HS Top 200 Team of the Week 5 2022

I watched a total of 18 games this weekend, yes 18 games meaning 36 teams, 792 players and it took so long to get through all of them. I also organized all the points and records for all the teams, arranged the 1st XV Rankings and the Year 11 Top 60 Rankings as well as picked the Mid Season Region Teams and now I have come to this, so here it is, I made it. I wanted to try and get a player from every game but the more I looked at them all I found I was leaving players off that should have been there just because I wanted everyone to have a representative from their game but that’s not the way this works and so I just went with the best 23 players that stuck out to me in their games.

My HS Top Team of the Week No.5

1.    Lehopoame Leota (Christs College) Y12
2.    William Fonohema (Feilding AHS)
3.    Richie Tupuailei (St Thomas CC)
4.  Jacob Mitchell (New Plymouth BHS)
5.   Tom Allen (Hastings BHS)
6.   Aleki Manuele (St Bernards College)
7.   Oli Mathis (Hamilton BHS). Y12
8.   Lenz Morunga (Manurewa HS)
9.   Joel Russell  (Napier BHS) Y12
10.   Stanley Solomon (Wellington College)
11.   Maretino Kaloudau (St Thomas CC) Y12
12.   Ietitaia Campbell (Scots College)
13.  Te Kaio Cranwell (Shirley BHS)
14.   Tevita Faitotonu (St Thomas CC)
15.   Payton Spencer (Hamilton BHS)
16.   Senio Senele (St Patrick’s College, Silverstream)
17.   Salesa Seumanufagai (St Patrick’s College, Town)
18.   Bryn Graham (Shirley BHS)
19.   Jack Ruske (St Paul’s Collegiate) Y12
20.   Tevita Fakahau (Palmerston North BHS)
21.   Jehmial Ross (Hastings BHS)
22.  Daniel Tickelpenny (St John’s College, Hamilton)
23. Jack O’Brien (St John’s College, Hamilton)

We all saw the Sky game where Richie Tupuailei killed it and showed why he is one of the best players in the country and in all honesty should have went off when he first felt his knee slip. We also saw how valuable Tevita Faitotonu is to that team and I am not even talking about the obvious attacking talent that he has but his defence was crazy good. In the mid week game Auckland GS and Hamilton BHS faced off in their annuel exchange and I got to see Payton Spencer back for his first game and he did what he does every game and that is confuse defences, create scoring opportunities, breaks the line, score tries and all done at speed. Oli Mathis decided that he would also show up and put on a clinic for how you should play Open Side and was everywhere. Wellington College game I mentioned that they struggled a bit did things that were out of their character but came away with a big win in a BIG way with Stanley Solomon kicking a game winner on enemy grounds.

Feilding HS just like the rest of the country was hit hard with sickness and they had a bunch of guys out but William Fonohema was running a muck on Rathkeale College in the rain. I honestly could have had maybe four guys in there but there was a bunch of other games. Senio Sanele is showing up more and more on my Team of the Week and what he did in his game against New Plymouth BHS was a big show of why he should be considered with the top props. Lock Jacob Mitchell was also a Beast in that game for New Plymouth BHS and they had the happy long trip back taking the win. I have to mention SHirley BHS Hooker and Captain Bryn Graham who has been solid this whole year and this past game was no different. Bryn and 2nd 5/8 Te Kaio Cranwell at 2nd 5/8 were the players that stood out for me big time.