NPC MVP candidates
October 28, 2004

The players in contention for this year's Air New Zealand NPC Most Valuable Player award have been confirmed.

The 27 provincial winners were selected by their local sports journalists for consistent form during this year's Air New Zealand NPC.

New All Blacks Luke McAlister (North Harbour) and Steven Bates (Waikato) were named winners in their provinces for their outstanding performances in Division One of the competition.

Another All Black, Anton Oliver, was voted Otago's top player while Wellington captain Rodney So'oialo was one of 17 loose forwards across all three divisions who won provincial honours.

East Coast's Paul Symes has the distinction of being the only player to win a provincial Player of the Season title for two consecutive years.

Meanwhile, Bay of Plenty captain Wayne Ormond has the chance to make it two in a row for the Steamers after the team's 2003 captain Clayton McMillan was judged the Air New Zealand NPC Most Valuable Player last year.

This year's overall winner will be decided by the 2004 Virtual NPC Rugbyheads who are Sky TVs rugby commentators Tony Johnson and Grant Nisbett, TV3 newsreader John Campbell, What Now presenter Carolyn Taylor and Radio Sport presenter Martin Devlin.

The top prize for the 2004 Air New Zealand NPC Most Valuable Player is a business class trip for two to any Pacific Island destination of his choice while all the provincial winners will each receive two air tickets to any location in New Zealand.

The list of provincial winners is:

Air New Zealand NPC Division One
Daniel Braid (Auckland)
Wayne Ormond (Bay of Plenty)
Sam Broomhall (Canterbury)
Hayden Taylor (Northland)
Luke McAlister (North Harbour)
Anton Oliver (Otago)
Paul Miller (Southland)
Brent Thompson (Taranaki)
Steven Bates (Waikato)
Rodney So'oialo (Wellington)

Air New Zealand NPC Division Two
Taiasina Tuifua (Counties Manukau)
Paul Symes (East Coast)
Mutu Ngarimu (Hawke's Bay)
Hayden Triggs (Manawatu)
Laurie McGlone (Marlborough)
Mark Bright (Nelson Bays)
Tevita Fifita (North Otago)
Aaron McDonald (Thames Valley)
Scott Donald (Wanganui)

Air New Zealand NPC Division Three
Luke Brownlee (Buller)
Craig Tansley (Horowhenua-Kapiti)
Baven Brown (King Country)
Daniel Bokser (Mid Canterbury)
Scott Leighton (Poverty Bay)
Andrew Wilson (South Canterbury)
Stu Smith (Wairarapa-Bush)
Hadleigh Smith (West Coast)

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