NPC 2025

[taniwharugby]

@nonpartizan This Otago team seems a bloody good side, well balanced, reckon they should at least make the final.

[frugby]

Finals Locked in.

Friday: Otago v Waikato
Saturday: BOP v Ta$man, Hawke's Bay v Taranaki
Sunday: Canterbury v Counties

Hard to look past Canterbury.

[Chris]

Canterbury will probably have Darry and McAlister back for next week.

[ACT Crusader]

@frugby said in NPC 2025:

Finals Locked in.

Friday: Otago v Waikato
Saturday: BOP v Ta$man, Hawke's Bay v Taranaki
Sunday: Canterbury v Counties

Hard to look past Canterbury.

My picks for the QFs.

[Bovidae]

I am happier for Waikato to be playing Otago under the roof than Canterbury in whatever conditions. The home teams should be heavy favourites in all QFs.

[cgrant]

This year's has seen a lot of young, exciting players emerge. In a struggling team, Cohen Norrie has done very well. BOP Sinton and Lasaqa (the wing) have been exceptional, IMO. For Otago, Pledger and Casey are two of the reasons why there is a revival down South. Wrampling-Alec is a beast. He's a FAB. Is Maka, the Ta$man hooker, eligible ? He has been very good all season, which is a shame for a player like Oudenryn who has a great potential. And I also like what I saw of Aaron Cruden, this eternal youngster with class to burn.

[Bovidae]

[reprobate]

Jeez that's rough on Otago.

[Grooter]

@reprobate those 3 Waikato players being released was always going to happen good for them, although seeing as tho one reserve prop Tosi is released this weekend I wonder why Bower isn't?

[frugby]

@Grooter The only thing I can come up with, is they think Otago are bound for the semis, so Bower will get another game, whereas they want Tosi to get a game in.

[Yeetyaah]

@reprobate said in NPC 2025:

Jeez that's rough on Otago.

Did you watch the Shield game vs Southland? The 3 of them were fucking shocking.

[Bovidae]

Waikato have had mixed results with the ABs. Terrible (Southland) and above average ( Ta$man). I am assuming G Wrampling is out with HIA so ALB can slot into 2nd 5. Finau to start at lock again, and Jacobson at 6.

[ploughboy]

@Bovidae said in NPC 2025:

Waikato have had mixed results with the ABs. Terrible (Southland) and above average ( Ta$man). I am assuming G Wrampling is out with HIA so ALB can slot into 2nd 5. Finau to start at lock again, and Jacobson at 6.

jezz I'm hoping LJ at 7

[Bovidae]

@ploughboy said in NPC 2025:

jezz I'm hoping LJ at 7

Possible, but Mitch is the co-captain and has played fairly well when on the field. Eti has played big minutes for a 20-yr old who wasn't in the original squad so moving him back to the bench seems the best option. Then it is about the loose forward mix.

[Chris B.]

@frugby said in NPC 2025:

@Grooter The only thing I can come up with, is they think Otago are bound for the semis, so Bower will get another game, whereas they want Tosi to get a game in.

Razor's gone native!

It's why we've got all these bloody Chiefs players in the ABs and now he's boosting those central North Island swamp provinces!

Finlay Christie not released to Ta$man - presumably soon on a plane to Europe.

[Nepia]

@Chris-B said in NPC 2025:

@frugby said in NPC 2025:

@Grooter The only thing I can come up with, is they think Otago are bound for the semis, so Bower will get another game, whereas they want Tosi to get a game in.

Razor's gone native!

It's why we've got all these bloody Chiefs players in the ABs and now he's boosting those central North Island swamp provinces!

Finlay Christie not released to Ta$man - presumably soon on a plane to Europe.

No pleasing you, Razor does you a favour and you're still complaining.

[Chris B.]

@Nepia Very harsh!

Somewhat in regard to the discussion on Jacombe going to the Highlanders, it can be very unpredictable making these deals.

We swapped out Louie Chapman on the assumption that he would be trapped behind Hotham and Christie for the NPC season - and took Mitch Drummond in exchange.

Now Hotham and Drummond are both broken, and Finlay's in AB camp - we're using Renton and Thornally.