MSP's 'people's choice'
50th anniversary team
The people have spoken! Our polls in 2019 to find the best players to have represented MSP since 1970 saw a total of 2640 votes cast, spread across 11 online polls.
Below are the 'people's choice' A and B teams. First, the A team:
| Position
|
Total votes for
that Position |
Top Candidate
|
Votes for that
candidate |
% of total
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hooker
|
353
|
Kevin Horan
|
138
|
40.7%
|
| Props
|
291
|
Brian McGrattan
|
148
|
50.9%
|
| Kas Lealamanua
|
147
|
50.5%
|
||
| Locks
|
253
|
John Fleming
|
125
|
49.4%
|
| Gerard Wilkinson
|
88
|
34.8%
|
||
| Flankers
|
292
|
Paul Quinn
|
106
|
36.3%
|
| Mike O'Leary
|
87
|
29.8%
|
||
| No 8
|
242
|
Victor Vito
|
179
|
76.8%
|
| Halfback
|
223
|
Neil Sorenson
|
97
|
44.9%
|
| First-five
|
234
|
Fa'atonu Fili
|
142
|
60.7%
|
| Second five
|
213
|
Norm Broughton
|
93
|
43.7%
|
| Centre
|
171
|
Denis Tocker
|
45
|
26.3%
|
| Wings
|
180
|
Lome Fa'atau
|
115
|
63.9%
|
| Grant Batty
|
113
|
62.8%
|
||
| Fullback
|
188
|
Kelly Rolleston
|
56
|
31.9%
|
| Total
|
2640
|
Interesting to note that:
- Victor Vito was the highest individual polling player, with 179 votes. The next three highest were Brian McGrattan, Kas Lealamanua and Fa'atonu Fili.
- Hooker was the most hotly contested position, with Kevin Horan edging ahead in the 353 votes cast. Flankers and props also attracted plenty of votes.
- Four All Blacks couldn't make the People's Choice 1st XV. In fact, so many good players missed out that we've also listed a second XV. To acknowledge all the fine players who have worn the red jersey, we've listed all the nominees from the club's different eras:
| Position
|
B team Selection
|
Votes
|
% Of Total
|
Other Nominees
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hooker
|
Ged Robinson
|
134
|
39.5%
|
Matt Calvert, Damian Geraghty, Tony Meachen, Luke Mahoney
|
| Props
|
Jeff To'omaga-Allen
|
96
|
33.0%
|
Paul Shannon, Tony Duffin, Jon Pothan, Tony Coughlan, Jamie Parkinson, Solomona Sakalia, Arden David-Perrot
|
| Brendan Reidy
|
50
|
17.2%
|
||
| Locks
|
Bernie Upton
|
85
|
33.6%
|
John Daniell, Richard Denhardt, Matt Egan, Andrew Gallagher, Steve Hinds, Lua Lokotui, Kristian Ormsby, Nick Passi
|
| Pat Dunn
|
46
|
18.2%
|
||
| Flankers
|
Richard Higgs
|
71
|
24.3%
|
Andy Evans, Steve Mark, Bill Nathan, Isaac O'Connor, Dan Scanlon, Gordon Simpson, Semo Sititi, Maurice Standish
|
| Sio Tuiatua
|
57
|
19.5%
|
||
| No 8
|
Isaac Feaunati
|
33
|
14.2%
|
Jim Meates, Alex Tulou, John Wootton
|
| Halfback
|
Elton Moncrieff
|
46
|
21.3%
|
Anthony Bradshaw, Angus Douglas, Reece Poutawera, Peter Sciascia
|
| First five
|
Tu Wyllie
|
73
|
31.2%
|
Grant Cederwall, David Hansen, Alan Henderson, Peter O'Shaughnessy, Billy Te Oka
|
| Second five
|
John Schuster
|
81
|
43.7%
|
Trent Eagle, Isaia Petelo, Cliff Rona, John Sullivan, Philip Wanden
|
| Centre
|
Phillip Gray
|
30
|
17.5%
|
Robert Gray, Paul Schmidt-Uili, Henry Huriwai, Billy Proctor, Bernie Wanden
|
| Wings
|
Wayne Gray
|
42
|
23.3%
|
Mick Cull, Colin Jackson, Damian O'Brien, Ray Rennell, Mark Vincent, Brendan Watt, Chris Welch
|
| Mike Buckley
|
19
|
10.6%
|
||
| Fullback
|
Murray Tocker
|
49
|
26.1%
|
Billy Collins, Joe Karam, Matt Smith, Apoua Stewart, Andrew Wells
|
Three All Blacks are in that B team - World Cup winner John Schuster, Tu Wyllie and Jeff To'omaga-Allen. Another, Joe Karam, didn't make either team. Neither did Irish international Damian O'Brien, Manu Samoa international Semo Sititi, Tongan international Lua Lokotui and a host of Wellington representatives and outstanding club men. Which just goes to show the wealth of talented players who have represented MSP over the years.
So who will make the official MSP 50th anniversary side? It was going to be announced at the gala dinner in 2020. But with the covid-enforced postponement, you'll have to wait until the 50th dinner on Queens Birthday Weekend 2021. Make sure you are registered for the anniversary weekend.
MSP Supporters
Shamrock Club
