Hurricanes 2018
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I'd make these changes:
1 May usually starting ahead of Eves; no indication that Goodes will back any time soon.
11 Savea/Goosen
14 Aso/Savea
16 Riccitelli
17 Eves
19 Blackwell (Cridge, reportedly, again has a long-term injury)
21 Christie/Hauiti-Parapara
23 Goosen/Savea/Lam/Lowe; NMS will be out for a long time, so haven't included him -
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Has TTT gone elsewhere?
Edit: just checked. The bugger is headed to the Chiefs.
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@tim said in Hurricanes 2018:
Why would you want May in the team, let alone starting? His scrummaging is very substandard.
Aumua offers a ton of impact off the bench. Riccitelli can be the replacement starting hooker.
It's not about what I want. It's how the coaches made their selections last season. So it's a good possibility they may make the same selections next season if these players are available.
If it was about what I want, then I'd name Jonah Lowe at 13. Not going to happen, at least not at the beginning of the season (except maybe preseason). You never know what happens later on in the season. The lad has a lot to offer.
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@tim said in Hurricanes 2018:
Anyone know how the Hurricanes squad is shaping up for next year? Anyone want to take a stab at a XXIII?
- Smith
- Coles
- Toomaga-Allen
- Lousi
- Fatialofa
- Fifita
- Savea
- Shields
- TJP
- Barrett
- Aso
- Laumape
- Proctor
- Savea
- Barrett
- Aumua
- Goodes/Eves
- Toby Smith
- Cridge
- Prinsep/Evans
- Hauiti-Parapara/Price
- West
- Goosen/NMS/Lam
Smith will likely be the starting LH. Also I wouldn't discount Isaia Walker-Leawere at 19. I rate him highly if the Canes have signed him. And hopefully they have also signed Alex Fidow (Goodes is not a TH and Eves struggles as well). They need a good TH impact prop and he will fit the bill nicely. And Goosen is too good not to make the 23 as well. I hope to see him start at center in a few games
Also Thomson might be fully fit. He is better than Cringe. And can cover lock, 6 and 8. and the HB will likely be the swap (Christie?) from the Chiefs
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@winger I'm a little confused about your rating of Walker-Leawere. You say you "rate him highly if the Hurricanes have signed him". Does this mean you don't rate the guy if he fails to land a Hurricanes contract? I'm guessing you are placing faith in the ability of having Richard Watt amongst the Hurricanes mix doing wonders judging by the way someone (presumably Watt) has managed to transform Sam Lousi from a basket case into quite a decent looking prospect in the space of just one year since he arrived in Wellington.
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Stuff's report on tonight's counties game says that Sam Henwood is 'believed to be joining the Canes next year'. A good signing.
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Not even sure if Walker-Leawere will fit into the squad given last years contracted players that played at lock were Geoff Cridge, James Blackwell, Blade Thompson, Mark Abbott, Vaea Fifita, Sam Lousi, James Broadhurst and Michael Fatialofa. Abbott has signed for someone overseas and Broadhurst has retired (Lousi effectively being his replacement) leaving six others so I guess it all depends on how many of those listed are still engaged on multi-year deals that cover 2018 before we can get a good indication on whether there is space for Walker-Leawere on the roster. Putting my thinking cap on Blackwell might only have been bumped into the full time squad after Thompson fell over.
Must also be about time Christian Lloyd reappeared on the scene again and to be awarded a contract (presumably funded almost entirely by the Accident Compensation Corporation) as well? -
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@number-10 said in Hurricanes 2018:
Geoff Cridge has a one-year contract for 2018 only, but it was reported in the HB Today this week he will be out for 12 months with the knee injury he has just collected playing for HB.
Great signing
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@higgins said in Hurricanes 2018:
@winger I'm a little confused about your rating of Walker-Leawere. You say you "rate him highly if the Hurricanes have signed him". Does this mean you don't rate the guy if he fails to land a Hurricanes contract? I'm guessing you are placing faith in the ability of having Richard Watt amongst the Hurricanes mix doing wonders judging by the way someone (presumably Watt) has managed to transform Sam Lousi from a basket case into quite a decent looking prospect in the space of just one year since he arrived in Wellington.
No i mean Also I wouldn't discount Isaia Walker-Leawere (I rate him highly) at 19 if the Canes have signed him.
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@higgins said in Hurricanes 2018:
Not even sure if Walker-Leawere will fit into the squad given last years contracted players that played at lock were Geoff Cridge, James Blackwell, Blade Thompson, Mark Abbott, Vaea Fifita, Sam Lousi, James Broadhurst and Michael Fatialofa. Abbott has signed for someone overseas and Broadhurst has retired (Lousi effectively being his replacement) leaving six others so I guess it all depends on how many of those listed are still engaged on multi-year deals that cover 2018 before we can get a good indication on whether there is space for Walker-Leawere on the roster. Putting my thinking cap on Blackwell might only have been bumped into the full time squad after Thompson fell over.
Must also be about time Christian Lloyd reappeared on the scene again and to be awarded a contract (presumably funded almost entirely by the Accident Compensation Corporation) as well?I hope they can sign him. his combination with Lousi was very good. It was this combination in the Canterbury game. He far and away better than Blackwell
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@winger said in Hurricanes 2018:
@higgins said in Hurricanes 2018:
@winger I'm a little confused about your rating of Walker-Leawere. You say you "rate him highly if the Hurricanes have signed him". Does this mean you don't rate the guy if he fails to land a Hurricanes contract? I'm guessing you are placing faith in the ability of having Richard Watt amongst the Hurricanes mix doing wonders judging by the way someone (presumably Watt) has managed to transform Sam Lousi from a basket case into quite a decent looking prospect in the space of just one year since he arrived in Wellington.
No i mean Also I wouldn't discount Isaia Walker-Leawere (I rate him highly) at 19 if the Canes have signed him.
I suppose the big unknown is how well will Blade Thompson come back and whether he will take back the No 8 position sending Brad Shields back onto the blindside spot which he seems to be largely preferred at by the Hurricanes selectors.
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Very good signing. (And West will be concerned). He was a big improver this year so will watch with interest how he goes.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/97943862/jackson-gardenbachop-signs-twoyear-super-rugby-deal-with-hurricanes
Jackson Garden-Bachop signs two-year Super Rugby deal with Hurricanes
After making his debut in Super Rugby with the Melbourne Rebels in 2017, Wellington first five-eighth Jackson Garden-Bachop is coming home. -
