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Super Rugby Pacific 2024: McKenzie and Stevenson dominate, Love becomes an All Black
The RugbyPass Round Table writers answer the big questions ahead of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season. Ben Smith (BS), Finn Morton (FM) and Ned Lester (NL) weigh in on a range of topics and make their predictions for the season.
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Who will be the MVP of Super Rugby Pacific 2024?
Ben Smith: The Chiefs and Blues have strong squads but after last year’s blistering campaign that saw him bag 12 tries and a maiden All Blacks cap, fullback Shaun Stevenson should be able to run it back with another incredible year. The 27-year-old sits on the end of one of the best backlines in the competition with some of the best finishers going around in Emoni Narawa and Etene Nanai-Seturo.
Last year Stevenson was top three in line breaks and tries and had the second-most running metres. It was his ability to come up with a big play that mattered the most, with Stevenson going to another level for the 13-1 Chiefs.
Mark Telea of the Blues might have a case, particularly after last season which saw him top many of the attacking stats. Telea was certainly the most dangerous man in Super Rugby and opened the season with a bang with 200+ running metres against the Highlanders. His form with the All Blacks in 2023 and with the Rugby World Cup was also spectacular and he is likely to continue that form in 2024.
Finn Morton: The clear-cut fan favourite for Super Rugby Pacific MVP is Chiefs playmaker Damian McKenzie. If the Chiefs are to challenge for a title in 2024, which they will, then McKenzie needs to be on song for the entirety of their campaign.
Even with Brad Weber in the team last season, there is no question who was leading the Chiefs around the park with the ball in hand – McKenzie was the star of the show. Sure, Shaun Stevenson made all the headlines during a try-scoring blitz, but McKenzie deserves plenty of plaudits for the work he did to set-up the star winger.
That’ll be no different this time around. With a potential hold on All Blacks No. 10 jersey waiting for him at the other end of the Super Rugby Pacific season, now is the time for McKenzie to truly make his mark. The always-exciting playmaker can’t let up now.
But across the Tasman, a dark horse for Super Rugby MVP honours waits. Noah Lolesio, the forgotten Wallaby in some ways, will do a similar job to McKenzie with the ACT Brumbies. If the Brumbies are shine then Lolesio must lead the way.
Other honourable mentions include Fraser McReight from the Queensland Reds, Will Jordan from the Crusaders and Dalton Papali’i from the Blues.
Ned Lester: Is it too soon to say it? Surely, it’s too soon… Are we getting ahead of ourselves? Maybe, but Cam Roigard is well-positioned to be the most influential player in Super Rugby Pacific 2024.On a practical level, halfbacks have their hands on the ball more than any other player on a rugby field. And, disregarding the comparisons, Antoine Dupont has shown the world how a running, playmaking halfback can change the whole focal point of an attack.
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Certain players reinvent the game, but only if the coach is brave enough to fully embrace and empower their strengths, and since Dupont and France have laid down the blueprint, it’s there for new Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw to employ. If he does, Roigard will have every opportunity to have an MVP-esque season, given his talent and form at every level in 2023.
Who will be the breakthrough player of the year in Super Rugby Pacific 2024?
BS: There are many breakthrough candidates who have the potential to take it to another level in 2024. There are those who want to become Super Rugby starters and those starters who want to become stars.
From the Blues, midfielder Corey Evans impressed during the pre-season and could likely establish himself as a second five with Rieko Ioane outside him while Zarn Sullivan has the chance to start a lot at fullback and impress. First five-eighth Stephen Perofeta is a candidate to go from starter to star and dominate Super Rugby. Up front, lock Cameron Suafua can become a well-known name.
At the Crusaders 21-year-old hooker George Bell can make a name for himself while Ethan Blackadder is one can make the leap into the superstar realm. Blackadder was hampered by injury last year and had a two-year absence from the All Blacks. At the Hurricanes players like Aidan Morgan, Peter Lakai and Riley Higgins want to become established starters.
The Highlanders might have signed a gem in 25-year-old centre Tanielu Tele’a who has come down from the Blues while Folau Fakatava looks set to dominate this season and become a true star of Super Rugby.
This should be the year of Perofeta, so the Blues pivot is the final pick to breakthrough with a season like Stevenson last year.
FM: This is probably the most interesting question ahead of the 2024 season. With the start of a new World Cup cycle upon the rugby world, the opportunity for uncapped wonders step up and have their voices heard at Test level awaits. But it all starts in Super Rugby.
Cam Millar and Sam Gilbert from the Highlanders deserve to be mentioned, as does Chiefs halfback Cortez Ratima – the latter appears destined to be an All Black in 2024. But in terms of the breakthrough player of the year, look no further than Hurricanes fullback Ruben Love.
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Love has played for both the All Blacks XV and Maori All Blacks in the past, but a potential Test call-up under New Zealand coach Scott Robertson awaits the young playmaker. The 22-year-old, who flats with All Black Cam Roigard, can play either fullback or fly-half.
After an injury-riddled campaign in 2023, if Love can stay on the field and remain fit this time around, then he will be an All Black in 2024.
While Will Jordan appears likely to shift to fullback under Robertson, there’s every chance Love could make the No. 15 jersey his own while Jordan remains on the wing with the All Blacks.
NL: Dallas McLeod will spend his days during 2024’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign going toe-to-toe with past, present and future All Black midfielders in David Havili, Braydon Ennor, Ryan Crotty and Levi Aumua. With mentorship from Jack Goodhue as well to begin his career, you can begin to see where this guy’s complete skillset has come from.If iron sharpens iron, McLeod is on his way to becoming the sharpest thing in rugby outside of Josua Tuisova’s calves.
The challenge of course will lie in selection. With all that talent it will take some form for the 24-year-old to crack the starting unit. With Ennor expected to return from injury in the second half of the year and Crotty being 35, McLeod is at least looking at a bench role for the majority of the campaign, and the Crusaders are rarely afraid to reward form.
Comments on RugbyPass
“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
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