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Tana Umaga has faith rewarded in first round of POTY votes

HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND - MAY 24: Miracle Faiilagi of Moana Pasifika during the round 15 Super Rugby Pacific match between Chiefs and Moana Pasifika at FMG Stadium, on May 24, 2025, in Hamilton, New Zealand. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

Wallabies and NSW Waratahs winger Max Jorgensen and Moana Pasifika captain Miracle Fai’ilagi have topped the Super Rugby Pacific MVP voting table after round one, claiming maximum points from their first game.

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Jorgensen was impressive for the Waratahs in their opening round victory against the Queensland Reds with two tries, while Fai’ilagi scored a hat-trick in Moana Pasifika’s triumph against the Fijian Drua.

ACT Brumbies duo Declan Meredith and Charlie Cale are also near the top of the voting table after round one, helping their side secure a convincing victory against the Force in Perth.

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Despite Tupou Vaa’i’s controversial try against the Blues on Saturday evening, the All Blacks lock sits in second equal at the top of the table alongside the duo from Canberra.

At the end of each Super Rugby Pacific round, until it goes behind closed doors after round ten, the competition will announce the Player of the Year votes from the weekend prior, and an updated table.

For every Super Rugby Pacific fixture each weekend, the head coaches and captains will submit their 3-2-1 votes for their top three opposition players, while an independent media panel member also submits 3-2-1 votes for each game.

The competition’s rookie of the year award will also be decided through the same voting process, with all players who began the season with four or less Super Rugby Pacific appearances (or equivalent top-flight professional rugby competition) eligible for the end-of-season award.

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Related

2026 SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

NSW WaratahsMax Jorgensen9
Moana PasifikaMiracle Faiilagi9
ChiefsTupou Vaa’i7
ACT BrumbiesDeclan Meredith7
ACT BrumbiesCharlie Cale7
HighlandersCaleb Tangitau6
CrusadersWill Jordan5
CrusadersEthan Blackadder5
Fijian DruaElia Canakaivata5
BluesBradley Slater5
Western ForceVaiolini Ekuasi5
Western ForceBen Donaldson5
HighlandersSean Withy4
NSW WaratahsCharlie Gamble4
NSW WaratahsLawson Creighton4
Fijian DruaIlaisa Droasese4
ChiefsSamisoni Taukei’aho4
ChiefsQuinn Tupaea4
HighlandersCameron Millar3
HighlandersTimoci Tavatavanawai3
RedsFraser McReight3
RedsJosh Canham3
RedsJock Campbell3
Moana PasifikaSemisi Tupou Ta’eiloa3
BluesPita Ahki3
ACT BrumbiesRyan Lonergan3
CrusadersNoah Hotham2
RedsJoe Brial2
Moana PasifikaPatrick Pellegrini2
Moana PasifikaTom Savage2
Fijian DruaPonipate Loganimasi2
BluesCaleb Clarke2
BluesDalton Papali’i2
CrusadersJamie Hannah1
HighlandersEthan de Groot1
RedsMatt Faessler1
WaratahsEthan Dobbins1
Moana PasifikaWilliam Havili1
Moana PasifikaJonathan Taumateine1
Fijian DruaVirimi Vakatawa1
ChiefsCortez Ratima1
BluesZarn Sullivan1
BluesTorian Barnes1
Western ForceNathan Hastie1
Western ForceBayley Kuenzle1
ACT BrumbiesRob Valetini1

 

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Comments

2 Comments
J
JW 45 days ago

Haha Bradley Slater with 5, mates vote there!

J
JW 45 days ago

How long this year before captains just start voting who the coach voted for, or vice versa and we see the same guy voted all the time?

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J
JW 5 hours ago
New report details source of Ardie Savea's All Blacks frustrations

Yeah it’s hard to be critical of Razor but of choices in his first year of the loosies he constantly played Ardie at 8. It would seem that was always the plan and that Hoskins was surplas to requirements (7, with Dalton then Cane, as was fairly happy with but understand the calls to drop Cane for his last test, along with TJ, and 6 was shared around nicely I thought) and he didn’t have the alround game of Ardie to simply overtake him at 8 (and use Ardie elsewhere). Of course he did that exact thing next year, too late for HS. Then last year 7 was fine if though the same problem was brought about by using Ardie (always leaves a component of a back three missing) there so often stopping Dalton from getting opportunities. At 6 Parker just had one or two too many games for me but 8 was shuffled around nicely, even if I don’t know why Lakai was thought to be the key there.

Of course a lot of rotation was brought about by, you guesed it, injury, still. Now to be fair to Razor, in reality we have no idea if he had to manage Ardie this way, based on NZRs desires with his contract (we have seen them move heaven and earth to retain him), and if he benched him often whether that would have caused him to leave or not. Or even that Hoskins would have accepted a jersey unless it was with a single digit on it, and a regular pick, as he had had to work his way back to the team without a big bump in his contract (of loosing AB selection early on) of other people his standing, so he also might have still put his family and therefor more over the jersey.



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