Rugby: Mitre 10 Cup preview - Five players to watch this season

With the Mitre 10 Cup just around the corner, Christopher Reive highlights five players to watch and predicts the winners.

Players to watch

Stephen Perofeta – Taranaki
Looking to return to the Premiership, the Amber and Blacks will be hoping to have a full season of production from Perofeta. But in terms of availability, the first five-eighth hasn't been the most reliable in recent years. The 22-year-old missed all of the Blues' 2019 Super Rugby campaign through injury, but can use the Mitre 10 Cup season to lift his stocks as he takes the reigns in the No 10 jersey following the departure of Marty McKenzie to Southland.

Du'Plessis Kirifi – Wellington
Kirifi was a bit of a surprise package for the Hurricanes this year, making the most of his opportunities on the pitch to earn regular game time at the Super Rugby level. After injuries impacted his 2018 campaign, expect a strong showing from the young loose forward this time around. He's proven to be a handful at the breakdown, attacks the line with intent when he gets the ball in his hands and has flashed his playmaking ability at times.

Du'Plessis Kirifi has shown his potential at both Super Rugby and Mitre10 Cup levels. Photo / Photosport

Salesi Rayasi – Auckland
Arguably the breakout star of the 2018 competition, Rayasi's talent is no longer a secret. An integral part of Auckland's competition-winning campaign, you can expect teams to put plenty of pressure on the young winger and try to limit the amount of space he has to move. The question for the 22-year-old is all about how well he matches up to the pressure. Another young talent in the Hurricanes ranks, he's shown plenty of talent and natural ability to suggest he can handle whatever the competition throws at him.

Shaun Stevenson – North Harbour
One of the country's most exciting ball runners, give him room to move and he'll almost certainly make you pay for it. Still just 22, Stevenson is already well established after a few seasons with the Chiefs at the Super Rugby level. If North Harbour is hoping to be contenders in the stacked premiership competition this season, Stevenson will surely play a massive role in the campaign.

Ethan Blackadder – Tasman
From a spectator's point of view, Blackadder is one of the most exciting young players to watch in New Zealand. A hard-running loose forward, Blackadder plays the game at 100 mph and has the engine to match. He's a willing participant in the physical parts of the game and gets stuck in to the gritty work to build a platform for his backs to attack from. Even in a Tasman team stacked with talent, Blackadder is sure to find a way to stand out.

Tipped to win – Premiership

Tasman's Ethan Blackadder launches himself to make a tackle. Photo / Photosport

Tasman
Will Jordan. David Havili. Jordan Taufua. Mitch Hunt. The list of talent in the Mako ranks goes on and on. One look at the squad and it's hard not to pit them as premiership favourites. While there will be strong challenges from the usual suspects in Canterbury, Auckland and Wellington – and perhaps North Harbour – Tasman will like their chances to take out the 2019 title.

Tipped to win – Championship

Northland
They might be seen as a bit of a smokey pick, but last season's beaten semifinalists look poised for another tilt at promotion. They're fielding a strong squad featuring standout Blues loose forward Tom Robinson, reliable first five-eighth Jack Debreczeni and Māori All Blacks wing Jordan Hyland. The Taniwha will be strong across the park, with a host of solid veterans and exciting emerging talents. They have lost a few key players, including captain Matt Moulds, but they should be right in the conversation for promotion once more.