@taniwharugby gave up seeing the first game,all I can say they must have improved as the day went on.

@tim I think your not too far off the mark

@bovidae he was so keen to look at the opportunity,he even drove up to Whangarei for the interview with the coaches.
We will gladly take him given it’s an area where Northland are a bit thin on the ground.

@taniwharugby agree with your coms regarding Douglas and Matich ,it was always going to be tough holding Douglas if he did not pick up an NZ contract besides I have been told he is looking for a path closer to home and my have aspirations to play for Scotland.
Matich very much in the same boat although the Union went over and beyond to keep him..pushing 3 x contracts under his nose.
There was an offer made to NZ under 20 and Auckland no7 Adrian Choat but I am guessing it cam down to loyalty.

@stargazer thanks for the coverage some interesting results..!

Great to see 22 players already locked in with contracts for the 2019 season.
It’s a massive advantage to be able to get players on the required programs so early in the piece.

Notable omissions are Rene Ranger & Jack Goodhue, but I suspect we will see them back in a Cambridge Blue jersey in 2019 although Goodhue’s playing time will extremely limited if not at all.

Murray Douglas will be loss but that has been offset with the signing of 2017 NZ under lock Sam Caird from Waikato he will add some much needed height at 2.02 metres and with a 116Kg frame there is an opportunity to add on another few Kgs.

Matt Matich and Kara Pryor are looking for opportunities off shore, we wish them well in their endeavours
It has left a hole in the loose forward stocks,but I am pleased the coaches have shown loyalty to the local guys Matiu,Jacobson,McNamara and Aorangi Stokes especially.
The most notable omission is Matt Wright,according to the Northern Advocate he has a few boxes to tick before he can come back into the frame.

Some interesting pieces to the puzzle to ponder over will be
Wiseguy Faiane as a possible back up to Jack Debreczeni that’s if he stays in the union and Renata Roberts TeNana as an outside back,had limited opportunities but looked sharp.
Hoping to see a much fitter and lighter Jone Macilai return in 2019,

Props

Ross Wright (Wellsford)
Ropate Rinakama (Waipu)
Jack Straker (Kamo)
Isileli Tu'ungafasi (Mid Northern)
Boyd Wiggins (OBM)

Hookers
Matt Moulds (Otamatea)
Jordan Olsen (Mid Northern)

Locks
Josh Goodhue (Kamo)
Tom Robinson (Kerikeri)
Temo Mayanavanua (Waipu)
Sam Caird

Loose Forward
Kano Jacobson (Kamo)
Jaycob Matiu (Hora Hora)
Sam McNamara (Waipu)
Aorangi Stokes (OBM)

Halfback
Sam Nock (Kerikeri)
Jono Kitto (Hikurangi)

First Five
Jack Debreczeni

Midfield
Tamati Tua (Kamo)
Scott Gregory (Hikurangi)
Blake Hohaia (Kamo)

Outside Backs

Jone Macilai (Awanui)
Jordan Hyland (Wellsford)

@nepia wishful thinking..!,but I like where your coming from.

Ben Smith the greatest ever fullback to have worn the black jersey in my book..ticked all the boxes in terms of the full all round game and more importantly rarely dropped his standards even when filling in on the wing or centre.
An absolute legend..!

@baron-silas-greenback I wonder what desion you would make given the same opportunity..?.
That’s the angle your missing ..!

@baron-silas-greenback is it any different to all the club players who use to gravitate to Ponsonby back in the day when they were just about unbeatable..
At the end of the day,,the kids and their parents made the decisions to move St Kentigern..can you not see that..?