Crusaders 2024

Chris

@Crazy-Horse said in Crusaders 2024:

@Dan54 said in Crusaders 2024:

@Crazy-Horse Man is he related to Charlie Ngatai, meant to be a great player, but never got on field?

It must be so frustrating for him.

Fucking calf muscles injuries shit of an injury they keep coming back.
I notice Akira has also got another calf injury after last seasons one.

Crazy Horse

@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:

@Crazy-Horse said in Crusaders 2024:

@Dan54 said in Crusaders 2024:

@Crazy-Horse Man is he related to Charlie Ngatai, meant to be a great player, but never got on field?

It must be so frustrating for him.

Fucking calf muscles injuries shit of an injury they keep coming back.
I notice Akira has also got another calf injury after last seasons one.

Yeah I struggled with a couple over the years. Bloody annoying.

SBW1

Jordan is one of our key weapons, it is probably precautionary. Looks like there is a lot of rotation going on during the preseason, lots of academy players wider training squad players getting a run.

Lancaster Park

Sad for Jordan if thats the case but its ok as we have halfpenny to cov ....bugger

African Monkey

@Lancaster-Park Havili to his proper position at FB, McLeod and Aumua in the midfield with Crotty and Fihaki providing cover. Yeah, you guys will be fine.

Canes4life

@Lancaster-Park yeah and Fihaki has many flaws.

Duluth

@African-Monkey said in Crusaders 2024:

Havili to his proper position at FB, McLeod and Aumua in the midfield with Crotty and Fihaki providing cover. Yeah, you guys will be fine.

Penney said they'd prefer not to move Havili

Havili is probably more useful to the team at fullback right now. I would argue he'd be more useful at ten until Burke returns too. There's solid options at 12

African Monkey

@Canes4life Fair point in regards to Fihaki, but in fairness to him, he hasn't really had a decent run in the side, so maybe if he gets a decent run, we might see a better player?

Dallas McLeod was laughed at by everyone on here including myself , but got a decent run last year and has turned into a solid midfielder/wing for them and even managed to get himself an AB cap. Same goes for Tom Christie who no one rated when he first came onto the scene, now is a regular starter for them who is the leader of their defence as he got more time in the saddle.

Who knows, maybe the same will happen for Fihaki?

Duluth

@African-Monkey

From an article yesterday it sounds like the preferred fullback is Springer. He has a lower error rate than Fihaki so that makes sense

Fihaki seems like a winger who is a good cross field kick target. He drops too many kicks to be a specialist fullback IMO

Chris

@Duluth said in Crusaders 2024:

@African-Monkey

From an article yesterday it sounds like the preferred fullback is Springer. He has a lower error rate than Fihaki so that makes sense

Fihaki seems like a winger who is a good cross field kick target. He drops too many kicks to be a specialist fullback IMO

Yeah Fihaki to me has always looked like a wing trying to play FB,his best games for Canterbury and the Crusaders have been on the wing especially the right wing.
He seems to lose confidence at FB.

African Monkey

@Duluth Fair enough if that's the case, but yeah, I do think if Fihaki gets a regular run in the side, we could see a better version of him.

george33

@Crazy-Horse looked fine at training

george33

@Grooter did here that whisper last week, but have to wait and see

chchfanatic

Jordan definitely gone for season. Shoulder re construction coming up.

KiwiMurph

@chchfanatic boo

Cyclops

Feel a bit for Rob Penney. Finally gets a job that must have been a bit of a bucket list item and loses two of his best backs before the season has even started.