Mitre 10 Cup and Bs wider squads named
The Northland coaches have named the wider squads for both the Mitre 10 Cup and Northland B teams after the high performance programme concluded with an internal trial game at Hora Hora on Saturday, June 1 (during the Johnny Isaacs Memorial Maori rugby tournament).
The last contracts for the 35-man Mitre 10 Cup squad will be secured over the next month before the team “goes fulltime” on July 11; while more players will be added to the Northland B’s line-up over the last remaining rounds of local club rugby competitions. The two squads were as follows.
MITRE 10 CUP Forwards: Prop: R Wright* (Wellsford), J Straker* (Kamo), T Stevens (OBM), I Tu'ungafasi* (Mid Northern), B Wiggins* (OBM), A Gale (Kamo), B Abdale-Weir (Waipu); hooker: J Olsen* (Mid Northern), C Matthews (Hikurangi), PJ Atkins (Wellsford), N Hyde (Western Sharks); lock: T Mayanavanua* (Waipu), S Caird* (OBM), L Albornoz (Waipu), J Goodhue* (Kamo), S Sweetman (Wellsford); loose forwards: T Robinson* (Kerikeri), S McNamara* (Waipu), M Matich* (Western Sharks), K Jacobson* (Kamo), J Byrnes (OBM), S Uluinakauvadra (Waipu), J Matiu* (Hora Hora), A Stokes* (OBM). Backs: Halfback: S Nock* (Kerikeri), H Levien* (OBM), C Taylor (Kerikeri); 1st five: J Debrecezeni* (n/a), D Hawkins* (OBM), T Smith (Kerikeri), N Graham (Kamo); midfield: T Tua* (Kamo), B Hohaia* (Kamo), J Cherrington (Mid Northern), M Johnson* (OBM), R Ranger* (Wellsford), J Goodhue* (United Kawakawa); outside: P Leilua (Waipu), R Roberts-Te Nana* (OBM), J Hyland* (Wellsford), P Malimali (W Sharks), S Murray (Kamo), S Gregory* (Hikurangi), Jonty Rae (OBM); * indicates contracted player. NORTHLAND Bs Forwards: Prop: M Tulioma (Waipu), H Richardson (W Sharks), D Patua (OBM); hooker: Z Anderson (Kerikeri), B Tou (Waipu); lock: T Attwood (OBM), P Allen (Otiria); loose forwards: R Moemoedonu (Waipu), F Funaki (Waipu), H Jurlina (Eastern), B Davis (Kaikohe), S Windleborne (Awanui), M Halapio (Wellsford), M Elia (OBM). Backs: Halfback: E Pittman (Waipu), I Arona (Hikurangi), W Grant (Hora Hora); 1st five: K Wiki (OBM); midfield: N Warnock (Wellsford), M Miller (Kerikeri); outside: P Drummond (Kerikeri), P Manako (Waipu), J Macilai (Awanui), M Tuatagaloa (Awanui).