Flynn Thomas to lead Stags in season opener

Flynn Thomas will lead the Southland Stags out onto Rugby Park in their Mitre 10 Cup opener against Northland tomorrow night.

The former New Zealand under 20 player will share the captaincy duties and hooking role with Brayden Mitchell in 2019, and has earned the start ahead of Mitchell, who is returning from a neck injury which saw him all of last year’s representative campaign.

Elsewhere, former Waikato loose forward Charles Alaimalo, a member of the 2017 New Zealand secondary schools team, will make his debut for the Stags, as will Reds midfielder Seb Wileman.

Marty McKenzie will run the cutter from first-five in his first Mitre 10 Cup game for Southland since 2013, having spent time with Taranaki and the Chiefs in the interim.

1. Ethan De Groot

2. Flynn Thomas

3. Morgan Mitchell

4. Ray Tatafu

5. Mike McKee

6. Charles Alaimalo

7. Phil Halder

8. Bill Fukofuka

9. Logan Crowley

10. Marty McKenzie

11. Seb Wileman

12. Ray Nu’u

13. Moses Faletolu

14. Isaac Te Tamaki

15. Josh Moorby

16. Brayden Mitchell

17. Joe Walsh

18. Chris Apoua

19. Ben Fotheringham

20. Matt James

21. Nico Costa-Lindow

22. Scott Eade

23. Lewis Ormond