BEST BUY: SAM HENWOOD
Signing up to the 2018 Hurricanes as a No 7 isn’t going to mean huge minutes but supporting Ardie Savea will mean plenty in a Canes squad light on real McCoy opensides.
A late bloomer by local standards, Henwood’s career to date has been stunted by multiple shoulder injuries but a standout 2017 confirmed the promise the Opotiki native had.
Starring for Counties Manukau in the spring, the 26-year-old openside impressed with his offensive tackling technique and knack for pinching and slowing the ball that wasn’t his.
Coupled with a work-rate that borders on obsessive, Henwood was always going to be hard to miss. A shrewd investment.