Ben Smith 9/10: Consistently outstanding, dangerous on the counter and seemed to be able to find gaps in the opponents' defence at will. Safe on defence, capable of kicking well and more or less carried the team at stages. Probably the form outside back of the competition and there was little more that could have been asked of him.
Kade Poki 7/10: Dangerous running, breaking tackles nearly every time he touched the ball. Was one of the best players in the early part of the season and was missed while he was injured. Did well when he came back but did not quite reach the same level and was a bit weaker on defence.
Hosea Gear 7.5/10: Devastating with ball in hand, making breaks proving a handful for defences when running in space. Was good on defence too, making good reads and putting in a few good hits which caused some turnovers. Was the most under-utilised player on the team and needed to be put in space more.
Buxton Popoalii 7/10: Did exceptionally well with the time he got, dangerous with ball in hand and capable of getting through small gaps with his quick feet. Showed a kicking game at times too and was missed when he was injured.
Tony Ensor (No Rating): Called in to cover for injury mid-season and played one game against the Crusaders in Christchurch. Was a bit weak on defence, but it was a tough ask at such an early stage of his career.
Tino Nemani 4/10: Another who was called in mid-season. Had a quiet first game, before coming on in the second game and making a few breaks. This was also the game in which he made a dumb late tackle which was the losing of the game against the Force. He was not picked again.
Trent Renata (No Rating): Only played in one game, but it was the win against the Blues so that counts for something. Looked dangerous running the ball and did well tidying up loose ball, making for a good performance. Perhaps unlucky not to get another run.
Jason Emery 6.5/10: Did not let the side down at all, being called in after a midfield injury crisis and doing a very good job. Ran hard at the gaps, generally tackled well and did a lot of good work to get back and tidy up kicks in behind. Tried to get his offload working at times too, which he will become better at once he plays more at this level. Definitely a player worth pursuing for a longer term contract.
Phil Burleigh 6.5/10: Seemed to be under-rated by the coaching staff. Was always very tidy and showed himself capable of running incisively. His kicking game was good too, as was his defence. Another who picked up a mid-season injury.
Ma'a Nonu 5/10: Did not really threaten on attack, mainly used as a decoy or to crash it up. Tried hard on defence and threw some nice balls to put his players into gaps. Left his team out to dry twice after dumb tackles though, which was costly as both of these games were winnable had he not been carded.
Shaun Treeby 6.5/10: Ran strongly and made some good breaks. Was good on defence and made few mistakes. Paired with Ellison to make for the best midfield combination the team put out.
Colin Slade 6/10: Was a mixed bag but got better as the season went on. At the beginning he just looked to pass the ball on, was inconsistent with his kicking and looked a bit shy on defence. Came right though and by the end of the season was running well, kicking accurately and going into contact bravely.
Lima Sopoaga 5.5/10: Had a nightmare against the Cheetahs but was OK in all of his other games. Was always lively running the backline and added some spark, with his best game being the first game against the Chiefs.
Aaron Smith 6/10: Another mixed bag, certainly had his good games but had a few to forget as well. On his good nights he added spark and provided good service, on his bad nights his pass was too slow and he made too many mistakes.
Fumiaki Tanaka 6.5/10: Did not try to do too much, which was not a bad thing, just coming on and passing quickly to his backline. Always scrapped and did well with the time he got considering he was Smith's understudy for most of the year. Was outstanding in the win against the Blues.
Frae Wilson (No Rating): Came on in the second half of the second game against the Chiefs in his only appearance. Looked okay, passed well and did not do a lot wrong.
Nasi Manu (No Rating): Went down injured in the first game, in which he was running strongly and working hard. Was a big loss and would have made a huge difference to the team had he been available all season.
Elliot Dixon 5.5/10: Ran well in the loose and tried to get involved early on in the season, but missed too many one-off tackles which led to tries that ultimately were the difference in a couple of games. Looked good late in the season playing openside flanker, making a lot of tackles and getting around the field well to finish the season very well.
Jake Parangatai 4/10: Cannot be faulted for effort, looked for work and tried to be involved. But just could not make an impact and really was not up to the standard.
Mose Tuialii 7/10: Came in as a replacement six games into the season and did well. Still looked in fantastic shape, getting around the field well, making tackles and was strong running. The best of the loose forwards at lineout time too.
John Hardie 7.5/10: The best of the forwards, made a lot of tackles and linked well when the team was getting good ball. Never stopped trying in any game and was missed when he got injured.
Joe Wheeler 5/10: Worked hard in the tight, supported well and made tackles. Also fell off a few too many tackles though and was another who was just not able to make a huge impact.
TJ Ioane 7/10: Looked for work in every game, ran hard and fought for every metre, while also making plenty of tackles and hitting hard where he could. Popped up regularly and was a good addition to the team as injury cover.
Jarrad Hoeata 6/10: Was always one of the leading tacklers in the team and worked hard in the tight. Looked better at lock, but found himself stuck at flanker for a lot of the season.
Josh Bekhuis 6.5/10: The best of the jumpers in a struggling lineout, while also working hard around the field. Made his tackles and hit the ball up when required.
Brad Thorn 6.5/10: Never really had a bad game, always worked hard and was physical in the contact situations. Made a lot of tackles and was a strong ball carrier.
Ma'afu Fia 6/10: Got better in the scrum as the season went on and had a reasonable work rate around the park. Made his tackles and was strong at the pick and go.
Chris King 7/10: The best of the tight forwards until he got injured. Made a lot of tackles and was constantly involved while also being solid and scrum time. The lineout seemed to operate better with him on the field too.
Tony Woodcock 5/10: Had a few good games but was not player he was a few years ago. He was solid at scrum time, but missed too many tackles in the open which cost the team tries. Did okay in the close situations at times, but also seemed to lack the go-forward of some of the other at other times.
Bronson Murray 5/10: The scrum seemed to weaken when he came on, but he did get involved and make some tackles.
Andrew Hore 6/10: Had a slow start to the season and was hampered by injury but got better as the season progressed. Was strong on defence and became more prominent at the breakdown. His lineout throwing was not great, but neither was the lineout in general.
Liam Coltman 6/10: Improved by leaps and bounds as the season went on, by the end being a reliable back-up to Hore. One of the most prominent tacklers on the team, although his lineout throwing is still a work in progress. Would have to have rated at least a seven for the second half of the season.
Brayden Mitchell (No Rating): Popped up all around the field and had a high work rate. Was not quite strong enough to impose himself physically though. Suffered an injury in the third game of the season which he never came back from.
Jason Rutledge (No Rating): Called in as an injury replacement for one game, the second against the Chiefs. He tried to get involved though, but the scrum did seem to weaken when he came on.
Team Rating 3/10: This was the main issue. It was not always as if individuals were always performing poorly, but as a collective they were poor.
They never seemed to gel and the mistakes they made as a team were costly. Too many dropped balls, too many missed tackles, too many lost lineouts and too little ball protection contributed as well. These mistakes can be okay in isolation by one player, but when the entire team is making them, they become costly and this is what happened this season.
