NPC 2025

[Yeetyaah]

@frugby said in NPC 2025:

I’m bravely going to try predict the NPC

I'll do the same with no bias at all.

1. Waikato
   2-14. Everyone else.

[MacDazzler]

Predicted 2025 Ladder

Ta$man
Taranaki
Canterbury
Bay of Plenty
Hawkes Bay
Wellington
Auckland
Northland

Waikato
North Harbour
Counties
Otago
Southland
Manawatu

[UpTheHarbs]

1. Ta$man
2. Taranaki
3. Canterbury
4. Wellington
5. Bay of Plenty
6. HARBOUR
7. Hawkes Bay
8. Auckland
9. Waikato
10. Counties Manukau
11. Northland
12. Otago
13. Southland
14. Manawatū

[Dan54]

@frugby I so hope you right about who's on top. I admit to not being brave enough to list teams in order on how they will finish, as so often there seem to be 'upset' results. Think another reason to love the comp..
Only thing I usually think at beginning is Manawatu and Southland will be at bottom.

[Canes4life]

I'd love Wellington to make it three championships in four seasons but I feel like they've lost too much experience and firepower to the ABs / to injury. For me, Ta$man are huge favourites having Havili, Blackadder and LF available.

A Ta$man backline of 9. Christie 10. Robinson 11. Fainga'anuku 12. Havili 13. Aumua 14. Taumaoefolau 15. Springer is top quality at this level and will take some stopping.

I'd go:

1. Ta$man
2. Taranaki
3. Wellington
4. Canterbury
5. Bay of Plenty
6. Auckland
7. Harbour
8. Hawkes Bay
9. Waikato
10. Counties Manukau
11. Northland
12. Otago
13. Southland
14. Manawatu

[UpTheHarbs]

@Canes4life Your predictions are very similar to mine!

[Canes4life]

@UpTheHarbs said in NPC 2025:

@Canes4life Your predictions are very similar to mine!

Yep, I agree with most of yours, with a few teams in different places.

[Bovidae]

Waikato will still be able to field a strong team without the ABs. Making the top 8 should be a minimum.

I'll post my starting XV when the squad is announced.

[Dan54]

The Naki clocked up preseason win against Wellington yesterday68-28, down in Wellington.

[Canes4life]

@Dan54 said in NPC 2025:

The Naki clocked up preseason win against Wellington yesterday68-28, down in Wellington.

Wasn’t there a similar result in pre season last year? Would be interested to see who played for Welly.

[Bovidae]

Well there is some Waikato rugby news today...

https://www.mooloo.co.nz/newsarticle/155830?newsCarouselId=1833618

[zedsdeadbaby]

Someone was telling me Waikato weren’t planning to publicly release their squad - which sounded so absurd I thought it might actually be true

[Bovidae]

I don't even know if Waikato has played a pre-season game. Hawke's Bay might be the only team that was available to play based on who was/is playing each other.

[UpTheHarbs]

@zedsdeadbaby It's a bit unusual not to have a squad publicly named.

[Dan54]

@Canes4life said in NPC 2025:

@Dan54 said in NPC 2025:

The Naki clocked up preseason win against Wellington yesterday68-28, down in Wellington.

Wasn’t there a similar result in pre season last year? Would be interested to see who played for Welly.

Not sure mate, I don't tend to remember pre season results. Only reason I even knew it came up on my notifications from Naki RU. And even then only knew game was happening ,was when I picked up season tickets from them on Thursday, fella there told me the boys had gone down th Welly for game.

[Canes4life]

@Dan54 said in NPC 2025:

@Canes4life said in NPC 2025:

@Dan54 said in NPC 2025:

The Naki clocked up preseason win against Wellington yesterday68-28, down in Wellington.

Wasn’t there a similar result in pre season last year? Would be interested to see who played for Welly.

Not sure mate, I don't tend to remember pre season results. Only reason I even knew it came up on my notifications from Naki RU. And even then only knew game was happening ,was when I picked up season tickets from them on Thursday, fella there told me the boys had gone down th Welly for game.

Taranaki defs won big in pre season last year as well from memory. The game was played up in New Plymouth.

This was the Bulls team from yesterday:

[Bovidae]

@Canes4life The game was played in Wellington. The home team wore an unusual jersey.

[Canes4life]

@Bovidae said in NPC 2025:

@Canes4life The game was played in Wellington. The home team wore an unusual jersey.

Yeah I know it was in Welly this year, was referring to last year.

[taniwharugby]

@Canes4life that's a strong side, probably very close to full strength and what Northland will face as they defend the Shield next week...I'm thinking it has been about a decade or more since we last won down there.

[Yeetyaah]

@Bovidae said in NPC 2025:

I don't even know if Waikato has played a pre-season game. Hawke's Bay might be the only team that was available to play based on who was/is playing each other.

They apparently played Hawkes Bay yesterday in Taupō but there's no info anywhere.