Magpies 2023
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@Billsy111 Actually Enari may stay. Fakatava no doubt will be with the ABs and the Bay will need an explosive halfback to back him. ISLs contract is up and I'd be doing my best to keep him. Chase Tia Tia's a maverick and if he doesn't come back, more urgently needs to show keep Makene. If not here's an idea spend the cash to lure Zarn Sullivan and his brother from the Waikato. Both great players and Bay boys. I can't see Stacy Illi returning. So work to be done, heads down arse up and get on with it.
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As posted elsewhere:
Old Glory DC Announces Joshua "Josh" Syms as Head Coach : Old Glory DC
WASHINGTON, DC (Monday, October 31, 2022) – Old Glory DC is proud to announce the appointment of Joshua (“Josh”) Syms as Head Coach. Syms, a New Zealand native, comes to Washington, DC, from the Hawke’s Bay Magpies, a top tier competitor of New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship (NPC)....
@Steven-Harris said in Exodus:
@Stargazer , Josh Syms is moving to the states to coach MLR , does mean his time at the Magpies is done ..?,
George Konia has moved back to the Bay @taniwharugby 🤔
Could be an optionIn my opinion it should be the end of his time as Magpies Head Coach. How can you properly prepare for the NPC season if you're not in the province/New Zealand until - at best - two months before the season starts? He couldn't watch club rugby and identify club players who are deserving of an NPC contract. We probably need quite a few more new signings than most seasons, because it's a RWC year and we'll lose quite a few players to national squads (ABs, Samoa and Tonga). I wouldn't want him to delegate all that to his assistant Brock James (who I also don't want to see promoted to Head Coach).
What's your honest opinion on Konia as a Head Coach? He should be significantly better than Syms was this year.
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@Stargazer Did Old Glory DC not watch the NPC?
Surely he can't be doing both?
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@Nepia It would be utterly stupid from the HBRU if they allow him to do both, especially with such an inexperienced assistant coach in James. I can understand why they allowed our scrum coach Francisco Deformes to have a gig as forwards coach of Toronto Arrows, but a head coach? Not acceptable in my view.
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He'll be back to coach the Magpies after the MLR season.
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2023:
As posted elsewhere:
Old Glory DC Announces Joshua "Josh" Syms as Head Coach : Old Glory DC
WASHINGTON, DC (Monday, October 31, 2022) – Old Glory DC is proud to announce the appointment of Joshua (“Josh”) Syms as Head Coach. Syms, a New Zealand native, comes to Washington, DC, from the Hawke’s Bay Magpies, a top tier competitor of New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship (NPC)....
@Steven-Harris said in Exodus:
@Stargazer , Josh Syms is moving to the states to coach MLR , does mean his time at the Magpies is done ..?,
George Konia has moved back to the Bay @taniwharugby 🤔
Could be an optionIn my opinion it should be the end of his time as Magpies Head Coach. How can you properly prepare for the NPC season if you're not in the province/New Zealand until - at best - two months before the season starts? He couldn't watch club rugby and identify club players who are deserving of an NPC contract. We probably need quite a few more new signings than most seasons, because it's a RWC year and we'll lose quite a few players to national squads (ABs, Samoa and Tonga). I wouldn't want him to delegate all that to his assistant Brock James (who I also don't want to see promoted to Head Coach).
What's your honest opinion on Konia as a Head Coach? He should be significantly better than Syms was this year.
Agreed its going to be hard to convince new recruits to either come to the bay or ex young products to the return to the bay when the coach isn't there.
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From a pay-walled article in the HBT:
Head coach Josh Syms is far from the only Magpie flying the coop for the United States.
Gene Symington, Caleb Makene, Lolani Faleiva, Kianu Kereru-Symes and scrum coach Francisco Deformes are all bound for NPC offseason contracts in Major League Rugby (MLR) franchises too.Kianu, too!
A couple of other Hawke's Bay squad members have also signed deals, which are yet to be announced.
Syms will be head coach of Washington-based Old Glory DC, before returning to fulfil his 2023 contract with the Magpies.
How much we see of him beyond that remains to be seen, as does how many other provincial players pursue opportunities in the United States.
"It's a challenge for New Zealand Rugby, because of course we're seeing some implications in the training stocks and the second-tier players for Super Rugby teams. They're finding it pretty challenging to accumulate enough players, with a dwindling talent pool in New Zealand as it is.''
Syms, who heads to the United States with his family shortly, goes with the full support of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union. Both parties see this as an important part of his professional development, as well as giving Magpies assistants Brock James and Sam McNicol the chance to oversee the Magpies' preseason programme.The HBRU has never announced Sam as an assistant coach. Is that his official job title?
"The thing about life is you never know where it turns or where it takes you,'' said Syms.
"I left Auckland in 2013 and since then I've coached in South America, Invercargill, Wellington, Masterton and now Hawke's Bay, so you just don't know.
"I'm really committed to the Magpies for next year, which is the second year of my contract and what'll be my seventh year with the Magpies.
"But it's not an infinite life where you are. At some stage someone will have to give a fresh perspective to the Magpies, which is important to the players and the province.
"Look, I'm well aware that I've got to grow those next guys and, as a coach-development person and obviously a Hawke's Bay person now, I'm really keen to see that come from within Hawke's Bay and see those coaches grow internally.
"While I've got the opportunity to do it, I really want to grow those next guys so that they're ready when it's time for me to move on.''Big risk leaving recruitment/team selection for the 2023 season to such inexperienced coaches, but if that means less bias towards failed Wellington/Wairapap players, it may be an advantage.
I'm also not in favour of such rookie coaches taking over from Syms in 2024. I prefer a successful, more experienced coach getting the Head Coach role. I don't want what Ozich built up to be broken down so quickly.
Why so many Magpies, and their coach, are winging it to the US
Magpies coach Josh Syms accepts offseason job in Major League Rugby
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2023:
Kianu, too!
Hard to believe he's so far out of the reckoning that he'd rather go to US than hang around with hooker attrition at Super rugby. Although I guess when the guy who used be below you in the pecking order didn't actually play the NPC and picks up a Super spot you would wonder what's the point.
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@Nepia I reckon he's high up the list of hookers to be called up in case of a Hurricanes injury, but you don't get paid for waiting until injury strikes. I had some hope the Highlanders would sign him, but they picked Leni Apisai instead. Hard to understand that signing.
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The Magpies will play the following provinces in 2023 (in alphabetical order):
Home
- Bay of Plenty
- Manawatū
- North Harbour
- Otago
- Waikato
Away
- Auckland
- Counties Manukau
- Northland
- Southland
- Wellington
If I'm correct about the seeding of the provinces at the end of the 2022 season, the games against Manawatū, Waikato (home), Auckland and Northland (away) are the cross-over games. The others are the provinces in our own (odds) conference.
If Wellington can hold on to the Shield, we will have a Shield challenge.
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2023:
The Magpies will play the following provinces in 2023 (in alphabetical order):
Home
- Bay of Plenty
- Manawatū
- North Harbour
- Otago
- Waikato
Away
- Auckland
- Counties Manukau
- Northland
- Southland
- Wellington
If I'm correct about the seeding of the provinces at the end of the 2022 season, the games against Manawatū, Waikato (home), Auckland and Northland (away) are the cross-over games. The others are the provinces in our own (odds) conference.
If Wellington can hold on to the Shield, we will have a Shield challenge.
Has the order of the games been confirmed? Hawkes Bay might get first challenge (assuming we win the challenges in the pre season)..
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@Canes4life No, not yet. NZR released the names of provinces in random order. The draw will be released early 2023, so only then we'll know who gets the first challenge.
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Replying to this here:
@Higgins said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
@Stargazer The pertinent bit is right at the end.
"At provincial level, where the opportunities at flyhalf are likely to first arise, Sullivan expects to spend the next two seasons in New Zealand’s largest city but notes that home is always calling: “I’ve always said that once my brother goes back home, I’m going back home.”
Undoubtedly, Magpies fans would rejoice to see Zarn and Bailyn back in the black and white hoops but first thing’s first for the younger brother: the current target is simply getting back to full health and making it through the Super Rugby Pacific pre-season."
So, the HBRU strategy should be to first target Bailyn, get him to sign with the Magpies, and then Zarn will follow.
I wish I knew when Bailyn's contract with Waikato expires. Hopefully, before Zarn (or both of them) becomes an AB and, as a result, unavailable for NPC. -
Many of us already knew this; now, it's officially confirmed by the HBRU:
hbmagpies Magpie #1608, Jason Long, is calling it time on his career.
JLo has given everything to the Black and White jersey, both on and off the field.- Debut against Otago in 2014 (Ranfurley Shield Challenge win)
- 63 Caps
- 9 Tries
- 3 Ranfurley Sheild riegns
- 417 niggles at the bottom of a ruck
- NZ Marist (2014, 2016)
Here's to one of Hastings Rugby and Sports Clubs finest!
Thank you, Jason.
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