Hurricanes 2023
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@Tim said in Hurricanes 2023:
According to James Parsons, the Hurricanes lead the attacking stats this season.
Yeah I heard him say that on Aotearoa rugby pod. He did say it was the stats from last week so there is a chance it changed over the weekend
1st in defenders beaten
1st in clean breaks
1st in turnovers
1st in converting possession inside the opposition 22 into triesImpressive
The problems are elsewhere
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@Duluth set piece, particularly lineouts of late have been a big issue and I feel like we've comprehensively lost that kicking battle in the wet over the last couple of weeks aswell.
Getting Love back and starting Cameron at 10 will help alleviate some of that territory pressure and it will also hopefully free up Roigard who's had a pretty ordinary first five outside him recently, which has restricted him somewhat.
The biggest issue though is selection against those bigger packs. It's proven that James Blackwell isn't big enough to compete when the going gets tough and it's really hurting us. The fact we also have two lighter loose forwards in Kirifi and Ardie starting at the same time really doesn't help but Holland isn't exactly going to change things now.
I know it was only Moana Pasifika but the Canes looked best when we had two bigger locks (Bird / Walker-Leawere) and then had a bigger 7 in Lakai. We seemed to have a lot more go forward and our backs were able to thrive off the back of that momentum.
There's no better opportunity to show improvement in those areas against the set piece kings this weekend.
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Julian Savea has played his last game as a Hurricane. He's out for the remainder of the season and will remain the joint top Super Rugby try scorer with Israel Folau assuming he doesn't play Super Rugby again.
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@Canes4life Geez, that's a sad way to go out (with injury). No proper sent-off. We don't know whether this weekend's game will be the last Hurricanes home game, but I assume they'll do something for him to say goodbye to the fans, as they probably will do for Dane Coles.
Are you going to the game on Saturday?
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@Stargazer yeah I do feel for him not getting a proper send-off but hopefully they do something special for him and Coles at the Tin on Saturday. They usually announce other departing players in that last game so we might see more names pop up. I'm assuming guys like Prinsep could be on that list.
Unfortunately, due to daughter commitments I can't attend but will be watching at home for sure. Hopefully the Canes can turn it on for both of those legends of the club.
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Sky rarely covers what's happening after the game, including the departing players saying goodbye. I hope there is someone on the Fern who can give us the list of names, if it isn't published anywhere. Even if this is a lurking Ferner, Saturday will be the time to post!
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@Stargazer I'm sure they will cover it across their socials.
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@Canes4life The goodbyes from Coles and Savea, yes, but have they ever given the full list of departing players?
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@Stargazer yeah from memory they have. I remember a particular post listing all the players that were leaving.
I guess it comes down to the competency of the social media guy to share that information with the fans, otherwise will have to rely on a Ferner attending the game.
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I just noticed from that article aswell that Rayasi is also out for the remainder of the SRP season.
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@Stargazer I might be going just waiting on a mate to confirm and if they announce it I’ll post it up
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@Canes4life Didn’t end up going was hoping someone here had been and given us an update.
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Ex-Bok and a Lion the final pieces in Scarlets' coaching ticket
The Scarlets have confirmed their coaching lineup for the upcoming 2023-24 season, featuring some notable additions to the team.
Ben Franks to replace Gibbes as forwards coach possibly?
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@kiwi_expat Could very well I just hope we don’t keep Jane on I loved him as a player but not a coach.
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So the season ends again in Canberra after so much promise. I feel like that game optimised the Canes season but ultimately Holland will end his tenure with the club achieving no success at all.
I’d probably give the boys a B- overall and I’d award the following accolades to the following players:
MVP: Cam Roigard: what a season from the young halfback. He’s got a massive future in NZ rugby and may have played himself into the WC squad. We will have to wait and see.
Rookie of the season: Harry Godfrey. Only played a few games but showed he definitely has what it takes at Super level. Let’s hope we see more of him next year.
Forward of the year: Tyrel Lomax: a picture of consistency and he continues to be the anchor for us at set piece. Hopefully he continues that form into the WC.
Back of the year (aside from Roigard): Billy Proctor: another player that was consistent for most of the year. He probably had a night to forget last night but for the most part he was one of our best in every game he played in 2023.
Disappointment of the year: Jordie Barrett: he really didn’t step up this year like many thought he would (including me). By now Jordie Barrett should be one of the senior players barking orders but he just seems to look like a player that lacks confidence. Maybe he needs to make a shift back to fullback where he can use his height and kicking game more effectively.
Outlook for 2024:
The Canes won’t have Dane Coles and Ardie Savea in 2024 but there’s a strong likelihood that most of the roster will be there again next year, unlike many of their rivals. This alone will give them plenty of momentum going into next season and with a new coach in Clark Laidlaw, hopefully the Canes can go up a gear or two.
Players that are likely leaving:
Dane Coles (retiring)
Ardie Savea (Japan - will be back in 2025)
Question marks over Owen Franks, James Blackwell, TJ Perenara, Julian Savea, Reed Prinsep, Dominic Bird, Peter Umaga-Jensen and a few more.Incoming players:
Brad Shields
Harry Godfrey (full contract)
Siale Lauaki -
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2023:
So the season ends again in Canberra after so much promise. I feel like that game optimised the Canes season but ultimately Holland will end his tenure with the club achieving no success at all.
Jason Holland shouldn't be in the All Blacks coaching group, under his guidance the Hurricanes have been the worst flat-track bullies I've ever seen, frustratingly while his attack can unlock the porous defense of minnows like Moana Pacifica, Force etc.. without fail every single year his immensely talented & dynamic backline consistently fail to execute and find space against quality sides when it counts.
Endless pick and goes followed by shoveling side to side 84 minutes into extra time, endless opportunities to score throughout the game and still couldn't get the ball into the obvious space when it mattered.
Scott Hansen is clearly the best attack coach in NZ, he always comes up with an astute plan and finds innovative solutions in big matches to unlock the defenses of the top teams.
Taimati Ellison lead Wellington to their first trophy in 22 years, he's had incredible reviews at the Crusaders since he joined, he is considered one of the best young coaches in NZ, a former All Black centre, he offers the experience of numerous high performance environments at the top level (AB's, NZ Maori, AB 7's, Hurricanes, etc..)
Hansen, McDonald, Ryan, Ellison - defense. What could've been.
Holland continues to deliver mediocrity and is rewarded with a breezy All Black gig, this doesn't sit right with me at all, it has set a bad precedent.
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@kiwi_expat Ellison is the head coach this year (not last). See how he goes . He's certainly rated highly.
He's likely better off getting head coaching experience first than being pushed into an AB role
Re Holland. He role with the ABs seem to be quite limited. Hopefully it is
