Steamers 2020

[Stargazer]

Confirmed:

[Duluth]

Black > Trask

Trask to play at fullback? Not ideal for the Chiefs if Trask is meant to be their first choice 10 in 2021

[Tim]

@Duluth Narawa plays fullback for BOP often?

[Bovidae]

McMillan needs to have his Chiefs hat on this M10 Cup season.

[Yeahtheboys]

9. TTT 10. Black 11. Tiatia 12 Hollinshead 13.? 14. Narawa 15. Trask

[Stargazer]

@Tim In 2019, they used these players as follows:

Dan Hollinshead: 10 (6x), 12 (2x)
Kaleb Trask: 10 (5x), 22 (1x)
Jason Robertson: 10 (1x), 15 (1x), 22 (4x), 23 (1x)

Emoni Narawa: 14 (9x), 15 (2x), 23 (1x)
Chase Tiatia: 15 (6x), 12 (6x)
Cole Forbes: 15 (1x)
Pryor Collier: 15 (2x), 23 (2x)

So, to answer your question, Narawa started at fullback twice (the last two games). Trask was injured at the beginning and at the end of the season.

[Bovidae]

Comments from Black:

The 25-year-old, who enjoyed a stellar 2020 Super Rugby season, has played more than 50 games for the Turbos since 2014, but said he’s trading provinces after becoming a first-time dad and wanting to be closer to family, and to have a connection to his home region, having grown up in the Eastern Bay of Plenty town of Ruatoki.

“We have a home here in Rotorua now and making sure my family could come and watch me play was a big factor,” Black said.

[Tim]

@Stargazer Thanks!

[Cpt Kumera]

Cant wait to see the blue and gold hoops run out in a months time. Love mitre 10 cup or npc over super rugby

[Snollygoster]

I see the North Harbour preseason game has been canned with only the Whakatane game against Counties still scheduled.

You have to wonder how the competition will pan out with the continued virus out breaks and resulting lockdowns. Theres a distinct possibility some teams won't be able to travel and some games won't be able to go ahead. Fingers crossed this doesn't happen.

[trooa]

Thanks for those @Stargazer, really informative. So many different options they can use with their current backline. Black Narawa Tiatia are automatically picked then everybody else at similar levels with different skillsets so will become whats the best fit for the team. Having that preseason game cancelled & maybe the other since we're playing Counties isn't beneficial when you want to be trying out lots of different combinations. Also gutted with North vs South announcement that Eklund is back in Auckland but not surprised either.

[Bovidae]

@trooa said in Steamers 2020:

Also gutted with North vs South announcement that Eklund is back in Auckland but not surprised either.

The player's provinces listed in the NI and SI squads are their first province for selection eligibility, not necessarily their current province.

[Tim]

@trooa Eklund is playing for BOP this year. He confirmed it when interviewed by Sky TV.

[Snollygoster]

[Yeetyaah]

The full squad will be named on September 6th.

[trooa]

Franklin & Matenga aren't signing. Really lacking a specialist 8 & ball carrying ability in the loose trio.

[Bovidae]

@trooa So unlikely to be involved in SR 2021?

[Snollygoster]

@trooa

Thats not good news.

We will have a better idea of the squad next week when the team for the preseason game against Counties is announced.

Incidentally I'm hearing that that game will be played with no spectators but will be livestreamed.

[Hooroo]

@trooa said in Steamers 2020:

Franklin & Matenga aren't signing. Really lacking a specialist 8 & ball carrying ability in the loose trio.

Why isn't Matenga signing back up?

[trooa]

I'm not sure on Super Rugby but you'd presume back to Japan, he has been running the waters for his local club Opotiki lately. Matenga wasn't interested in a pay cut & had a tiff with Clayton.