NZ's Top Super Rugby Rookies of 2017
Very rarely does a player come through and get the opportunity to put together a meaningful rookie year in Super Rugby.
Teams don’t often expect rookies to start straight away – young players are usually drip-fed game time, coming off the bench or given the odd start here and there as they develop.
We found that 2017 was the year of the outside backs for NZ Super teams, with very few rookie forwards locking down starting positions and getting enough game time.
To qualify, the player must have never played a Super Rugby match before 2017 and played a minimum of 8 games during the season.
This is our list of New Zealand’s best rookies of 2017.
5. Michael Collins (Blues)
Otago product Michael Collins has patiently waited for a shot at Super Rugby – he turned down NRL offers to join Otago back in 2012, becoming the first player to join the full-time squad straight from school.
After 5 seasons of Mitre 10 Cup Collins was picked up by the Blues this year and had a solid season, playing 13 games and becoming a valuable starting fullback. His passing game led to 10 line break assists and two try assists.
Collins will look to solidify a position in the Blues back three in 2018.
4. Manasa Mateale (Crusaders)
The Fijian native Mateale exploded early in the season for the Crusaders, getting regular starts while other wingers nursed injuries. He scored a hattrick against the Sunwolves and bagged six tries in eight games, as well as registering 10 line breaks.
On the end of a classy Crusaders backline, Mateale had one of the highest line break rates in Super Rugby, finding his way through on 27.78% of his runs. This is a testament to the inside backs at the Crusaders, giving the wingers the space to make things happen.
The 20-year-old Mateale will return to the Crusaders in 2018, where he will compete for game time against his uncle Seta Tamanivalu, George Bridge, new signing Braydon Ennor and potentially fullbacks Israel Dagg and Will Jordan.
3. George Bridge (Crusaders)
Another Crusaders winger also had a standout rookie season, local Canterbury product George Bridge. The 22-year-old had a standout year, playing in all 18 games of the Crusaders championship season and scoring eight tries.
Bridge’s first try of the season came against the Waratahs and he quickly backed that up with back-to-back hattricks against the Stormers and Cheetahs. His finishing qualities and speed gave the Crusaders a reliable wing option and he quickly established himself as a regular starter.
He also picked up the Crusaders Rookie of the Year award, affirming our pick as one of the top rookies of 2017.
2. Jack Goodhue (Crusaders)
It cannot be understated how good Jack Goodhue was in his first Super Rugby season – playing 14 games in the Crusaders championship season and establishing himself as a premier midfielder in attack and a solid defender.
The Crusaders were happy to start Goodhue at centre and have All Black centre Ryan Crotty play second-five at times.
Goodhue is a centre that just gets everything right. His balance as a runner and passer makes him one of the best in Super Rugby. Only two midfielders had a line break success rate and line break assist rate over ten percent in 2017– Goodhue and Matt Faddes (Highlanders).
He made a line break on 11.34% of his runs and a line break assist on 11.86% of his passes. If we compare that to the Lions power midfielder Rohan Janse Van Rensburg – 20.75% and 2.70% – we see that Goodhue is much more balanced yet just as effective at creating opportunities.
He finished third in the competition in try assists with eight and scored three for himself. He finished outside the top 20 in tackle efficiency (74%) but finished on par with his Crusaders and All Black midfield partner – Ryan Crotty – both making 106 tackles and Goodhue missing two fewer tackles with 21.
1. Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)
Our rookie of the year is 20-year-old sensation Jordie Barrett, who put in one of the best ever seasons in the modern era by a rookie. The Hurricanes won his signature in 2016, convincing him to leave Canterbury and join his older brother Beauden in the capital.
An injury to superstar Nehe Milner-Skudder opened the door for Barrett to start a number of games at fullback, and he never looked back, playing 17 games.
He wasn’t physically blockbusting (averaging 0.28 tackle busts per run), but his freakish skill and astute line running made him one of the best attacking fullbacks in the competition.
He just seemed to make plays out of nothing – ripping the ball from Cheslin Kolbe in the in-goal and scoring millimeters from the dead ball line against the Stormers a perfect example of Barrett’s opportunistic instincts.
He finished second in the competition in try assists (9), scored seven himself (top five in his position), made 10 line breaks (top ten in his position) and assisted on 11 line breaks (top five in his position).
Barrett’s attacking production elevated him next to fullbacks like Damian McKenzie and Israel Folau, and he earned an All Blacks call-up as a result, starting against the British & Irish Lions at fullback.
It seems like Jordie Barrett has been around forever already but at just 20-years-old he will be one of Super Rugby’s next biggest superstars for years to come.
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
16 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
16 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
10 Go to comments