Hurricanes 2025
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@canefan said in Hurricanes 2025:
Season hasn't started and already we are in a deep hole
I just can’t see how we are going to remain competitive after losing Ardie, TJ, Jordie and now being hit with all these injuries. Fk the Saders injury list, the Canes have been hit way harder IMO when you take everything into account.
The list of players that are gone from last year or are currently injured include the below, that’s a shit tone of talent out including 6 ABs and 9 starters out or gone from last year’s top XV.
Departed: TJ Perenara, Jordie Barrett, Justin Sangster, Salesi Rayasi, Josh Moorby, Aiden Morgan, TK Howden
Injured: Tyrel Lomax, Asafo Aumua, Zach Gallagher, Devan Flanders, Brett Cameron, Lucas Cashmore, Riley Higgins, Billy Proctor, Ruben Love.
We need some luck or better yet some experience on the park otherwise we’ll fall behind pretty quickly.
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From Club Rugby NZ
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@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2025:
From Club Rugby NZ
I'll start the ball rolling by suggesting the announcement might be him transferring back to the club he played his junior rugby at - my Axemen
not that he will ever play of course so it won't make any difference.
Pretty sure the last time he played in a game involving the Axemen he got yellow carded for a neck high tackle playing for the combined Marist St Pats outfit on Hataitai Park about four or five years back. Might even have been the game Richard Judd scored the winning try for my guys in the terrace side corner down by the softball diamond at the MSP end of the ground. Believe me that's something that does not happen too often. If fact the only other time was on a midweek night up at Te Whaea when I was cruely denied the pleasure of celebrating success in any clubrooms afterward. I did find reason to visit the MSP clubrooms the following Saturday night though! Ahhhhh the things you fondly recall when your club team does not win all that often!
Naitoa Ah Koui played in the development squad game, played as the curtainraiser, that infamous Saturday for Billy too as well as helping himself to one of the Taula beers I had tucked away hiding in the back of the chiller especially for his father if my memory serves me correct! -
@Higgins good times eh, Taulas though yuck! explains your vague memory of the day. i bet Ken would've appreciated one of those.
how the Axemen doing under new coach Faatonu Fili? on the up this year ya think?? a childhood friend of mine has played over 300 games i believe?? with the "mighty Axemen" he says. a character and a half he is ol Junior Purcell.
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@BerhamporeNinja You're right, the taste is pretty average but at 7% it does have quite a lot going for it. I think Tons might now be the CCO or whatever the club coaching development officer position is called nowadays, taking over from Lapana Jeff Makapelu. Some club's still have them but it is getting harder to come upon the funding to meet the salary obligations. Tons' management and coaching team also proving their worth in keeping things moving along nicely and their captain also provides a lot of excellent input from my observations.
Since having been back up in the Bay thanks to family health matters I do not often get back down to Hataitai much. However when I do I can sit happily alone and in solitude anywhere in the clubrooms for hours reflecting on all the time I spent in and around them for the best part of 25 or more years. Things look to be ticking along nicely with a real good camaraderie feel amongst the players from the times I get there and social functions are always things to be treasured. I suppose it helps that we still have beers available on tap. Not just any beer mind you but decent craft beers brewed not far from the Axemen's Isherwood Lounge down at Waitoa Breweries in Hataitai Village. We are lucky to have such a changing selection of tasty tap beers available rather than the somewhat bland stuff of the "big" brewers that the ever declining number of clubs still having tap beer pour. A big tick also to Upper Hutt as the last time I was there (five or six years ago) they had decent Panhead on tap which was rather appreciated by me!Once you slip down the pecking order success wise it is very difficult to get out of the hole. Not for the want of trying but many up and coming players aspiring for higher honours do not seem to want to commit to the battle, preferring to be bench or be second team players at other clubs with better playing records. Despite this we have had some players that have moved onto higher honours through our senior ranks so we must be doing something right. Off the top of my head Vaea Fifita (currently at Scarlets), Ollie Sapsford (Hawkes Bay and Brumbies), Veikoso (James) Polonaiti (Moana Pacifika and Tonga - Currently at Bayonne), Angleo Smith (Rebels and Waratahs), Gareth Simpson (Force and Saracens), Rory Woods, (NZ Under 19s and Northland) and Callum Harkin (Hurricanes) have all spent short periods of time donning the Axemen colours reasonably recently. A bit more than reasonably recently you could also throw in Lote Raikabula (NZ7s) who played Colts at the Axemen. Stanley Solomon would have been another but somehow ended up at Petone despite being the son of Axemen Life Member and NZRFU Vice President Erin Rush before making any senior appearances for his junior club and the club his parents played at (and still frequent most Saturdays) so it can still happen but it is just not getting any easier.
You are right about Junior, a really good b^#%@(d and loyal too boot. Can't ever recall any time seeing him without a smile on his face in the fifteen or twenty years he has been lacing up his boots for the Axemen. I am thankful that I found out his brother Sonny was a powerful tighthead when I unexpectedly had to make my virgin appearance as a replacement hooker one wet and freezing cold day at Martin Luckie. Not anything a less than 80kg late forties team Manager would ever want to repeat, especially against that giant sized MSP Third grade team. My loosehead was another powerful guy which helped get me out of what could have been rather embarrassing situation for me. Think I only last one tighthead believe it or not! I can now proudly wear the Axemen's famed Front Row Club dress tie without feeling guilty but by god did the body feel sore (even passing wind was painful) for about ten days afterward as I genuinely earned the right!
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@Bones said in Hurricanes 2025:
@Higgins surely got the best sideline commentary of any club too?
Indeed we do, so much so that Mr. Quinn is not always guaranteed to make the starting lineup each week given the experience of the amateurs in the squad. Mr. Mexted is also in semi-retirement but does add jois de vivre when available for selection.
The self appointed TMO squad is also one to be relied upon to give accurate assessments when called upon by the referee, and sometimes when not called upon! It is amazing how they never seem to miss any incident in the Axemen's favour that is not given. -
@mikey07 said in Hurricanes 2025:
@Higgins It’s an absolute shame their Pressies team had to fold a few years ago I always enjoyed playing them.
Yes it was disappointing but they all reached the mid fifties age about the same time and although their minds were willing to carry on their bodies were not. Still a decent number front up on the sidelines to watch games each week which is good to see. Sadly the number of Pressies teams is reducing by one or two each year in Wellington as the younger players seem to disappear and are not carrying on playing once they get past playing in the more competitive grades any more. The same could be said about the once very popular regular Golden Oldies Sunday gatherings that used to be held here in the Bay where every Club had a team and now I think there might only be couple of teams still going.
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@Higgins i see the dilemma players face when deciding to make the switch to the Axemen. its a make or break i guess. all the best to them this year im hoping yous have better results then last year. ive seen pre season videos the boys are training hard. keep an eye on David Johnson aka Vika! that boys a gun!!
id be sure to yarn to Sonny next time i see him at paknsave about his Tight head playing days haha. He kept that under wraps. Good old Martin luckie! we played touch rugby and flag there everyday growing up. i can imagine what you went through being thrown in the deep end by your team not showing up then having to lace up. i remember the cold muddy games at good ol Martin Luckie Park. A proud moment for you!. Junior is forever repping "the mighty Axemen" everywhere he goes even on social media, would not suprise me if he has another run this year! a good lad.
also, i forgot Billy Proctor originally from Axemen! like his dad.. all these clubs claiming him "theirs" is funny to see
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Sullivan re-signs for one more year.
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@Machpants said in Hurricanes 2025:
Yay?
Meh. Once we have all our midfielders back including Barrett he won't see much gametime. But good to have a player that can cover midfield and wing.
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@Machpants said in Hurricanes 2025:
Yay?
Glad we have him this year.
And does go ok on the wing as well. -
Likely Aumua and Lomax but hopefully it's Proctor. We need his defence.
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@antipodean said in Hurricanes 2025:
Love extends contract
Now he's got to get fit, back to form, and Razor has to give him a go
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@canefan said in Hurricanes 2025:
@antipodean said in Hurricanes 2025:
Love extends contract
Now he's got to get fit, back to form, and Razor has to give him a go
Back to form is key. He looks bloody fit already but it will take him three to four rounds to get going again.
Great signing though. Key to the Canes future and hopefully key to our success.
