Exodus 2018
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@jauzy019 said in Exodus 2018:
@bones Toulouse will also announce the signing of midfield Pita Ahki currently playing for Connacht, and maybe his wife Kayla Ahki-McAlister for the women's team.
Excellent news. Foreign-born numbers keep dropping.
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@pot-hale while the French just keep signing more!
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@billy-tell said in Exodus 2018:
Wyatt Crockett off to Ta$man...those poaching bastards.
Return of a prodigal son!
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@billy-tell said in Exodus 2018:
@jauzy019 said in Exodus 2018:
Jerome Kaino to Toulouse will be official on thursday (in the evening for you i suppose).
They are getting a bit of a lemon. One of the great AB 6s, but his career has gone rather Rodney So'oialo in the last few months.
I'm not too sure about that. He was still good for the Blues last year, and then had two long lay-offs before joining the ABs before the Lions and the EOYT, so he had no match fitness and no chance to build into form. I still thought he went well in the first 2 Lions tests though, especially the 2nd test where he looked set for a big one had SBW not been sent off.
He also looked quite good in the pre-season game against the Canes. Seemed like everyone who ran at him got smashed.
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@dice said in Exodus 2018:
I'm not too sure about that. He was still good for the Blues last year, and then had two long lay-offs before joining the ABs before the Lions and the EOYT, so he had no match fitness and no chance to build into form. I still thought he went well in the first 2 Lions tests though, especially the 2nd test where he looked set for a big one had SBW not been sent off.
Kaino has always been a guy that needs time to build up his form. Players like McCaw and Read are rare that can play a quality Test match straight off an injury. Even when he was young, Kaino always needed a month to wind up.
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@taniwharugby said in Exodus 2018:
@pot-hale while the French just keep signing more!
Just doesn’t make sense because they’re dropping players as they have to contract down their foreign stocks for match day squads under new agreement.
Lealiifano (already left), and Piutau, Heenan, Grobler, Ahki leaving Ireland at season end.
Nacewa will retire, as will Payne likely. (Both might coach). Also possible McCartney, Dawai and Ilii could depart Connacht.
Hopefully, the academies keep developing more rather than bring in any NIQ replacements. -
@jauzy019 said in Exodus 2018:
@bones Toulouse will also announce the signing of midfield Pita Ahki currently playing for Connacht, and maybe his wife Kayla Ahki-McAlister for the women's team.
The French Top 8 is a (semi)-professional competition, isn't it? So Kayla could become the first NZ female XVs player on a professional contract, albeit in France?
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@tim said in Exodus 2018:
Good on Jerome, he's earned a lucrative retirement and belated OE after playing a major part in two RWC wins and a host of other cup wins
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@stargazer I thought it did?
Or when they leave school, that was how it worked with the likes of Sivi, Fekitoa et al didn't it (except 3 years)
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@taniwharugby I'm not sure tbh.
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All the best to Jerome Kaino.
In the conversation for the best All Black 6 of all time.
Will never forget seeing in person 'that' tackle on Digby Ioane in the 2011 RWC Semi Final.
He had a 2017 to forget so hopefully he can go out with a strong 2018 for the Blues starting this weekend.
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I think they were scholarships? The time on scholarship didn't count
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@duluth isn't that the same with any that come over for schooling (and rugby) cos wasn't Sivi here on a soccer scholarship or is that one of those myths?
Didn't NZ Soccer have that issue a few years back with that guy who they played in the All Whites or an age group side and he was not eligible as he needed stand down given he came here during schooling from SA as his family emigrated (I realize different sports have different rules, but I thought in this case they were similar)
