Tyrone Thompson summoned for stunning Super Rugby swansong before likely NRL move

Thursday, 20 June 2024

Former All Blacks halfback Justin Marshall on what Chiefs No 9 Cortez Ratima has done well.

Super Rugby Pacific final:** Blues v Chiefs. Where: Eden Park, Auckland. When: 7.05pm Saturday. Coverage: Live on Sky Sport 1, live updates on Stuff.**

Tyrone Thompson has been summoned for a potentially stunning Super Rugby swansong with the Chiefs before a move to the NRL.

In the wake of the injury to All Blacks hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, Thompson has been named to start Saturday night’s final against the Blues at Eden Park, in what shapes as his last game for the franchise before crossing codes to rugby league.

While the Blues have been massively bolstered by the shock return of captain Patrick Tuipulotu, who suffered a torn medial ligament in his right knee during his side’s quarterfinal and was said to be facing six to seven weeks on the sideline, the Chiefs have had minor medical wins of their own.

They were set to be facing a hooker crisis after Taukei’aho suffered an Achilles problem during their semifinal win over the Hurricanes in Wellington last Saturday, and replacement Bradley Slater then copped an MCL knee injury and an initial failed HIA. But Slater, having passed his second HIA on the night, has been deemed fit enough to take a spot on the bench for the decider.

That means no dream debut for Millennium (Mills) Sanerivi, the 24-year-old Aucklander who has played 19 games for Taranaki, who was on the verge of being turned to after being a Chiefs wider training group member this year.

Tyrone Thompson roars with delight in the Chiefs’ win over the Blues in Hamilton last year.

But it does mean a remarkable reprieve for Thompson, the remaining hooker in the Chiefs’ contracted squad. He has played 21 games across his three seasons at the franchise, and just six this season, while this will be just his third start, and first of the year.

The 24-year-old will be chomping at the bit. Not only has he not suited up for the Chiefs since the loss to the Hurricanes in Hamilton on May 24, but coach Clayton McMillan said he also hadn’t even been playing club rugby in the meantime, just to ensure he avoided his own injury, in case this very situation arose, in a specialist position.

And for Thompson, a Māori All Blacks and All Blacks XV rep in 2022, it shapes as quite the farewell game, before an expected move to the Newcastle Knights to join his twin brother, Leo, who has played 54 games for the NRL club, where he is signed till 2025, and made his debut for the Kiwis last year.

Australian media reported late last year that Thompson had agreed a one-year development deal to join the Knights once his New Zealand Rugby contract expires in 2024.

While he told Stuff in February there was nothing as then signed and sealed, Thompson said he had “definitely got interest in it” and that “it’s always good to keep your options open, see what’s out there”, while McMillan confirmed to the Waikato Times this week that Thompson had not re-signed with the Chiefs for next year.

Tyrone Thompson will get his first start of the season in what shapes as his final game for the Chiefs before a move to the NRL.

It could make for quite the fairytale finish, then, should Thompson help the Chiefs get the job done at Eden Park − where the Blues are on a 15-game winning streak − and claim their first title since 2013.

In further positive news for McMillan’s side, fullback Shaun Stevenson has been named to start, after being a late-in-the-week scratching for the semifinal due to a niggle with a hamstring that was initially injured against the Waratahs in Sydney on April 26. That sees Etene Nanai-Seturo go back to the left wing and Daniel Rona back to the bench, with Liam Coombes-Fabling (who didn’t get any minutes in the semi) dropping out.

The only other change to the Chiefs’ 23 is the bench lock spot, with Naitoa Ah Kuoi ruled out after his concussion in the semifinal, and failed HIA3 which has him on a mandated 12-day stand-down, seeing Manaaki Selby-Rickit into the reserves.

Meanwhile, for the Blues, along with Tuipulotu’s return, which sees Josh Beehre go to the bench and James Thompson drop out, they also welcome back midfielder Bryce Heem from a calf injury that has kept him out the past five weeks, with the 35-year-old taking Corey Evans’ spot in the reserves.

Chiefs: Shaun Stevenson, Emoni Narawa, Anton Lienert-Brown, Rameka Poihipi, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Damian McKenzie, Cortez Ratima, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson (capt), Samipeni Finau, Tupou Vaa’i, Jimmy Tupou, George Dyer, Tyrone Thompson, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Bradley Slater, Jared Proffit, Reuben O’Neill, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Simon Parker, Xavier Roe, Quinn Tupaea, Daniel Rona.

Blues: Stephen Perofeta, Mark Tele’a, Rieko Ioane, AJ Lam, Caleb Clarke, Harry Plummer, Finlay Christie, Hoskins Sotutu, Dalton Papali’i, Akira Ioane, Sam Darry, Patrick Tuipulotu (capt), Marcel Renata, Ricky Riccitelli, Ofa Tu’ungafasi. Reserves: Kurt Eklund, Joshua Fusitu’a, Angus Ta’avao, Josh Beehre, Adrian Choat, Taufa Funaki, Bryce Heem, Cole Forbes.