Magpies 2021
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The Hawke's Bay Magpies could be without some top players for the end of the extended Ranfurly Shield and NPC season because of commitments to overseas contracts.
But coach Mark Ozich – himself headed to Australia at the end of the competition for a position with Perth-based Western Force – says it's the same for everyone in a Bunnings Warehouse NPC that could be extended by five weeks or more into late November.Legendary Magpies skipper Ash Dixon, bound for Japan, is among those heading abroad, but Ozich says there are at least a couple facing the problem of having a possible "small window" of time to meet the obligations of their contracts abroad, complicated by quarantine and other pandemic control issues.
At the other of the scale was fringe squad member, Jordan Thompson-Dunn, a 20-year-old who left a fortnight ago to play "major-league" rugby for Portugal side Benfica, Ozich saying all provincial and senior club sides now face the problem of promising players being lured overseas.From this - paywalled - article:
Magpies, NPC and Covid - one game at a time
The Magpies have two games confirmed, but the match against Auckland is postponed.
So, apart from Dixon and Ozich himself, there's Falcon (Japan), Ili (Rebels), and ...? Maybe Sapsford (AB7s)? Who else? You'd think the Evans brothers (particularly Gareth), Toala and Visinia are the most likely players to go overseas, but I haven't heard/read anything about them signing contracts abroad.
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About the Magpies' halfback shortage:
Well, at least we now know that Kahn Fotuali'i is in the Horowhenua-Kapiti squad. He's playing tomorrow (Sat 9 Oct).
Considering Julian Savea was allowed to travel to Wellington, maybe Danny Tusitala will still make it to the Bay (assuming he was the player they wanted to bring over from Auckland). Saw a clip on instagram and very briefly saw a player that did look like him. Not sure it was him though.
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Does anyone know how many games we will still get out of Ash Dixon? Surely still one home game, otherwise the HBRU would have said today's game was his last home game and given him a proper sent-off?
Falcon probably has to go soon, too.
Not sure who else is heading overseas (apart from Ili to the Rebels and Ozich to the Force, but I assume their contracts will not force them to leave the Magpies before the season ends).
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@stargazer comms said something about how it could be his last. But it seems like we've got a while of NPC yet, all a bit hard to guarantee obviously. Is there a date he has to go by?
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Ozich pretty much confirms in this interview that it was Ash Dixon's last game on McLean Park.
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@dice Thanks for that link. Great interview! What a loss to NZ Ozich is (and Dixon, obviously). Great to hear that Ozich has the ambition to come back to NZ and coach at SR level. I'm sure he'll be great at that level, too. Would be a great coach to take over from Holland at the Canes! Not holding my breath with the current Canes' management though. They'll probably promote from within the Wellington region again.
I interpret Ozich's words "it could be his last game on McLean Park" differently; I understand it in light of the Covid situation they had just discussed, that nobody really knows what the rest of the comp is going to look like and that the team is focussed on and preparing for each game week by week. If it was definitely his last, I think he would have said "it was his last".
Well, I hope that's what his words mean anyway.
@delicatessen I don't know whether there's a specific date for him to go to Japan. I assume it depends on the wording of his contract. It could be different for each player who goes to Japan, and therefore different for Dixon and Falcon, for example.
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@stargazer Wow that would be a pick up and a half.
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@stargazer I agree, but imagine him coming off the bench, and running at a tired defence.
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Interview with Tom Parsons from approx. 21:45.
Near the end, he says in more less this wording that - in addition to the guys going to Japan (I assume that's only Ash and Tiaan) - there may be another couple who will move on to other things, it's just the time of their life, but at this stage ... he thinks the core group of the team, the main young fellas who he thinks will be the backbone of the side going forward, will be sticking around.
I've heard Sir JK say on the Breakdown a few weeks ago that Brendon O'Connor has signed with a team in the USA (MLR). I assume Bryn Evans is another one who may be moving on (retiring?).
Also, Falcon is going into the last year of his contract in Japan, so he may come back next year?
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Does this mean that Gareth Evans is also returning to Otago, and not just the Highlanders? Or am I reading it the wrong way?
“To go back to the place where it all started for me, with Dunedin RFC at club level, Otago at provincial level and Super Rugby with the Highlanders, as well as the opportunity to play with my brother, made it an easy decision to return.”
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@stargazer said in Magpies 2021:
Does this mean that Gareth Evans is also returning to Otago, and not just the Highlanders? Or am I reading it the wrong way?
“To go back to the place where it all started for me, with Dunedin RFC at club level, Otago at provincial level and Super Rugby with the Highlanders, as well as the opportunity to play with my brother, made it an easy decision to return.”
While I'd rather see him stay, I think he'll get more game time in Otago.
