Chiefs 2025
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@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2025:
Bugger I had hoped they were taking a game to New Plymouth, kind of to celebrate the new stand and everything. Even being a Canes man I would of been there. In one way I laugh, Naki were going to get regular games supposedy why they sold out to Chiefs!!!
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On Stuff today:
Breakout All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi is set to miss a chunk, if not all, of the Chiefs’ Super Rugby Pacific campaign. World Rugby’s breakthrough player of 2024, and the All Blacks player of the year, is carrying a knee injury, sustained on last year’s northern tour. The Waikato Times reported the 22-year-old requires surgery, which will at least sideline him for a chunk of the season, which kicks off February 14.
Sititi has been overseas on holiday and is waiting to see a surgeon to determine the seriousness of the injury. McMillan is expected to provide an injury update today.
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Sititi in doubt for Super Rugby 2025, I guess it's good from a Canes perspective because he single handedly destroyed us in the semi last year but from a rugby fan POV this sucks to see.
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✅ amazing how these rumours come true.
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@Canes4life I reckon it will be good for him long term. Get into the gym and hammer his upper body. Shit for the chiefs and my $20k multi though.
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When's Fantasy Super Rugby starting because Sititi would have been one of my picks?
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I think the loose forward trio will now be one of the following (dependent on where Jacobson is played):
6 Finau
7 Jacobson
8 ParkerOR
6 Finau
7 Brown
8 JacobsonThere are plenty of other players who can play no.8 like Wrampling and Boshier. Jacob Norris would be the likely injury replacement.
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@chchfanatic said in Chiefs 2025:
✅ amazing how these rumours come true.
You called that a while ago, well played.
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@Canes4life said in Chiefs 2025:
@Windows97 said in Chiefs 2025:
Give himself one more crack at making the AB's in 2025??
I really rate SS but the fact that Fihaki was brought in ahead of him last year means that he'll need to have a stellar 2025 to move up the pecking order. With Love out for half of Super Rugby there's certainly opportunity for him to get back into the AB environment. I wish him well.
If anything bringing Fihaki in is an indication that playing well is not a requirement.
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Can't remember who was after one but the white Chiefs training tees are for sale to the public now.
CLASSIC MENS CHIEFS PRO TRAINING TEE 2025 | WHITE
Official licensed productClassic Mens Chiefs Training TeeCrafted from 100% polyester, this pro-training tee ensures comfort and durability, making it perfect for both workouts and casual wear. Featuring the club logo on the left chest.
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@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2025:
I think the loose forward trio will now be one of the following (dependent on where Jacobson is played):
6 Finau
7 Jacobson
8 ParkerOR
6 Finau
7 Brown
8 JacobsonThere are plenty of other players who can play no.8 like Wrampling and Boshier. Jacob Norris would be the likely injury replacement.
I think they will start parker at 8. but probably end up with wrampling. LJ has to stay at 7
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@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2025:
I think the loose forward trio will now be one of the following (dependent on where Jacobson is played):
6 Finau
7 Jacobson
8 ParkerOR
6 Finau
7 Brown
8 JacobsonThere are plenty of other players who can play no.8 like Wrampling and Boshier. Jacob Norris would be the likely injury replacement.
That’s unfortunate for Sititi, hopefully he recovers well from the surgery.
It’ll be interesting to see how McMillan reshuffles his loose forward trio. I’ve taken a quick look at some numbers from this season’s NPC (source: RugbyPass), and how Wrampling-Alec, Boshier and Parker played at eight. These are their averages across six games played at number eight (Boshier played a 7th game at 8 but left the game after 14 minutes so I left that out).
There’s some clear differences between the player profiles: Wrampling-Alec looks to be the most potent attacking threat, making the most metres, offloads and beating the most defenders on average. Boshier’s added value is primarily in his lineout game. And Parker looks to be the most potent threat, if only slightly, for stealing the ball. All seem to be solid defenders, with plenty of tackle involvements.
That being said, it could indeed well be that McMillan puts Jacobson at the back with Brown at openside, the latter being an experienced Super Rugby player with 51 games played for the Brumbies (SR exp.: Boshier, 26 caps; Parker, 22; Wrampling-Alec, 0).
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Boshier is more suited to no.8 (his position for Taranaki) but I wouldn't read too much into the lineout stats. That's more of a reflection of their NPC team lineout systems. Boshier is easily the shortest of the three and both Wrampling and Parker are good lineout options, and lifters due to their height.
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@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2025:
Boshier is easily the shortest of the three and both Wrampling and Parker are good lineout options, and lifters due to their height.
If I had a choice between height and lineout takes as 'signs' to interpret someone's lineout ability, I would personally always go for the takes. There's a reason why the calls go to certain players and why NPC lineout systems focus on them.
This could be different things, like, the player has shown an ability to catch and transfer lineout ball cleanly or they act as the caller and are most comfortable calling to themselves.
Or it could also just be that certain players are more suited for different roles. If you had a choice between Boshier and Arese Poliko to crash up in midfield to set up your lineout attack, it makes sense that Boshier secures the ball and Poliko makes the run.
With someone like Wrampling, you want him to be in position to use his athleticism and dynamism as a carrier, so it makes sense that he's less present in the lineout, even if he's taller than someone like Boshier.
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@Mauss My point was more that the use of a specific player in the lineout often differs from team to team. Take Wrampling for example, I remember him being used a lot for the NZ U20s last year, but less so for Waikato. Sititi was probably used as much, if not more, than Barrett for the ABs. As you say, it is dependent on the roles of each player within your system and where you want to throw the ball to (front vs back).
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