Auckland Rugby 2025

With the squad due out soon i made a list of players that will be certainties or contenders for the npc squad, from monitoring training footage on the gram (plus oil, rumors and guesses) -
H:
Soane vikena
Mills Sanerivi
Nathaniel Pole

LP:
Joshua Fusitu’a
Ben Ake
Tito Tuipulotu
Sika Pole
Oscar Cowley-Andrea

TP:
Angus Ta’avao
Sione Ahio
Hamdahn Tuipulotu
Maliu Niuafe
Robson Faleafa

L:
Josh Beehre
Tom Allen
Tai Cribb
Junior Ahokovi

LF:
Adrian Choat
Anton Segner
Che Clark
Kitiona Vai
Sam Hainsworth-Fa'aofo
Ola Tauelangi
Caleb Woodley
Aio Keith
Gage Jackson
Randell Baker

HB:
Taufa Funaki
Kemara Hauiti-Parapara
James Arscott
Luke Aiken
Chris Vunipola

FH:
Stephen Perofeta
Rico Simpson
Alex Harford

MF:
Xavi Taele
AJ Lam
Tanielu Tele'a
Leo Gordan
Jarrel Tuaimalo-Vaega

W:
Caleb Tangitau
Codi Vai
Xavier Tito-Harris
King Maxwell
Haryln Saunoa

FB:
Payton Spencer
Cohan Norris
Adam Morrison

Any I missed?

Wait. Stephen Perofeta has left Taranaki?

That's handy given we've lost Sullivan. A change for Sullivan would do him good. He's never been as good as his first NPC and Super Rugby seasons when he was 20. Been unluck with injury though.

@brodean said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

Stephen Perofeta has left Taranaki?

Yeah it was announced midway through SR. Wanted to be in Auckland for family reasons

We might see a Caleb on both wings at some stage. Depending on how long Clarke is injured and if he needs game time

@Daffy-Jaffy King Maxwell was offered to Harbour as a loan player but Habour declined the player they wanted was Haryln Saunoa I have heard he’s got a contract in from of him from Auckland

@brodean Sullivan moving will also hopefully mean much needed experience and game time for Peyton Spencer. Plus Norris and Morrison are exciting prospects who may get a chance.

@Steven-Harris Oh I forgot Saunoa - added.

@Steven-Harris said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

Haryln Saunoa I have heard he’s got a contract in from of him from Auckland

I haven't had time to keep up with the u20's. How has he been going?

@Duluth Saunoa came off the bench in the first game against Italy unfortunately the game itself wasn’t the greatest in terms of viewing

The 2nd he started against Georgia , got a brace in that game 2 brilliant finishes that saw him go airborne
Certainly knows how to finish
Was’nt in the squad for the game against Ireland

@Duluth Ah that explains why the squad is so large

Can you imagin listening to a Podcast with this guy and Robertson?

I'd much rather see a young squad play than a bunch of journeymen finish mid-lower table. Looking forward to it.

@KiwiMurph said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'd much rather see a young squad play than a bunch of journeymen finish mid-lower table. Looking forward to it.

Dead right. Couldn't care less where they come on the table, but at least bring some guys through for the Blues, not clog the side up with Australians, journeymen Pacific Island international players, and fringe super rugby globetrotters like Leni Apisai etc.

@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

at least bring some guys through for the Blues

Guys like Spencer and Taele need to be playing often

I wan to see the young loosies get a decent crack: Clark, Hainsworth-Fa'aofo, Vai etc

The Blues have room for new blood on the wing too

Anyone know much about the new players. Cohen Norrie seems to be rated highly?

Can Bates coach? I expected a much better NPC than what they served up last year.

@antipodean

Not sure

Forwards were ok last year. Backs were a mess. Poorly selected and Jono Hickey couldn't get the attacking structure working

At least there's been a change to the selection policy of the outside backs

Bates was U20s coach last year wasnt he?

Which TBF in Auckland, would seem like it should be a pretty easy gig with the young talent at his disposal, its getting the right ones, and keeping them would be a huge issue for Auckland.

I believe he was key to retaining Hainsworth-Fa'aofo who is obviously highly rated.

@Duluth said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

Anyone know much about the new players. Cohen Norrie seems to be rated highly?

I would liken Norrie to Stanley Solomon. Quick, elusive but not that tall.

@taniwharugby said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

its getting the right ones, and keeping them

Which is why the selection policy last year was so bad. Putting an emphasis on experience meant picking a lot of players past their best

In particular the outside backs where you should be taking chances on younger men

Auckland team sheet v Northland today -

Auckland 52 - 7 Northland in the warmup game. It appears from the clips that Segner was captain.

@Daffy-Jaffy I heard the packs both had a good battle but Auckland carved us up out wide.

I thought that this photo was interesting in that Josh Beehre is quite a lot shorter than Tom Allen. I've seen Allen listed as 1.98 m. So Beehre would be an undersized lock at international level.

@Bovidae Allen's stats are likely from 2023 when he first played NZU20's as an u19 player. He is likely 2m.ish now. The game in general is very lazy at updating height and weight stats ( Auckland hasn't even bothered with a player profile page at all for 2 seasons.) Beehre is listed by the Blues at 1.98m. Also the angled lines across that picture create a bit of an optical illusion and make the difference look more than it is . Even Beehre could be a bit taller than his listed height. Here he is next to Darry who is 2.03m.

Beehre seems to have lowish shoulders too, which probably doesn't help. Running a line through the top of Beehres head though does show somewhat of a difference. Would be stoked if Allen is 2m+.

Sorry if it’s been covered. Allen is a loan player? From HB?

@zedsdeadbaby said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

Sorry if it’s been covered. Allen is a loan player? From HB?

Was he the player that we horse traded Sullivan for?

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

@Kirwan yeah I’ve since heard that might be the case

I like that we are looking at size still for the forwards.

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Xavier Tito-Harris has got a big future ahead of him. I've seen enough already to think he should be in, at least, the All Blacks XV squad when it's named in October.

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

Doesn't a back three of him, Tangitau and JRK sound appealing though? In a different universe that could have been the Blues back three

@SouthernMann said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

Doesn't a back three of him, Tangitau and JRK sound appealing though? In a different universe that could have been the Blues back three

Well it does but I'm not a Highlanders supporter am I! lol.

@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

If the Cantabs could stockpile tens back in the day, we can stockpile wingers. I hear Tito-Harris can play midfield too, so one to keep to develop that as well

@Kirwan Played 12 for NZ Schools in 2022 I think