Northland 2023
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decided to go and watch the Northland dev side hosting BOP this afternoon...weather was meant to be nice, it wasnt...was breezy cool and damp.
In the end, a penalty right on FT by BOP saw a 13-13 draw.
Northland dominated the early exchanges and after about 5 mins wing Dylan Hook went over in an acre of space, only to drop it cold in the act of putting the ball down.
Turns out, this handling error would be the story of the day for both sides as they fumbled thier way around.
1st 40 Northland should really have been well ahead, reckon they had 80% territory and 60% possession, but couldnt get over the line enough...
A well worked try saw Brady Rush stroll in for a try to finally get some reward after 20 mins, then more pressure unable to be converted even while down a man when O'Neal Rongo was binned for apparently raising his arm going into contact, it was then BOP time to attack for the final 5 mins of the half, with Northland looking like they had seen off the BOP only decent challenge, earning a pen, kicking for touch and then a careless slap down of our own lineout saw BOP snaffle a try right on halftime to lead 7-5 at the break.
The second half was just as scrappy, with both sides trading penalties, when in the final quarter Northlands bruising 8 Revelation Letoga with some impressive leg drive marched 20m upfield with multiple defenders trying to bring him down, some quick clean out and quick ball put young Lucas Payne into space and didnt even need his express pace for the 30m run in that put Northland back in the lead.
The final few minutes was a comedy of errors by both teams, but Northland halfback Donald Boyd had his kick to touch with time up partially charged, BOP regathered and worked through the phases earning a penalty on the halfway line, which with the wind at thier backs, sailed over the posts to earn a last minute draw.
Seeing Brady Rush playing today, I am hoping he doesnt get another shot for the Taniwha this season, although alot of his play would fit in well with the AB backs right now with lack of brain engagement.
Revelation Letoga was a handful around the park with some storming runs and good workrate, certainly a big enough lad to move up a level, probably needs a bit more fitness.
Jordan Trainor had a run, a few good touches but play didnt really go his way, Kobie Scutt ran things well at 10, although a couple of crucial kicks to touch (out on full ended up being costly)
Deon Mau'u in the centres worked hard, also could do with fitness too, althogh one very costly decision to let a ball bounce put BOP in prime attacking position that lead to a penalty score.
Like the look of Lucas Payne, was in Blues age group last year or year before, has had a long term injury I believe, but has put on some good muscle but doesnt look to have lost any pace, another youngster who I think I'd be giving a shot at the next level before others...
Open side Brady Foster has a great workrate, tackling, cleaning and carrying.
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Auckland Development 45
Northland Development 28The Northland development squad with will lament giving their Auckland development counter parts too much possesion and field position in the closing 15 minutes in what was a competitive and entertaining fixture played at Orakei Domain in Auckland on Saturday
The home side laying on 2 late tries to ease away to a 45-28 victory after leading 26-20 at the break.Auckland Development are always a tough nut to crack especially given the personal they have at their disposal and this was no exception, several players with Npc experience along with 3 NZ under 20 players on deck , one in particular Sam Hainsworth Fa’aofo who normally plays at 7 turning out at in the number 8 jersey showing some superb footwork to beat the last Northland defender to touch down for Aucklands first try after Ryan Nankivell had given the visitors the early lead with a penalty
Nankivell would spark a superb period for the visitors picking off a loose pass from the hosts to outsprint Auckland first five Jock Mckenzie from 70 metres out
Halfback RKelly Rush would would be the next to score taking advantage of a retreating Auckland pack with a quickly taken tap catching the defence unaware to stun the hosts
And to put some icing on a great 10 minutes ,Tama Anderson would finish of an outstanding team try to have the visitors up 20-7But knowing the quality of hosts ,they would hit back 3 times before the break reverting to their big pack to rumble over from close range from a lineout drive , the 2nd coming from a brilliant out the back pass which freed Jock McKenzie up to touch down and right on the break lively halfback Ngakete George diving over after some great work coming from the Auckland forwards , a double blow for Northland with loose forward Brady Foster being sent to the bin after series of team infringements
Auckland storming back to lead 26-20 at the break and they would make Northland pay with the numerical advantage ,Auckland Npc winger Joel Cobb touching down 5 minutes into the 2nd half .
However theres a lot to like about this Northland development squad , they refused lye down, the forward pack working overtime to contain a very good Auckland pack and when given the chance many of the attacks were sparked by Brady Rush playing at fullback , Rush who has featured on the wing for the Taniwha looked right at home in the 15 jersey sparking many of Northlands attacks .
Rush always looked to get his 2 wingers Tama Anderson , and Lucas Payne who has returned from a long term shoulder injury involved , it would be Payne who would finish off a very good backline move after 10 minutes of the 2nd half to tighten the game up
A Josh Davis penalty would bring Northland back to 28-31 with 20 minutes to go and looking to have the momentum on their side .
A brilliant run down the touchline from Rory Woods possibly lead to the key moment in the game , Auckland Fullback Byron Smith getting across to make a try saving tackle on the rangy loose forward and picking up a defensive penalty
In the closing stages , there was some great defence from Northland holding out Auckland after some mulitple phases from the forwards , a chip kick out of defence also proved also to be pivitol , with the bounce eluding the Northland player and going straight into the arms of Auckland first five Jock McKenzie who gleefully accepted the gift
Auckland and Moana Pacifika lock Sione Tuipulotu finishing off the scoring for Auckland after Northland made an error chasing the gameDespite going down the visitors pushed hard right to the very only being denied by some very good defence in the final play
For Northland Brady Rush was dangerous everytime he touched the ball,always look to link with his outsides Anderson and Payne , first five Ryan Nankivell and halfback Rkelly Rush also impressed , Rush not afraid to take on some of the bigger Auckland forwards and working well with his first five Nankivell
In the forwards a very solid effort from the pack ,locks Sean Sweetman and O’Neal Rongo got through a ton of work as did the looseforwards Jurlina,Foster and Woods especially
Bruce Kauika Peterson and Tahi Subritzky added plenty of go forward from the bench and Jayden Kemp was lively when he entered the fray .Not the result the lads wanted but its fair to say it was a very good performance against a very good Auckland team despite the end result.
Do apologise its very Northland centric but i have written this for the Northland website
For our Auckland posters , Ngakete George and Jock McKenzie and were outstanding , George picking up a try and Mckenzie picking up a brace , controlled the tempo really well even when Auckland were down 7-20
Byron Smith at fullback was always a constant threat bringing the ball back an Pascalle Dunn a constant menace with ball in handIn the forwards NZ U20 player Sam Hainsworth Fa’’aso who normally plays 7 was outstanding but in the number 8 jersey
The word is hes being chased by Ta$man , so Auckland better move quickly
Cam Church was busy at 7 , as was lock Xavier Cowley Tuioti as a his locking partner Sione Tuipulotu was fantastic at lineout time both on his own ball and disrupting Northland ball
Pakuranga tighthead Sam gave a good account of himself as did Jordon Hutchings at hooker whom i hearing could be on the move north , is orginally from Dargaville.
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Auckland Development 45
Northland Development 28The Northland development squad with will lament giving their Auckland development counter parts too much possesion and field position in the closing 15 minutes in what was a competitive and entertaining fixture played at Orakei Domain in Auckland on Saturday
The home side laying on 2 late tries to ease away to a 45-28 victory after leading 26-20 at the break.Auckland Development are always a tough nut to crack especially given the personal they have at their disposal and this was no exception, several players with Npc experience along with 3 NZ under 20 players on deck , one in particular Sam Hainsworth Fa’aofo who normally plays at 7 turning out at in the number 8 jersey showing some superb footwork to beat the last Northland defender to touch down for Aucklands first try after Ryan Nankivell had given the visitors the early lead with a penalty
Nankivell would spark a superb period for the visitors picking off a loose pass from the hosts to outsprint Auckland first five Jock Mckenzie from 70 metres out
Halfback RKelly Rush would would be the next to score taking advantage of a retreating Auckland pack with a quickly taken tap catching the defence unaware to stun the hosts
And to put some icing on a great 10 minutes ,Tama Anderson would finish of an outstanding team try to have the visitors up 20-7But knowing the quality of hosts ,they would hit back 3 times before the break reverting to their big pack to rumble over from close range from a lineout drive , the 2nd coming from a brilliant out the back pass which freed Jock McKenzie up to touch down and right on the break lively halfback Ngakete George diving over after some great work coming from the Auckland forwards , a double blow for Northland with loose forward Brady Foster being sent to the bin after series of team infringements
Auckland storming back to lead 26-20 at the break and they would make Northland pay with the numerical advantage ,Auckland Npc winger Joel Cobb touching down 5 minutes into the 2nd half .
However theres a lot to like about this Northland development squad , they refused lye down, the forward pack working overtime to contain a very good Auckland pack and when given the chance many of the attacks were sparked by Brady Rush playing at fullback , Rush who has featured on the wing for the Taniwha looked right at home in the 15 jersey sparking many of Northlands attacks .
Rush always looked to get his 2 wingers Tama Anderson , and Lucas Payne who has returned from a long term shoulder injury involved , it would be Payne who would finish off a very good backline move after 10 minutes of the 2nd half to tighten the game up
A Josh Davis penalty would bring Northland back to 28-31 with 20 minutes to go and looking to have the momentum on their side .
A brilliant run down the touchline from Rory Woods possibly lead to the key moment in the game , Auckland Fullback Byron Smith getting across to make a try saving tackle on the rangy loose forward and picking up a defensive penalty
In the closing stages , there was some great defence from Northland holding out Auckland after some mulitple phases from the forwards , a chip kick out of defence also proved also to be pivitol , with the bounce eluding the Northland player and going straight into the arms of Auckland first five Jock McKenzie who gleefully accepted the gift
Auckland and Moana Pacifika lock Sione Tuipulotu finishing off the scoring for Auckland after Northland made an error chasing the gameDespite going down the visitors pushed hard right to the very only being denied by some very good defence in the final play
For Northland Brady Rush was dangerous everytime he touched the ball,always look to link with his outsides Anderson and Payne , first five Ryan Nankivell and halfback Rkelly Rush also impressed , Rush not afraid to take on some of the bigger Auckland forwards and working well with his first five Nankivell
In the forwards a very solid effort from the pack ,locks Sean Sweetman and O’Neal Rongo got through a ton of work as did the looseforwards Jurlina,Foster and Woods especially
Bruce Kauika Peterson and Tahi Subritzky added plenty of go forward from the bench and Jayden Kemp was lively when he entered the fray .Not the result the lads wanted but its fair to say it was a very good performance against a very good Auckland team despite the end result.
Do apologise its very Northland centric but i have written this for the Northland website
For our Auckland posters , Ngakete George and Jock McKenzie and were outstanding , George picking up a try and Mckenzie picking up a brace , controlled the tempo really well even when Auckland were down 7-20
Byron Smith at fullback was always a constant threat bringing the ball back an Pascalle Dunn a constant menace with ball in handIn the forwards NZ U20 player Sam Hainsworth Fa’’aso who normally plays 7 was outstanding but in the number 8 jersey
The word is hes being chased by Ta$man , so Auckland better move quickly
Cam Church was busy at 7 , as was lock Xavier Cowley Tuioti as a his locking partner Sione Tuipulotu was fantastic at lineout time both on his own ball and disrupting Northland ball
Pakuranga tighthead Sam gave a good account of himself as did Jordon Hutchings at hooker whom i hearing could be on the move north , is orginally from Dargaville.@Steven-Harris have to assume RKelly is related to Brady & Rob? Brother or cousin?
As I said to you last week, he came on and played 7 v BOP, so def not afraid to mix it up.
Did Lucas Payne get much space, he looked pretty quick against BOP in his few touches last week.
As I have mentioned before, I'd like to see Nankivell given a chance, is a good size for a 10, has a good kicking game and good accelaration.
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@Steven-Harris have to assume RKelly is related to Brady & Rob? Brother or cousin?
As I said to you last week, he came on and played 7 v BOP, so def not afraid to mix it up.
Did Lucas Payne get much space, he looked pretty quick against BOP in his few touches last week.
As I have mentioned before, I'd like to see Nankivell given a chance, is a good size for a 10, has a good kicking game and good accelaration.
@taniwharugby RKelly Rush is Erics nephew
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A number of Northland lads named in the Blues U18 side
Bradley Knight - Kaitaia College
Rudolph Louw - Kerikeri High
Jake Couling - Kerikeri High
Nathan Salmon - Marist/OBM
Darcy Holwell - Mid Northern
Jacob Lowther - Mid Northern
Fergus Manson - Whangarei Boys HighMonty Parkinson who made it out of Auckland Grammar is a Northland lad too, seen alot of him, Holwell, Lowther and Salmon playing rugby over the years.
Salmon has progressed quicker, and is the only one who played Prem rugby last year, also in the NZ Baabaas age group side and think he was in the Blues U19 dev team earlier this year as well.
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Northland season in review
Seems to be same old same old, a season of what could have been, I guess when you look at the Southland, Manawatu, BOP & Auckland games, we were even closer than usual to a good season with 2 of them lost after 80 minutes and the other 2 with a good shot, but ultimately, we fell short all round.
We had a couple of outstanding wins over Ta$man and HB, while hugely disappointing performances v Southland and Manawatu, then the mixed bag performances against NH, BOP & Auckland.
Up front we used 6 players
Jared Adams, Corey Te Whata-Colley, Remsy Lemisio, Robb Cobb, Wilton Rebolo, Chris ApouaFor me, Adams has quickly become a crucial piece of our puzzle, reminds me a young Ross Wright with his ball skills and running game, really hope we do what we can to keep him – 8/10
Remsy Lemisio got a rough introduction to NPC rugby, getting knocked about at scrumtime by Southland, but as the season wore on, the newbie grew and ended up starting several game, still struggled form time to time, but is a prospect worth persevering with – 6.5/10
Robb Cobb did the job required, got around the park, did a good job at scrum time 6.5/10
Corey Te Whata-Colley was called in as injury cover, I love the way he plays and his attitude, and maintain if he was fit and driven, he’d be starting at super rugby, but he isn’t, and even worse, blew his Achillies - 6/10
Wilton Rebolo came with wraps on his scrummaging and ball running, gotta say I was a bit disappointed – 5/10
Chris Apoua is another player who shows a lot of potential, but through injury and fitness, we simply don’t see him enough – 5/10At hooker we used 3 players
Matt Moulds, Jared Olsen, Bruce Kaukia PetersonMatt Moulds was solid all season, bar a couple of very average throws, his throwing was much improved, and his work around the park is usually very good with and without the ball and strong at scrum time – 7/10
Jordan Olsen was not up to his usual standards, his throwing was inconsistent, his work rate not up to his usual standard, although was back to his best in the last game v Auckland – 6/10
Bruce Kauika-Peterson likely suffered from being messed around behind the 2 veterans as he went from very good in games to poor, although he, like Olsen also didn’t play hooker all year for their club teams – 6/10At lock we used 5 players
Liam Hallam-Eames, Sam Caird, Alan Craig, Sean Sweetman, Hayden Jurlina (debuted as a loosie, but had a start at lock)Liam Hallam-Eames is a real worker, gets in, gets the job done, most noticeably missed v Manawatu when they rolled 3 maul tries over us, when he is there, our maul defence is pretty good – 7.5/10
Sam Caird, another worker, but is a bit looser than LHE, but equally as vital a cog as LHE – 7.5/10
Alan Craig’s season was broken up by injury, looked to be the preferred option at the start, and seems to be growing into a good NPC player, could add a bit of physicality to his game – 6/10
Hayden Jurlina got shoehorned into lock (a week after a solid debut at loosie) when he is a loose forward, unfortunately was shown up a bit – 5/10Loose Forwards we used 8 players
Rob Rush, Matt Matich, Jonah Mau’u, Sam McNamara, Rory Woods, Saimoni Uluinakauvadra, Hayden Jurlina (see above) Matt LetogaRob Rush, dude has a huge motor, always gives it his all with good physicality, central to building a team around – 8.5/10
Matt Matich was probably not up to his usual standards, fell off a few more tackles than he normally would, mixed it up with starts and coming off the bench, still has a big motor and had a hand in some excellent tries this year – 7/10
Jonah Mau’u was very good this year, up there as one of our best, and by all accounts, this is while he was not very fit! Strong, physical and has a nice turn of pace – 8.5/10
Rory Woods is a talented kid, didn’t get to see a lot of him, but rate him in the category with Rush, put a few KGs on his frame and build the team around him – 6.5/10
Saimoni Uluinakauvadra is a bit of an enigma, so often injured, but when he gets out there, does good stuff, wouldn’t mind seeing more of him - 6/10
Hayden Jurlina (see locks)
Matt Letoga got a call up out of no where really, I had seen him the week before in the Dev side, and looked a real handful with ball in hand, and proved similarly in his debut v NH, but fitness seems an issue, would love to see a fit version - not ratedHalfback/1st 5 we used 5 players
Sam Nock, Lisati Milo-Harris, Trent Hape, Rivez Reihana, Dan HawkinsSam Nock spent large parts of the season in the injury ward, had 1 outstanding game, but was solid outside of that, unsure what his plans are going forward, but seems this guy will never fully realise his talent – 7/10
Lisati Milo-Harris got many more starts than he probably expected due to Nocks injury, and bar some poor moments v NH, was very good, has a good kicking game, passing was pretty good and is a good physical 9 – 7.5/10
Trent Hape got a number of chances off the bench, didn’t show much in these aside from a couple of very good kicks, otherwise, probably not quite upto this level – 5/10
Rivez Reihana is growing each year, his confidence and ability to control a game is light years ahead of where he was even at the start of 2022, another player crucial to building a team around – 8/10
Dan Hawkins, clutch…no secret I was not a big fan, but he has grown on me the past 2 or so seasons, his cameos off the bench and his fearless defence have been very good, unsure how much longer he will keep going – 7/10Midfield we used 4 players
Jack Goodhue, Rene Ranger, Blake Hohaia, Tamati TuaJack Goodhue showed his class through the season, but was not able to be used enough, obviously lost some pace, and also had a few moments he wont want to see again, some awful kicks and grabbing at Bryn Gatlands jersey resulting in a ‘no try’ at a crucial point in the game – 6.5/10
Tamati Tua seems to have plenty of talent, has the skills, but these are rarely seen, and in my view he has regressed in the past 2 seasons – 5.5/10
Rene Ranger, the old warhorse, sadly, looks like father time has caught up, and passed this Taniwha legend. His brain still seems to see things, but his body doesn’t seem to be able to keep up, his breakdown steal, chip, regather then fumble in contact v Auckland on Friday probably summed up his career 5.5/10
Blake Hohaia was called in as injury cover, but ended up getting a lot of minutes and bringing up his 50th for the Taniwha, had a good hand in a couple of tries v Ta$man, but otherwise I don’t think he is up to it – 5/10Outside Backs we used 7 players
Josh Moorby, Heremaia Murray, Pisi Leilua, Tama Anderson, Jordan Trainor, Kobie Scutt, Brady RushJosh Moorby is all class at the back, showed it with incisive running and good positioning, def a player we need to hold onto – 7.5/10
Heremaia Murray is magic, this kid has all the skills and talent, reads the game well and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, thus sniffing out tries, picked up several sensational ones and ended up top try scorer in the NPC at the end of the regular season, should be playing super rugby – 8.5/10
Brady Rush looks to have bulked up and lost a bit of pace, seemed to really struggle to get into games and lacked a bit of game sense with poor decision making, showed some promise in the opening game, so the ability is there – 5/10
Jordan Trainor spent most of the season on the injury ward, but came in late where he had some nice touches and then filled in admirably for Moorby in the season finale – 6/10
Tama Anderson was messed about at the start of the season, looked like he was not going to get a shot, but kept working and started v HB and scored a double, small in stature, but seems pretty smart with good pace and awareness – 6/10
Kobie Scutt got his debut early on, did his job and wasn’t seen again - not rated
Pisi Leilua broker his arm in the opening game – not rated -
Northland season in review
Seems to be same old same old, a season of what could have been, I guess when you look at the Southland, Manawatu, BOP & Auckland games, we were even closer than usual to a good season with 2 of them lost after 80 minutes and the other 2 with a good shot, but ultimately, we fell short all round.
We had a couple of outstanding wins over Ta$man and HB, while hugely disappointing performances v Southland and Manawatu, then the mixed bag performances against NH, BOP & Auckland.
Up front we used 6 players
Jared Adams, Corey Te Whata-Colley, Remsy Lemisio, Robb Cobb, Wilton Rebolo, Chris ApouaFor me, Adams has quickly become a crucial piece of our puzzle, reminds me a young Ross Wright with his ball skills and running game, really hope we do what we can to keep him – 8/10
Remsy Lemisio got a rough introduction to NPC rugby, getting knocked about at scrumtime by Southland, but as the season wore on, the newbie grew and ended up starting several game, still struggled form time to time, but is a prospect worth persevering with – 6.5/10
Robb Cobb did the job required, got around the park, did a good job at scrum time 6.5/10
Corey Te Whata-Colley was called in as injury cover, I love the way he plays and his attitude, and maintain if he was fit and driven, he’d be starting at super rugby, but he isn’t, and even worse, blew his Achillies - 6/10
Wilton Rebolo came with wraps on his scrummaging and ball running, gotta say I was a bit disappointed – 5/10
Chris Apoua is another player who shows a lot of potential, but through injury and fitness, we simply don’t see him enough – 5/10At hooker we used 3 players
Matt Moulds, Jared Olsen, Bruce Kaukia PetersonMatt Moulds was solid all season, bar a couple of very average throws, his throwing was much improved, and his work around the park is usually very good with and without the ball and strong at scrum time – 7/10
Jordan Olsen was not up to his usual standards, his throwing was inconsistent, his work rate not up to his usual standard, although was back to his best in the last game v Auckland – 6/10
Bruce Kauika-Peterson likely suffered from being messed around behind the 2 veterans as he went from very good in games to poor, although he, like Olsen also didn’t play hooker all year for their club teams – 6/10At lock we used 5 players
Liam Hallam-Eames, Sam Caird, Alan Craig, Sean Sweetman, Hayden Jurlina (debuted as a loosie, but had a start at lock)Liam Hallam-Eames is a real worker, gets in, gets the job done, most noticeably missed v Manawatu when they rolled 3 maul tries over us, when he is there, our maul defence is pretty good – 7.5/10
Sam Caird, another worker, but is a bit looser than LHE, but equally as vital a cog as LHE – 7.5/10
Alan Craig’s season was broken up by injury, looked to be the preferred option at the start, and seems to be growing into a good NPC player, could add a bit of physicality to his game – 6/10
Hayden Jurlina got shoehorned into lock (a week after a solid debut at loosie) when he is a loose forward, unfortunately was shown up a bit – 5/10Loose Forwards we used 8 players
Rob Rush, Matt Matich, Jonah Mau’u, Sam McNamara, Rory Woods, Saimoni Uluinakauvadra, Hayden Jurlina (see above) Matt LetogaRob Rush, dude has a huge motor, always gives it his all with good physicality, central to building a team around – 8.5/10
Matt Matich was probably not up to his usual standards, fell off a few more tackles than he normally would, mixed it up with starts and coming off the bench, still has a big motor and had a hand in some excellent tries this year – 7/10
Jonah Mau’u was very good this year, up there as one of our best, and by all accounts, this is while he was not very fit! Strong, physical and has a nice turn of pace – 8.5/10
Rory Woods is a talented kid, didn’t get to see a lot of him, but rate him in the category with Rush, put a few KGs on his frame and build the team around him – 6.5/10
Saimoni Uluinakauvadra is a bit of an enigma, so often injured, but when he gets out there, does good stuff, wouldn’t mind seeing more of him - 6/10
Hayden Jurlina (see locks)
Matt Letoga got a call up out of no where really, I had seen him the week before in the Dev side, and looked a real handful with ball in hand, and proved similarly in his debut v NH, but fitness seems an issue, would love to see a fit version - not ratedHalfback/1st 5 we used 5 players
Sam Nock, Lisati Milo-Harris, Trent Hape, Rivez Reihana, Dan HawkinsSam Nock spent large parts of the season in the injury ward, had 1 outstanding game, but was solid outside of that, unsure what his plans are going forward, but seems this guy will never fully realise his talent – 7/10
Lisati Milo-Harris got many more starts than he probably expected due to Nocks injury, and bar some poor moments v NH, was very good, has a good kicking game, passing was pretty good and is a good physical 9 – 7.5/10
Trent Hape got a number of chances off the bench, didn’t show much in these aside from a couple of very good kicks, otherwise, probably not quite upto this level – 5/10
Rivez Reihana is growing each year, his confidence and ability to control a game is light years ahead of where he was even at the start of 2022, another player crucial to building a team around – 8/10
Dan Hawkins, clutch…no secret I was not a big fan, but he has grown on me the past 2 or so seasons, his cameos off the bench and his fearless defence have been very good, unsure how much longer he will keep going – 7/10Midfield we used 4 players
Jack Goodhue, Rene Ranger, Blake Hohaia, Tamati TuaJack Goodhue showed his class through the season, but was not able to be used enough, obviously lost some pace, and also had a few moments he wont want to see again, some awful kicks and grabbing at Bryn Gatlands jersey resulting in a ‘no try’ at a crucial point in the game – 6.5/10
Tamati Tua seems to have plenty of talent, has the skills, but these are rarely seen, and in my view he has regressed in the past 2 seasons – 5.5/10
Rene Ranger, the old warhorse, sadly, looks like father time has caught up, and passed this Taniwha legend. His brain still seems to see things, but his body doesn’t seem to be able to keep up, his breakdown steal, chip, regather then fumble in contact v Auckland on Friday probably summed up his career 5.5/10
Blake Hohaia was called in as injury cover, but ended up getting a lot of minutes and bringing up his 50th for the Taniwha, had a good hand in a couple of tries v Ta$man, but otherwise I don’t think he is up to it – 5/10Outside Backs we used 7 players
Josh Moorby, Heremaia Murray, Pisi Leilua, Tama Anderson, Jordan Trainor, Kobie Scutt, Brady RushJosh Moorby is all class at the back, showed it with incisive running and good positioning, def a player we need to hold onto – 7.5/10
Heremaia Murray is magic, this kid has all the skills and talent, reads the game well and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, thus sniffing out tries, picked up several sensational ones and ended up top try scorer in the NPC at the end of the regular season, should be playing super rugby – 8.5/10
Brady Rush looks to have bulked up and lost a bit of pace, seemed to really struggle to get into games and lacked a bit of game sense with poor decision making, showed some promise in the opening game, so the ability is there – 5/10
Jordan Trainor spent most of the season on the injury ward, but came in late where he had some nice touches and then filled in admirably for Moorby in the season finale – 6/10
Tama Anderson was messed about at the start of the season, looked like he was not going to get a shot, but kept working and started v HB and scored a double, small in stature, but seems pretty smart with good pace and awareness – 6/10
Kobie Scutt got his debut early on, did his job and wasn’t seen again - not rated
Pisi Leilua broker his arm in the opening game – not rated@taniwharugby Superb overview i would’nt have changed too much myself ,i was a tad disappointed with BKP hes got the dynamics and the physicality to succeed at another level but probably went back a few steps with poor lineout throwing and their were some question marks over his scrummaging as well.
There may have been some off field issues at play tooTamati Tua was another that disappointed ,i really thought after his season with the Brumbies he would bring some much needed form and leadership given his tenure in the team but in the main only put in a couple of half decent performances
Jonah Ma’u was top draw in a couple of games but then tappered off when we really needed his presence .
Strayed away from his role at times , looking to contest breakdowns that were already lost which i know annoyed the coaching staff.Agree strongly with both Ranger and Hohaia ,i was hoping Rene would make an announcement ,absolute legend and i hope he still plays for Wellsford maybe as a player coach or even helping out with the Northland Dev squad next year.
As for Blake ,credit to the guy for playing 50 games but in my opinion hes not the future ,ticks boxes around S & C but his influence on some players off the field is not what we need
Finally theres some players that i have so much time for and i really do hope moving forward they are implimented into the Northland coaching set up and thats Dan Hawkins and Matt Matich .
Matt would be ideal in an academy set up.
Both have a great work ethic , be interesting to see they both prepared to follow the Taniwha jersey again for 2024
@taniwharugby any idea how many games both have played..? -
@taniwharugby Superb overview i would’nt have changed too much myself ,i was a tad disappointed with BKP hes got the dynamics and the physicality to succeed at another level but probably went back a few steps with poor lineout throwing and their were some question marks over his scrummaging as well.
There may have been some off field issues at play tooTamati Tua was another that disappointed ,i really thought after his season with the Brumbies he would bring some much needed form and leadership given his tenure in the team but in the main only put in a couple of half decent performances
Jonah Ma’u was top draw in a couple of games but then tappered off when we really needed his presence .
Strayed away from his role at times , looking to contest breakdowns that were already lost which i know annoyed the coaching staff.Agree strongly with both Ranger and Hohaia ,i was hoping Rene would make an announcement ,absolute legend and i hope he still plays for Wellsford maybe as a player coach or even helping out with the Northland Dev squad next year.
As for Blake ,credit to the guy for playing 50 games but in my opinion hes not the future ,ticks boxes around S & C but his influence on some players off the field is not what we need
Finally theres some players that i have so much time for and i really do hope moving forward they are implimented into the Northland coaching set up and thats Dan Hawkins and Matt Matich .
Matt would be ideal in an academy set up.
Both have a great work ethic , be interesting to see they both prepared to follow the Taniwha jersey again for 2024
@taniwharugby any idea how many games both have played..?@Steven-Harris edited
according to Wiki, Dan is on 80, Matich 65.
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Northland season in review
Seems to be same old same old, a season of what could have been, I guess when you look at the Southland, Manawatu, BOP & Auckland games, we were even closer than usual to a good season with 2 of them lost after 80 minutes and the other 2 with a good shot, but ultimately, we fell short all round.
We had a couple of outstanding wins over Ta$man and HB, while hugely disappointing performances v Southland and Manawatu, then the mixed bag performances against NH, BOP & Auckland.
Up front we used 6 players
Jared Adams, Corey Te Whata-Colley, Remsy Lemisio, Robb Cobb, Wilton Rebolo, Chris ApouaFor me, Adams has quickly become a crucial piece of our puzzle, reminds me a young Ross Wright with his ball skills and running game, really hope we do what we can to keep him – 8/10
Remsy Lemisio got a rough introduction to NPC rugby, getting knocked about at scrumtime by Southland, but as the season wore on, the newbie grew and ended up starting several game, still struggled form time to time, but is a prospect worth persevering with – 6.5/10
Robb Cobb did the job required, got around the park, did a good job at scrum time 6.5/10
Corey Te Whata-Colley was called in as injury cover, I love the way he plays and his attitude, and maintain if he was fit and driven, he’d be starting at super rugby, but he isn’t, and even worse, blew his Achillies - 6/10
Wilton Rebolo came with wraps on his scrummaging and ball running, gotta say I was a bit disappointed – 5/10
Chris Apoua is another player who shows a lot of potential, but through injury and fitness, we simply don’t see him enough – 5/10At hooker we used 3 players
Matt Moulds, Jared Olsen, Bruce Kaukia PetersonMatt Moulds was solid all season, bar a couple of very average throws, his throwing was much improved, and his work around the park is usually very good with and without the ball and strong at scrum time – 7/10
Jordan Olsen was not up to his usual standards, his throwing was inconsistent, his work rate not up to his usual standard, although was back to his best in the last game v Auckland – 6/10
Bruce Kauika-Peterson likely suffered from being messed around behind the 2 veterans as he went from very good in games to poor, although he, like Olsen also didn’t play hooker all year for their club teams – 6/10At lock we used 5 players
Liam Hallam-Eames, Sam Caird, Alan Craig, Sean Sweetman, Hayden Jurlina (debuted as a loosie, but had a start at lock)Liam Hallam-Eames is a real worker, gets in, gets the job done, most noticeably missed v Manawatu when they rolled 3 maul tries over us, when he is there, our maul defence is pretty good – 7.5/10
Sam Caird, another worker, but is a bit looser than LHE, but equally as vital a cog as LHE – 7.5/10
Alan Craig’s season was broken up by injury, looked to be the preferred option at the start, and seems to be growing into a good NPC player, could add a bit of physicality to his game – 6/10
Hayden Jurlina got shoehorned into lock (a week after a solid debut at loosie) when he is a loose forward, unfortunately was shown up a bit – 5/10Loose Forwards we used 8 players
Rob Rush, Matt Matich, Jonah Mau’u, Sam McNamara, Rory Woods, Saimoni Uluinakauvadra, Hayden Jurlina (see above) Matt LetogaRob Rush, dude has a huge motor, always gives it his all with good physicality, central to building a team around – 8.5/10
Matt Matich was probably not up to his usual standards, fell off a few more tackles than he normally would, mixed it up with starts and coming off the bench, still has a big motor and had a hand in some excellent tries this year – 7/10
Jonah Mau’u was very good this year, up there as one of our best, and by all accounts, this is while he was not very fit! Strong, physical and has a nice turn of pace – 8.5/10
Rory Woods is a talented kid, didn’t get to see a lot of him, but rate him in the category with Rush, put a few KGs on his frame and build the team around him – 6.5/10
Saimoni Uluinakauvadra is a bit of an enigma, so often injured, but when he gets out there, does good stuff, wouldn’t mind seeing more of him - 6/10
Hayden Jurlina (see locks)
Matt Letoga got a call up out of no where really, I had seen him the week before in the Dev side, and looked a real handful with ball in hand, and proved similarly in his debut v NH, but fitness seems an issue, would love to see a fit version - not ratedHalfback/1st 5 we used 5 players
Sam Nock, Lisati Milo-Harris, Trent Hape, Rivez Reihana, Dan HawkinsSam Nock spent large parts of the season in the injury ward, had 1 outstanding game, but was solid outside of that, unsure what his plans are going forward, but seems this guy will never fully realise his talent – 7/10
Lisati Milo-Harris got many more starts than he probably expected due to Nocks injury, and bar some poor moments v NH, was very good, has a good kicking game, passing was pretty good and is a good physical 9 – 7.5/10
Trent Hape got a number of chances off the bench, didn’t show much in these aside from a couple of very good kicks, otherwise, probably not quite upto this level – 5/10
Rivez Reihana is growing each year, his confidence and ability to control a game is light years ahead of where he was even at the start of 2022, another player crucial to building a team around – 8/10
Dan Hawkins, clutch…no secret I was not a big fan, but he has grown on me the past 2 or so seasons, his cameos off the bench and his fearless defence have been very good, unsure how much longer he will keep going – 7/10Midfield we used 4 players
Jack Goodhue, Rene Ranger, Blake Hohaia, Tamati TuaJack Goodhue showed his class through the season, but was not able to be used enough, obviously lost some pace, and also had a few moments he wont want to see again, some awful kicks and grabbing at Bryn Gatlands jersey resulting in a ‘no try’ at a crucial point in the game – 6.5/10
Tamati Tua seems to have plenty of talent, has the skills, but these are rarely seen, and in my view he has regressed in the past 2 seasons – 5.5/10
Rene Ranger, the old warhorse, sadly, looks like father time has caught up, and passed this Taniwha legend. His brain still seems to see things, but his body doesn’t seem to be able to keep up, his breakdown steal, chip, regather then fumble in contact v Auckland on Friday probably summed up his career 5.5/10
Blake Hohaia was called in as injury cover, but ended up getting a lot of minutes and bringing up his 50th for the Taniwha, had a good hand in a couple of tries v Ta$man, but otherwise I don’t think he is up to it – 5/10Outside Backs we used 7 players
Josh Moorby, Heremaia Murray, Pisi Leilua, Tama Anderson, Jordan Trainor, Kobie Scutt, Brady RushJosh Moorby is all class at the back, showed it with incisive running and good positioning, def a player we need to hold onto – 7.5/10
Heremaia Murray is magic, this kid has all the skills and talent, reads the game well and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, thus sniffing out tries, picked up several sensational ones and ended up top try scorer in the NPC at the end of the regular season, should be playing super rugby – 8.5/10
Brady Rush looks to have bulked up and lost a bit of pace, seemed to really struggle to get into games and lacked a bit of game sense with poor decision making, showed some promise in the opening game, so the ability is there – 5/10
Jordan Trainor spent most of the season on the injury ward, but came in late where he had some nice touches and then filled in admirably for Moorby in the season finale – 6/10
Tama Anderson was messed about at the start of the season, looked like he was not going to get a shot, but kept working and started v HB and scored a double, small in stature, but seems pretty smart with good pace and awareness – 6/10
Kobie Scutt got his debut early on, did his job and wasn’t seen again - not rated
Pisi Leilua broker his arm in the opening game – not rated@taniwharugby excellent review. Sean Sweetman not rated which is fair given lack of game time. The player I was most disappointed not to see more of was Tama Anderson but he is very young and though small still has a big future - our Reece Walsh maybe. Players of the season for me were Adams, Rob Rush, Reihana, Harris, Murray, Moorby…plus some really solid performances from others.
We really must start our season a lot better next year - fit players including injuries, proper preseason e.g. 3 games not 1. And look to find consistency in performance. Loss to Manawatu and draw with Southland (who both finished below us) illustrate that we are an inconsistent team.
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@taniwharugby excellent review. Sean Sweetman not rated which is fair given lack of game time. The player I was most disappointed not to see more of was Tama Anderson but he is very young and though small still has a big future - our Reece Walsh maybe. Players of the season for me were Adams, Rob Rush, Reihana, Harris, Murray, Moorby…plus some really solid performances from others.
We really must start our season a lot better next year - fit players including injuries, proper preseason e.g. 3 games not 1. And look to find consistency in performance. Loss to Manawatu and draw with Southland (who both finished below us) illustrate that we are an inconsistent team.
@kev ha, I completely missed rating him, but would be 5/10, was a bit disappointed in him TBF, and given what I saw of him at club, I was surprised he was offered a full contract anyway.
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@kev ha, I completely missed rating him, but would be 5/10, was a bit disappointed in him TBF, and given what I saw of him at club, I was surprised he was offered a full contract anyway.
@taniwharugby Probably didn't quite have the impact we expected from him but I would still rank him well ahead of Craig. To me Craig just doesn't have the size or physicality to be a lock.
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@taniwharugby Probably didn't quite have the impact we expected from him but I would still rank him well ahead of Craig. To me Craig just doesn't have the size or physicality to be a lock.
@Chiefy07 feed back i have heard , Craig is a tough rooster at scrumtime its always noticeable when he comes on the scrum looks much better ..has a great workrate stats wise as well
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Players, coaches and management, staff and sponsors came together on last night to celebrate the Northland Semco Taniwha season and those that contributed.
Congratulations to all those that were recognised for their exceptional contribution in 2023.
- Robbie Ball Volunteer of the Year, Chris Fife
- Back Rookie of the Year, Kobie Scutt
- Back of the Year, Rivez Reihana
- Forward Rookie of the Year, Remsy Lemisio
- Forward of the Year, Rob Rush
- Volunteer Services to NPC 2023, Eric Rush
- Volunteer Services to NPC 2023, Glen Subritzky
- Intern Services to NPC 2023, Jamie McElvaney
- Off-Field Performance, Sam Dobson & Lauren McDonald
- Team Man, Dan Hawkins
- Players Player, Heremaia Murray
- Player of the Year, Heremaia Murray
#UpTheTanis #NorthlandProud
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At the awards ceremony, "Blue" was also honoured for his commitment as a fan.
60 odd years, they reckon about 600 games, 48,000 minutes.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyFVpxeLuSv/?igshid=MmU2YjMzNjRlOQ==
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A final tally from the MOTM polls
Final game v Auckland had Rob Rush taking 3, Olsen 2 and then 3 got 1 point.
Season Total
- Rob Rush 11
- Mau'u 8
- Murray 8
- Moorby 6
- Adams 6
- Caird 5
- Hallam-Eames 5
- Milo-Harris 5
- Matich 4
- Reihana 4
- Nock 3
- Moulds 3
- Goodhue 2
- BKP 2
- Olsen 2
- Ranger 1
- Trainor 1
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A final tally from the MOTM polls
Final game v Auckland had Rob Rush taking 3, Olsen 2 and then 3 got 1 point.
Season Total
- Rob Rush 11
- Mau'u 8
- Murray 8
- Moorby 6
- Adams 6
- Caird 5
- Hallam-Eames 5
- Milo-Harris 5
- Matich 4
- Reihana 4
- Nock 3
- Moulds 3
- Goodhue 2
- BKP 2
- Olsen 2
- Ranger 1
- Trainor 1
@taniwharugby said in Northland 2023:
A final tally from the MOTM polls
Final game v Auckland had Rob Rush taking 3, Olsen 2 and then 3 got 1 point.
Season Total
- Rob Rush 11
- Mau'u 8
- Murray 8
- Moorby 6
- Adams 6
- Caird 5
- Hallam-Eames 5
- Milo-Harris 5
- Matich 4
- Reihana 4
- Nock 3
- Moulds 3
- Goodhue 2
- BKP 2
- Olsen 2
- Ranger 1
- Trainor 1
It's in the blood!
