Exodus 2017
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This year has been arguably the worst ever in terms of losing quality players still in their prime. Luatua, Faumaina, TKB, Lowe, Cruden and Fekitoa. FFS, that's some serious talent gone. Faumaina and Cruden in particular will be massive losses that won't be easy to replace.
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Still waiting for the official announcement ....
... but according to the rumours, he'll only join Toulon in October. So he may play Mitre 10 Cup if he's not named in the AB squad for the Rugby Championship.
According to Midi Olympique, it will all become official on Tuesday (27 June). They say he has signed a two-year contract.
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I remember that very early interview of him where they asked him Tonga or All Blacks and he said All Blacks. Cause you get paid. At least he was always honest about it. He has enough caps under his belt to get top dollar, shame for the clan but not so much for NZ rugby.
Bastareaud is going to get the shock of his life the first time he sees him with his shirt off.
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@akan004 said in Exodus 2017:
This year has been arguably the worst ever in terms of losing quality players still in their prime. Luatua, Faumaina, TKB, Lowe, Cruden and Fekitoa. FFS, that's some serious talent gone. Faumaina and Cruden in particular will be massive losses that won't be easy to replace.
2015 was a worse crop.
Piatau, Saili, Halai, Tamiefuna, TNW, Slade & Taylor, Cater, Smith, Nonu, Franks, Gear, Thrush.
Cruden has already been replaced.
Faumuina is a loss, but so were Sommerville and Afoa before him.
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@mooshld said in Exodus 2017:
I remember that very early interview of him where they asked him Tonga or All Blacks and he said All Blacks. Cause you get paid. At least he was always honest about it. He has enough caps under his belt to get top dollar, shame for the clan but not so much for NZ rugby.
Yeah, I remember the same interview so knew he would be off as soon as he got dropped. Clearly wants to earn as much as he can for his family in what window he has.
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@akan004 said in Exodus 2017:
This year has been arguably the worst ever in terms of losing quality players still in their prime. Luatua, Faumaina, TKB, Lowe, Cruden and Fekitoa. FFS, that's some serious talent gone. Faumaina and Cruden in particular will be massive losses that won't be easy to replace.
Inevitable really. Lions tour over, players who have either been established ABs, but no longer/not first choice, and already have silverware, or else fringe or else never going to make it.
Faumuina and Cruden are really the only major losses, but NZ being NZ, we will find perfectly fine replacements.
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@Stargazer said in Exodus 2017:
Still waiting for the official announcement ....
... but according to the rumours, he'll only join Toulon in October. So he may play Mitre 10 Cup if he's not named in the AB squad for the Rugby Championship.
According to Midi Olympique, it will all become official on Tuesday (27 June). They say he has signed a two-year contract.
...when he's not named...
Barring injury, they are not going to reinvest in a fringe player heading overseas. They will back Laumape and and Goodhue etc.
The player I am fully expecting to head overseas is Brad Shields, barring a miraculous call-up. Too good a player to earn a Super salary with no AB expectations.
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@Crucial said in Exodus 2017:
@Rapido said in Exodus 2017:
Wow. Fekitoa must have just set a record for the fastest quitting All Black in history?
You mean after getting dumped or getting picked?
After getting dumped. That's amazing.
Maybe the selectors already knew he was wavering? I assume he is off contract at year end and hadn't re-signed yet?
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@Rapido or maybe he could see the writing on the wall last season?
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@taniwharugby
Yeah. Probably. I don't think you get as far as he has a professional if you are a sulker or a quitter.My guess is this was already on the cards, and therefore Laumape and Goodhue going passed him was made an easier decision for the selectors.
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@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:
@Stargazer said in Exodus 2017:
Still waiting for the official announcement ....
... but according to the rumours, he'll only join Toulon in October. So he may play Mitre 10 Cup if he's not named in the AB squad for the Rugby Championship.
According to Midi Olympique, it will all become official on Tuesday (27 June). They say he has signed a two-year contract.
...when he's not named...
The player I am fully expecting to head overseas is Brad Shields, barring a miraculous call-up. Too good a player to earn a Super salary with no AB expectations.
Shields might be the Luke Braid of his mini-generation.
Thing is with Shields. There's not much youth coming through in the 6 & 8 positions who are better than him or who look particularly promising. Only really Akira Ioane.
Then there is Dixon, Squire, Shields and Fifita who are all about the same mid-20s age.
I could see him getting an opportunity, but it's not nailed on. Maybe 20% chance.
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@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:
@akan004 said in Exodus 2017:
This year has been arguably the worst ever in terms of losing quality players still in their prime. Luatua, Faumaina, TKB, Lowe, Cruden and Fekitoa. FFS, that's some serious talent gone. Faumaina and Cruden in particular will be massive losses that won't be easy to replace.
Inevitable really. Lions tour over, players who have either been established ABs, but no longer/not first choice, and already have silverware, or else fringe or else never going to make it.
Faumuina and Cruden are really the only major losses, but NZ being NZ, we will find perfectly fine replacements.
For their experience, sure, but I think Luatua and TKB are huge losses too. Luatua's finally come into his own and has been huge this year. While TKB is the form Super halfback and gives us a ton of depth there. Once he goes, there's a huge drop down to the fourth pick (which I guess is Weber or shudder Pulu).
Not sure why people still bring Shields up in the ABs conversation. Feels like people have been talking him up as a future AB since he was in the U20s and it's not going to happen.
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@Rapido I think that's why Hansen was annoyed at losing Luatua. More than any of them, he probably had the physical attributes to replace Kaino (who is talking of hanging around for another RWC, but I'm pretty doubtful - he's well past 34 - won't be surprised if we get an announcement from him in the next few months. Even Read is not far from 32. Vito is gone and Messam looks to be on recent evidence.
At the moment, Squire is at the head of the queue, but he's very injury prone - has been even at NPC level. Then apparently Ioane and Fifita, Dixon has dropped back in the running from last year. A wildcard is Luke Whitelock, who is playing much better rugby than when he made the ABs several years ago. Most of his web stats list him as 104kg, but I find that hard to believe. He could probably do with adding a couple more kgs to his frame for international rugby, but he wouldn't be the worst. I'd have him ahead of Shields and Jordan Taufua, who needs some platform shoes to make him a lineout option.
That Luke Jacobson looks a good prospect with the U20s. The little I saw of him was impressive.
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@Chris-B. Forgot Luke Whitelock. I like the newly re-shaped cut of his jib.
Yeah. Taufua not a candidate, too short.
It's a very bare cupboard, in a position we normally churn them out.
Luatua must be either stark raving bonkers, or have the worst manager in the game, or just not up for it?
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Luatua, Faumauina and TKB hurt. Fekitoa will hurt too. These are international standard players ready to step in if we lose anyone, and still not overly weaken us (Charlie is more than that, he's a huge part of our gameday squad). They aren't guys at the end of their careers building a well deserved nest egg, they are players in their prime.
Surely this has got to bite at some point? We can't keep turning guys up to fill these holes, it's just not possible.
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@Rapido Two others I forgot about are the invisible men Mitchell Dunshea and Hugh Renton. I've got very little idea about these two, but theoretically they should be part of a younger generation coming through - but they've been sighted less frequently than a Blue Duck.
Dunshea did look useful for the Barbarians.
