Week 1
1. Mafileo
2. Dixon
3. Laulala
4. Tuipoluto
5. Ah Kuoi
6. Prinsep
7. Gibson
8. Sotutu
9. Smith
10. Black
11. Clarke
12. Lienert brown
13. Ione
14. Stevenson
15. McKenzie
any other thoughts? There's quite a few chiefs and hurricanes in there despite their teams losing. Doesn't mean its wrong, it is a team game after all, but makes me wonder.
edited to include Dixon for better lineout throwing compared to Coles.
15. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs): Beauden Barrett was good but the Chiefs fullback was better, and he must be wondering how he ended up on the losing side.
14. Mark Telea (Blues): Everything about Telea is deceptive: his pace, strength and ability to step out of a tackle continues to trouble defenders.
13. Rieko Ioane (Blues): Has absolute jets in his boots and set up Caleb Clarke nicely for the first try.
12. Sio Tomkinson (Highlanders): Typically strong on defence, ran a smart line for his try, and carried the ball with real vigour all night.
11. Caleb Clarke (Blues): Future All Black. Next.
10 Otere Black (Blues): Accurate with the boot out of hand and off the tee and even began challenging the line in the second half.
9. Aaron Smith (Highlanders): Has returned in great condition and fired the 29th minute pass that set up Bryn Gatland's drop goal.
8. Marino Mikaele Tu'u (Highlanders): The Auckland media will swear Hoskins Sotutu was better, and it was a close call, but Mikaele-Tu'u carried for more metres, beat more defenders and provided the momentum for Gatland's winning play.
7. Dillon Hunt (Highlanders): Made an incredible 19 tackles in a staunch defensive effort and picked off the odd turnover as well.
6. Tom Robinson (Blues): The big man was a pest at lineout time, and covers a huge amount of territory with his V8 engine. Chased all the way on Ben Lam's try even though it was a lost cause.
5. Pari Pari Parkinson (Highlanders): Played a key role in a dominant lineout as a lifter or jumper and popped up in the midfield as a distributor.
4. Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues): Rule one of Super Rugby Aotearoa is: don't run into the big man's shoulder. Growing lineout presence, too.
3. Siate Tokolahi (Highlanders): Rock solid at scrum although and ran one great line off an Ash Dixon short ball.
2. Dane Coles (Hurricanes): Remarkable finish showed that his acceleration is still a major part of his game. Bonus point for ****le with Barrett.
1. Alex Hodgman (Blues): Picked off one important intercept and worked tirelessly as the Tom Coventry influence on the Blues pack shines through.
This is the list from "Stuff", funnily enough they back Coles at 2 but more Landers throughout, not even sure id have pushed for Sio at 12
I find it funny when people get credit in these things for doing something that isn't there main job, we've talked about coles but DMac may have knocked over the droppie but had missed the conversion just before which would have also put the chiefs in front, oh well, im sure the the herald one will be different again