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Hurricanes 08: Wings, Centers and Fullbacks ( Maybe) |
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Written by Gibbit
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Friday, 26 October 2007 |
Righto ... here is the last installment in the prediction/stab in the dark series
C E N T E R S  Lundinn!!!
Draft:
No way Hosea
Probables:
Conrad ‘Badleg’ Smith
Tamati Ellison
Ma’a Nonu
As with the loose forwards, the midfield is an area that the Canes’ ANZC teams are very strong in. Wellington bring their captain Tamati Ellison, a couple of All Blacks (Ma’a Nonu & Conrad Smith) as well Robert Fruean, a kid who is earmarked for huge things.
Fruean saw stuff all game time in the ANZC but picked up the IRB Under-19 player of the year award this week. If he isn’t snapped up by the Canes he may well head to another franchise, the same thing that Isaia Toeava did once he won the Under 19 award a few years back.
The provinces table a bunch of players with a very strong case for selection. Hawkes Bay’s Jason Shoemark would have the strongest case for inclusion. We all saw his class this year and it was good to see him shake the tag of the guy that is always injured. Sam Giddens played well but won’t be called on just yet.
Manawatu had a physical and dynamic midfield with Francis Bryant and Johnny Leota, while Taranaki had the strength of Matt Harvey and a guy who I was really impressed with, former league player Nathan Hohaia.
Hohaia has been picked up by Gordon Teitjens for the 7’s squad so we can count him out.
While Harvey, Leota & Bryant all showed touches of class this year (more so by the Manawatu Boys) I wonder if they may be regarded as Lafaime Mafi material … y’know good at provincial level but not quite good enough to risk, so we’ll let them go in the draft and see if they play well for someone else – kind of players.
Perhaps the biggest area of concern is that the 13 jersey has plenty of candidates but the 12 is perhaps not quite so thick with prospects in Cane land, for that reason Frank Bryant may have a better chance of making it than Leota
Odds: To join Tamati, Conrad & Ma’a in the Canes midfield
$ 12.00 Matt Harvey - TAR
$ 10.00 Johnny Leota - MAN
$ 6.50 Frank Bryant - MAN
$ 4.00 Robert Fruean - WGN
$ 1.50 Jason Shoemark - HB
O U T S I D E B A C K S  Brooke’s Dad
Draft:
Probably not
Probables:
FB:
Cory Jane
Wing:
Shannon Paku, Zac Guilford, Hosea Gear
I expect the 4 players above to be decided on pretty quickly. None of them are in the same class at Chris Latham or JP Peitersen though.
Zac Guilford is getting enquiries from higher up in the NZRU chain so expect him to be involved. His size might be a problem when trying to mark a guy like Lote Tuqiri, but Guilford is more likely to be ‘eased’ into the fray as a member of the squad.
With Nonu playing very well on the wing this year and Shannon Paku & Cory Jane interchangeable at wing & fullback the make up of the backline could have a number of combinations. Hosea Gear will get another chance to live up to his potential but those must be starting to fade now. He has to find a way to stop getting injured all the time
Here’s who isn’t available. Hawkes Bay’s Ben Batger, coz he’s won a Waratah contract, Tomasi Cama a 7’s shoe-in and Israel Dagg who is a 7’s trialist.
There are plenty of ‘pretty good’ players around Manawatu’s Fransico Bosch would be fun but I imagine that his ‘Argentian-ness’ will count against him. His Manawatu team-mate Aaron James appeals as a wing with good speed and strength while Naki fans have been talking up Paul Perez for a wee while now. Scott Ireland is a good ANZC level player but he wouldn’t be anywhere near Colin Cooper’s thoughts.
Odds: To be selected instead of Guilford or Gear
$ 100.00 Scott Ireland - TAR
$ 30.00 Aaron James - MAN
$ 20.00 Fransisco Bosch – MAN
$ 20.00 Paul Perez - TAR
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