Chiefs U18 Squad for 2018

This is the 2018 U18 Chiefs Squad that will take on the Crusaders U18 team, they will be in Camp from the 8th July – 14th July 2018 St Paul’s Collegiate, Hamilton. The Chiefs have selected a lot of young talented players that will grow within the system and be able to back it up next year. They have taken a lot of players our of Rotorua BHS and Hamilton BHS as well and so they should have a strong showing at this Camp. The Chiefs always have a strong showing of Coaches and Pro Players that turn up to this Camp and really pass on that knowledge to the younger Stars coming through. They concentrate a lot on developing a players skills and growth that matches their age and skill level. The Chiefs do a lot of education on the Pro side of things and so the boys know what to expect going into their careers when they leave school and that’s why I like the organization so much at this level and as you can see it translates to the older players in the Chiefs itself.

I want to start with some of the back players that have been selected this year and make note of who or how I think they will fit together. First off they have the No.1 player in the country in Rivez Reihana who is playing at a level that I havent seen a lot of players play at in 1st XV, and he has just come back from injury as well. Rivez has made it known around the country that he is one of the top players in the country by humbly and so unselfishly making the players around him shine and brings out the better player in them which is what you want to see. Rivez has some big time runners on his side with this Chiefs selection with one of my favourite players to watch Paula Mahe out of St Peters School and I think both will gel together nicely and be a very productive one two punch. Then I want to add another name to that and make it a 3 hit combo of Rivez, Paula and Lucas Hall who is from Taranaki and goes to Kings College. Lucas really does open the door to more and more options of outside edge plays because Lucas has a very strong passing game and can get the wing the ball and with space.

They do have other options like Jonwa Taumateine at 2nd 5/8 who has been playing so well this year and has really worked on his fitness which to me was his down fall for the past 2 years. Jonwa has great hands and has a very high rugby IQ and vision for the right play. I could see Jonwa work well with someone like William Guthrie in a mid field that could also be linked to a guy like Valynce Te Whare-Crosby who has been out all year with a hand injury but has still got the goods to back himself up on the wing. I like the looks of Nicholas Nasila who packs speed out wide but knows how to work down the side line in a small space. I think that Nicholas can shut down on defence as well and so I think that will work well with Fullbacks like Selestino Ravutaumada who I think maybe one of the best Fullbacks in the country. Liam Wilson only Year 12 is also there and Tama Te Aute from Rotorua BHS and then Jermahl Hapi who I think would be a better winger then Fullback and would be great on attack.

Granted Rivez Reihana is the top player at 1st 5/8 the Chiefs still have some other strong options like Larenz Tupaea and Jacob Kneekins who I like a lot at 1st 5/8 but plays 2nd 5/8 for Francis Douglas for some reason. Larenz has made an even bigger name for himself this year guiding his team around and matching players up the field and have been sending waves of runners at every team they have played. Jacob Kneepkins to me needs to play more in 1st 5/8 so he can fully show his range of play making skills and has a very underrated kicking game that should maybe be used more. Now the Half Backs for this year are Cortez Ratima, Manu Paea, Kristian Standen and Tepaea Cook Savage all real quality and all young as well and 3 of the 4 Half Backs can come back next and will be a hard Region to be a Half Back in next year. Manu Paea is the player that will give you more stronger defence around the rucks when the forwards get tied in, he is bigger and maybe a bit stronger as well and so I think that what separates him from the others. Cortez plays at a higher game pace and gets that ball flying and clears the rucks right away, Kristian has that pure Half Back feel to his game with a bit more speed and Tepaea has a big time X-Factor feel about him and he can open up a game just like that and no one will see it coming.

The loose forwards is a position that is going to be up in the air in terms of who they will select and how they will play them because of the range of players they have to choose from. Simon Parker for me is going to be in there and at Blind Side as well I think he has showed this year that he brings a lot of toughness and a level head to the team. Simon I think would work well with someone like Tom Martin who they have at Lock but I feel is to short but if they had Tom at 6 and Simon at 8 with Taituha Woller or Jake Russ at 7. Here is something they would have to look at as well and which brings a lot of debate and the question would be, where does Tuki Simpkins go? Because to me he is one of the best players in the country and I still think he could NZSS this year. So they will be looking at Simon at 6 and Tuki at 8 and then Jake or Taituha Woller in at 7. Gabrielle Wilson has been having a strong year with Pukekohe HS and is looked at to be a player that could push himself into that conversation of starting at No.8, and I dont want to count out Shie Jie Yong because of his natural talent. They have been trying Shie Jie at No.8 but I think coming from Center I would try him at Open Side and get him to “Ball Hawk” all day to get those turnovers. Thor Manase has stepped up a lot for Wesley College and showing those signs of things to come and with Simione Ofa I would try him at Prop because of his size and power and with his running game it adds a lot to how you setup your POD’s with a guy like him there.

I would see Alex McRobbie as the main Lock and the go to player and so the next ones to look at and that’s where Tom comes into the convo. The problem with that is that Josh Lord being 6’7 -6’8 and a Young Year 13 he could fit that role a lot better because he has that height. Those 3 could be the ones they go with but who would start is my question and then why? Daniel Johnson has played really well this and I see him more of a Blind Side but he looks around 6’4-6’5 and moves around the park quickly and he is very strong and aggressive. So however they sort this out I think its going to be real interesting and Im keen to see what they do with those players. When you look at the line out itself and the option you could go with it could have Tom, Alex, Simon and Tuki all four players who can jump and will be stronger in the air.

The front rows are going to be something cool to see because they do have a lot of good options and rotations they can go with and I think it will work. The guys they have arent the tallest players but they have strong technical scrummagers that know how to pack down and get under their opposite. They have picked Keelan Holten-Mc Mullen as a Hooker even though he plays Prop and that is the same as Mairenga Laapo who is a scoring machine and plays the game at real pace. I think they will go with a front row of Corrigan Miller and Pou Sorenson as Props and Keelan as the Hooker which will give them a tidy and steady set piece scrum to run off and they work around the field as well. Taane Beach and Leuatea Alo Tema would be great back ups for this front row because I can see them all playing together and not dropping that standard when the changes come on. Tutarangi Anderson is a player to watch out for because he has some real quality to his game that you know that he can really put in that work carring the ball and making those meters little by little. Connor Brunton is another guy I like alot and think he can be another good option to bring out with Mairenga Laapo who can extend your field and get the mismatch tacklers out wide.

Prop

Corrigan Miller (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki)
Leuatea Alo Tema (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty)
Zac Ririnui (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty) Y12
Vincent Green (Hamilton BHS, Waikato)
Connor Brunton (Hamilton BHS, Waikato)
Pou Sorenson (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty)
Nirai Ririnui (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty) Y12
Tutarangi Anderson (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki) Y12

Hooker

Bernie Hati (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty)
Keelan Holten McMullen (Hamilton BHS, Waikato)
Taane Beech (Wesley College, Counties)
Mairenga Laapo (Francis Douglas Memorial College, Taranaki) Y12

Lock

Josh Lord (Hamilton BHS, Waikato) Y12?
Tom Martin (Hamilton BHS, Waikato)
Alex McRobbie (St Kentigern College, Counties)
Daniel Johnson (St Paul’s Collegiate, Waikato) Y12
AJ Lagalaga Slade (Manurewa HS, Counties)
Hemopo Cunningham (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty) Y12

Loose Forward

Simon Parker (St Peter’s School, Waikato)
Te Aparua Tata (Te Wharekura o Mauao, Bay Of Plenty)
Jake Russ (Hamilton BHS, Waikato)
Gabrielle Wilson (Pukekohe HS, Counties)
Taituha Woller (Te Wharekura o Mauao, Bay Of Plenty)
Thor Manase (Wesley College, Counties) Y12
Tuki Simpkins (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty) Y12
Simione Ofa (Wesley College, Counties)
Shie Jie Yong (Tauranga BC, Bay Of Plenty)
Te Rama Reuben (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty) Y12

Halfback

Cortez Lee Ratima (Hamilton BHS, Waikato) Y12?
Manu Paea (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty) Y12
Kristian Standen (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki)
Tepaea Cook Savage (St Paul’s Collegiate, Waikato) Y12

First Five

Rivez Reihana (Waikato)
Larenz Tupaea (Wesley College, Counties)

Midfield

Jacob Kneepkins (Francis Douglas Memorial College, Taranaki) Y12
Daniel Rona (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki)
Jon Taumateine (Wesley College, Counties)
Cassius Misa (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty) Y12
William Guthrie (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki)
Lucas Hall (Kings College, Taranaki)
Paula Mahe (St Peter’s School, Waikato)
Gideon Wrampling (St Paul’s Collegiate, Waikato) Y12

Wing

Manu Akauola (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty)
Valynce Te Whare Crosby (St Paul’s Collegiate, Waikato)
Nicholas Nasila (Wesley College, Counties) Y12?
Kahi Borrell (Te Wharekura o Mauao, Bay Of Plenty)

Fullback

Selestino Ravutaumada (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty)
Liam Wilson (Hamilton BHS, Waikato) Y12
Tama Te Aute (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty) Y12?
Jermahl Hapi (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki)

Standby Players

Tauhuroa Ngataki (Wesley College, Counties)
Zion Lui (St Peter’s School, Waikato)
Shannon Wiki (Tokoroa HS, Waikato) Y12
Reece Gray (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki)
Havila Molia (St Paul’s Collegiate, Waikato) Y11
Stuart Leech (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty) Y12
TeAhurei Eparara (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty)
Lachie Deveraux (Tauranga BC, Bay Of Plenty)
Vaiolini Ekuasi (St Peter’s School, Waikato) Y12
Liam Allen (St Paul’s Collegiate, Waikato)
Malupo Ma’afu (Rotorua BHS, Bay Of Plenty)
Thomas Murray Edwards (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki) Y12
Brigham Moeakiola (St Paul’s Collegiate, Waikato)
Cam Roigard (St Peter’s School, Waikato)
Louis Grindrod (Tauranga BC, Bay Of Plenty) Y12
Bailey Gordon (Western Heights HS, Bay Of Plenty)
Adam Smith (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki) Y12
Josh Calvert (Hamilton BHS, Waikato)
Teaabo Teaabo (Pukekohe HS, Counties)
Lewini Mocevakaca (Hamilton BHS, Waikato)
Mercedes Hodge (St Paul’s Collegiate, Waikato) Y11

Unavailable due to Injury or other commitments

Taharoa Mita (Tauranga BC, Bay Of Plenty)
Blair Murray (New Plymouth BHS, Taranaki) Y12