Southland

1 Paula Latu, 2 Jack Taylor, 3 Morgan Mitchell, 4 Mitchell Dunshea, 5 Alefosio Aho, 6 Sean Withy (C), 7 Nathan Va’aTausili, 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, 9 Nic Shearer, 10 Byron Smith, 11 Fletcher Morgan, 12 Faletoi Peni, 13 Matti Whaanga, 14 Tayne Harvey, 15 Michael Manson
Reserves: 16 Nic Souchon, 17 Joseph Walsh, 18 Jone Tiko, 19 Sam Fischli, 20 George Reeves, 21 Connor McLeod, 22 Dan Hollinshead, 23 Isaac Te Tamaki

Canterbury

1 Finlay Brewis, 2 George Bell, 3 Seb Calder, 4 Zach Gallagher, 5 Jamie Hannah, 6 Dominic Gardiner, 7 Tom Christie (C), 8 Corey Kellow, 9 Louie Chapman, 10 James White, 11 Ngatungane Punivai, 12 Dallas McLeod, 13 Braydon Ennor, 14 Chay Fihaki, 15 Andrew Knewstubb
Reserves: 16 Ben Funnell, 17 Daniel Lieniert-Brown, 18 Darcy Breen, 19 Tahlor Cahill, 20 Torian Barnes, 21 Tyson Bellworthy, 22 Manasa Mataele, 23 Jone Rova

Our strongest available backline and close to our best pack.

Shearer - Peni - Manson have been in very good form for Southland and will take some stopping.

Southland will need the crowd to get them home.

Someone must have made the Connor McLeod Highlanders joke?

@Chris-B I don't understand why they haven't signed him for the PR alone

How old is Ben Funnell ? I guess Letiu must be injured.

Letiu is starting for Canterbury B in the curtain raiser game so he is definitely not injured.

Squally hails showers, cold wind here in Invercargill this morning ...... I feel the stars aligning

MetService has the temp at 3.9c, feeling like -1. Hopefully it stays that way

Get up Stags

Disaster of a start for Southland

Southland are no chance if they can't sort out their set piece

I suspect the conclusion after this game, is probably going to be genuine confusion as to how Taranaki ever managed to lose the shield to Waikato.

Credit to Canterbury

They are better than every other team in the comp by so much it isn't funny

There are two different sets of contenders this year. Canterbury. The rest.

Looks like we are all competing to lose to Canterbury in the final

@SouthernMann said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

There are two different sets of contenders this year. Canterbury. The rest.

Looks like we are all competing to lose to Canterbury in the final

I guess not having many ABs helps with that. 🤪

What's the problem

Guy was in ruck and he cleaned him out

Fucking Doleman

Southland are way too emotional here.

@KiwiMurph Have to agree. Countless unnecessary calls. Just not reading the room, and dare I say it, making it all about himself.

@Canes4life said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

@SouthernMann said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

There are two different sets of contenders this year. Canterbury. The rest.

Looks like we are all competing to lose to Canterbury in the final

I guess not having many ABs helps with that. 🤪

They are just clearly the best team in the comp. An absolutely stacked team at this level.

@SouthernMann said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

@Canes4life said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

@SouthernMann said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

There are two different sets of contenders this year. Canterbury. The rest.

Looks like we are all competing to lose to Canterbury in the final

I guess not having many ABs helps with that. 🤪

They are just clearly the best team in the comp. An absolutely stacked team at this level.

I reckon the Naki will give them a go.

@Canes4life Ta$man and Taranaki both capable with all their players available, and if Canterbury have an off day, but it doesn't look likely. Nobody has got near them so far.

@frugby said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

Nobody has got near them so far.

Strangely given the year Auckland is having, they got close. Were unlucky to lose

Guys like McLeod, Punivai, Fihaki, Ennor and most of the forward pack are just class at this level. No one has players at the same level as Canterbury available week to week.

@SouthernMann said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

Guys like McLeod, Punivai, Fihaki, Ennor and most of the forward pack are just class at this level. No one has players at the same level as Canterbury available week to week.

Yeah that’s what I’m saying, they’ve got a strong team because they’ve benefited from not having many in the ABs etc…. for once.

@SouthernMann said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

Guys like McLeod, Punivai, Fihaki, Ennor and most of the forward pack are just class at this level. No one has players at the same level as Canterbury available week to week.

Agree. But it’s also great to see guys like Kellow and Chapman, a couple of lesser names really stand out

What a kick by Newstubb

What an earth has happened to the commentary?

Went to the game, good times. Congratulations Canterbury

Couple of things I noticed before the Speights took complete control

Canterbury boys noticeably hit consistently harder in D than any other NPC team. They were never rattled and seemed very comfortable in their patterns on both attack and D. Can see them being unbeaten this season.
Unfortunately for my Stags - many of the Canterbury guys are just a class above the NPC.

Other thing that I noticed and it irritated the shit out of many of us as the game.. the constant blasting of obnoxious music at any micro-stoppage in play --- it must have come across on the TV coverage too... bloody awful.

@Mattasaurus said in Southland v Canterbury (RS):

Canterbury boys noticeably hit consistently harder in D than any other NPC team. They were never rattled and seemed very comfortable in their patterns on both attack and D. Can see them being unbeaten this season.
Unfortunately for my Stags - many of the Canterbury guys are just a class above the NPC.

After too many years, the Cantabs are starting to look well coached again.

@Goffman
Its an old one (30 years old) but they are a class above, because they are pretty much just a SR side rebadged.
More so than the other 4 SR/NPC combos. A bit of a surprise to me that they dont win even more than they do!
I am half Cantab (and half Tas) so I know.