service and bad decisions. We all know he’s way better than he’s been showing!

FIRST FIVES

Johnny Cooper - no rating: only featured twice by my reckoning and didn’t show out at all. Had a lot of early promise when he arrived back in Northland, but hasn’t kicked on.

Dan Hawkins - 6: I’ll put my hand up and say I’ve given Dan a lot of crap over the years, but what we saw this year was way better. I like his role off the bench and he seems to have matured into a bit of a leader as well. Was involved in some clutch moments this year with his kicking. Would not be adverse seeing him go another round in 2023.

Rivez Reihana - 8: Had a way more settled year this year as he wasn’t mucked around between fullback and first five like last year. Has really grown into the role of backline general. Has a good kicking game, but the most impressive part for me is his ability to run the at the line and his defence. He is not a 10 the forwards have to protect!

MIDFIELD

Kalani Going - no rating: hardly featured and got one start against BOP where he was very solid. Good straight hard runner who makes good decisions. Copped a raw deal from the coaches this year. I really hope he sticks around as he will get more opportunities under a new coaching team.

Jack Goodhue - no rating: only featured in two games (Waikato and Wellington). Showed his usual class in both, however would have kicked himself for spilling a pass against Waikato which likely would have lead to a match winning try. Defensive organisation was very valuable against Wellington.

Blake Hohaia - 3: Not going to be too rough here, as I and others have done that enough throughout the season. Not sure what he’s done to continually get selected, had some absolute howlers throughout the year which culminated in his reckless mid air tackle in the quarter final. Either he has a miraculous turnaround in form or he’s not selected at all next year. Had some good touches against Southland but that’s about it.

Rene Ranger - 5: probably the last rodeo for Ranger this year. Definitely showed his age on several occasions and was often guilty of taking wrong options. Had glimpses of his old self though and that was evident against Canterbury in the quarter with some good turnovers. What a servant he’s been though and will be forever one of our greats.

Tamati Tua - 8: my standout back this year. Has really worked hard on his game and become one of our premier players. Strong in the tackle and makes good decisions. I understand he’s off to the Brumbies but sure hope he’s still available for Northland as well.

OUTSIDE BACKS

Pisi Leilua - 3: not a smart player. Has the physical attributes but makes some shocking decisions. Often wanting on defence and seems to have no spacial awareness. If for some reason he can identify his weaknesses he could turn it around, but not likely form all evidence so far.

Jone Macilai - 8: How good has Jone been this year. He’s like a fine wine who keeps getting better. He’s gone from a thin wiry speedster to a power winger over the years. Often defies physics with his busts down the wing. I really hope we can squeeze few more seasons from him. Would not go astray in a super team again either.

Josh Moorby - 7: a very good signing for Northland. Started the season very strong and showed his obvious class. Very good positioning at the back and a good tactical kicker. Faded a bit after he came back from injury but still very solid. I understand other unions are chasing him and it would be a travesty if Northland don’t get his signature for another two seasons at least. Would be quite rank of him to disappear after one season anyway.

Heremaia Murray - 8: outstanding season and up there with one of my players of the season alongside Tua and Rush. Strong, fast and smart, all the attributes you can hope for. Would be equally adept at centre. No surprise that he’s courting interest from Super teams, in particular the Crusaders.

So there it is.. feel free to shoot down or boost up the ratings as you wish!

Moving forward to next year I hope we have a good development plan and set the KPIs even higher for both coaches and players. We can really become one of NZs strongest unions with some fine tuning. My expectations next year would be to go even higher again!

The Silver Fern

J77