Hard Year for Prop’s in 2018

Pic: Tamati Williams

Every year I go through the names of players in their positions and start putting them into Rankings within the position I think they will play that year. Then look down the list and try pick out the players I think will be NZSS and Barbarian quality and there is always positions that are just stacked with so much talent and will be the position I will watch through out the year for who will get a jump on everyone else for that “Black” Jersey. I have found that this years position where there is going to be a lot of fight is the Prop position and that is cause there is so many quality Props out there and it will be such a massive battle for all players this year.

The front runner for the Black Jersey to me would be Tamati Williams out of St Kentigern College because he made NZSS last year but there has been mixed voices on if he comes back or not this year. Now Tamati came from Keri Keri HS last year as a No.8 and was transitioned into a Prop which was the right move and worked out well but I still think that he needs more time at Prop in High School level to help him be more stable at scrum time because when you go to club rugby those men dont care about how old you are and they have been doing it for 7 or 8 years already. Prop is a position that when you get exposed as a Prop in the scrums it will really really show and can mentally break you down if your not ready. Tamati Williams would be the one in the lead for that Prop position and he would be the best of them this year and likely Top 5 – Top 10 player in the country. The next few I would look at and I dont really know how to separate these next 4 players but Saula Mau from Auckland GS, Patrick Thacker from Christ College, Pou Sorenson Rotorua BHS and Jack Rose St Andrews College are all standing on that next platform together. All 4 players have the goods and bads about them but for me when finding those things and weighing them up finding where they could be the hardest thing to do. Take a look at Saula Mau and what he brings to the table, as a 6’4-6’5 Prop that is very very physical carrying the ball and for a tall player has very good control at scrum time as well, plays with pace and is pretty fit he can fit so many systems. Patrick Thacker and Saula were in the Barbarians together, Patrick has that physical play around the rucks does the hard work that no one wants to do and is a very very good scrummager maybe the best we have in NZ. Then with Pou Sorenson and Jack Rose both are similar with a very high work rate and very physical on defence and cleaning out rucks and very solid foundation in their feet and hips when it comes to scrums.

So letting you all know about these 5 guys is great and they are definitely 5 you should watch out for this year because I really feel they will give you something to be wowed at position wise if you watch games that way. Is that really all we have in NZ? Hell no! Not at all, we got way more talent then that in just this position. Like I mentioned if Tamati is returning he’ll be the guy to lead the way and Saula right behind him in the Blues Region but there are others. Across the bridge from Saula and Auckland GS there is a kid the same size, same height, obviously same position and both Tongans and Im talking about Zyon Holo from St Peters College. Zyon had a good season last year

thought it would be a bit better but he can only play to his system laid out. Zyon I would like to see unleashed a bit more taking runs from outside the 1st 5/8 and run a “League Line” matched up with 2nd 5/8’s in front of him and then get him on the second Pod set up after his run because he really can create space after each run. Another kid in the Blues Region is Jet Li Vahakolo out of Tangoroa College and he is a beast as well with a very simple game and high work rate. A great player to have in a rainy muddy mess of a field because he really does grind out teams with his physical play. Dont look for him to make 15m breaks on an offload but he will clear out 7/10 rucks down the field off a momentum play. Crusader Faletagoai from Sacred Heart College is a player like Jet Li that you can rely on to out grind his opposition, Crusader is going to be one of the main forces for Sacred Heart this year and watch for him in key moments because he will no doubt be in that mix. Let me press a couple of other guys in your mind OK, look out for Ioane Moanamu from De La Salle College who is maybe the shortest of Props I have mentioned but has a huge running game with explosive off the spot speed and also has power and a passing game too. Another guy One Tree Hills College Sione Faka’iloatonga a very very underrated player that I think should have got a chance to show what he could do because I think he is one of the best ball carriers around and he is quick to pick up speed when he breaks that first line of defence.

Pic: Pou Sorenson

Pou Sorenson is the Chiefs best Prop but there are others out there and they will put some real pressure on him to hold that top spot in the Chiefs Region. Tevita Kofeloa from Manurewa HS is such a solid prop that is very physical and hard to push around or clear out of the way. Tevita to me is still a raw talent that plays the game simple and physical and it will only take someone to take him under their wing and teach him all the little things he could do and the he will blow up. Tevita is not technical at scrum time or anything but because he is so strong in the legs and has a flat back which is great he just wins scrums all the time. Another dude I would watch for is Hamilton BHS’s Keelan Holten-McMullen who is a very short Prop but plays low to the ground and plays the game going forward that he is a hard player to over power. Keelan has a really impressive running style where he is not the fastest but because he is balanced, strong and keeps his legs moving he makes some really good runs.

There are a few guys from the Hurricanes Region that Im keen to see this year and that is from what I have seen last year and just seeing the progress. One guy to look for this year is St Pat Silverstream Prop Luke Chisholm who has worked hard all last year and he made his way to the starting position in the front row. I think this will be his year to break out, put in that work and make a name for himself. A big kid that works hard and gets results, has a solid game in the scrums, gets to rucks and works hard, takes up hits to gain the small meters and helps to stretch time for his backs to get into place. Leo Wiki from Feilding HS was a playing I thought was better when I watched him LIVE and the amount of work he went through and with physical nature he did it in I thought was great rugby to watch. He really puts everything into what he does, hits the line with 100% effort, tackles with 100% effort, blows out rucks with 100% effort and it’s just great stuff to watch. Leo will come back this year with a chip on his shoulder because they lost the Co ed finals and I think it will be great motivation for him to push himself to the next level. Zac Southwick from Hastings BHS is a player I wanted to see last year but with so much talent in that front row he just had to wait his turn and take the minutes that was given but thats what a “Team” is is doing whats best for the team. Zac a big boy up front with a very good knowledge of the game and can move bodies around and clear the way and open up defencive lines with his runs. Not a guy that will jump off the page for you but if you watch him and only him you will see his worth and how much he can offer to a team. He has the skill set to have a big year and I think he will and so it will be interesting to watch.

Pic: Jack Rose

The Crusaders Region this year have a lot of good Props this year which would make for some real interesting scrums. Jack Rose and Patrick Thacker would be the main guys but Patrick has Lachie Gunson as his Propping mate and Lachie is no joke and can “Ball Out” as well. Lachie plays the game with the attitude of take care of my role and everything is fine. Lachie can run the ball, scrum, lifts really well in the line outs, keeps the ball safe at ruck time and tackles strong. Christ College because of these two will make Christ’s front row one of the best in the country this year. Not far from Christ College is Murphy Kupe for Christchurch BHS and he is a massive unit and not an easy guy to stop on the run. Murphy to me was a bit out of shape and unfit but it never really stopped him from making big plays when he needed too. He was so strong when hitting the ball up and then would make a massive clean out, take another hit up then be the one to off load into a gap to a team mate who breaks the defencive line. Murphy should be using this summer to shape up and lift his fitness and if he has done that I think he could bump himself into a NZSS slot that’s how much I like this dudes game. Now Timaru BHS have a kid that really dosent get much shine because he is from Timaru BHS and they dont get talked about much, but Shane Fikken should be mentioned more. Shane is a unit and last year made it clear that he was a serious player to keep an eye on because he makes a massive difference when he is not in the game. Big boy that imposes his weight and size on rucks and just smashes guys out the way to make for the ball to come free, he has a solid set at the scrum and will have some great battles this year as well.