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:

MSP's 50th anniversary 'People's Choice' 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:

MSP's 50th anniversary 'People's Choice' B team
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.
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