Crusaders 2024
-
@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2024:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:
@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2024:
Interesting that Aaron Cruden turned down an SOS call from the Crusaders after their 10 woes this year.
When did this happen ? It is the First I have heard about it.
World Cup winner Aaron Cruden reveals he almost joined Crusaders
Rugby World Cup-winning All Black Aaron Cruden has revealed he was “pretty close” to joining the Crusaders this season.
That almost made me throw up in my own mouth, it's bad enough he has the stain of being a Cane and a Poo without adding being a Crusader as well.
-
@ACT-Crusader said in Crusaders 2024:
I’m preparing myself for a 96-esque season. The transition from Razor and a number of very key players from previous successful campaigns all at once will take time to overcome.
Bump
-
-
-
-
Hiring Rob Penney may be the Crusaders' first major mistake in 30 years
Rob Penney's resume had red flags, yet the Crusaders seemed set on appointing a man with Cantabrian connections at any price.
-
-
-
@gt12 said in Crusaders 2024:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:
Braydon Ennor back training with the squad today.
Think he'll be back by the playoffs? There is a lot of talent they haven't been able to use, they concern me approaching the finals.
Touch and go he needs to build up a fair bit.
Possible though. -
@Duluth said in Crusaders 2024:
Hiring Rob Penney may be the Crusaders' first major mistake in 30 years
Rob Penney's resume had red flags, yet the Crusaders seemed set on appointing a man with Cantabrian connections at any price.
I lost a lot of respect for Colin Mansbridge due to his comments directed at the media.
Good to see respected journalists like Gregor Paul calling it how it is & presenting imformed and reasonable assessments like this.
Honestly, some of the ridiculous cope that the pundits on the Breakdown were spinning for why the Crusaders are underperforming and why Rob Penney "deserves the benefit of the doubt" were utterly delusional. It takes Crusaders supporters for complete fools.
Make all the excuses you want, a team with that much experience & quality should have no excuses being made for them, the Highlanders would dream of having such a roster - the 4th best squad in the competition behind the Hurricanes, Blues, Chiefs.
-
Squad
That squad has quality, but much of it hasn't made it onto the field, especially from the spine.
Taylor, Burke, Halfpenny, Jordan all out for the season.
Williams, Havili, and Barrett missing for quite a few games.
Complete rookies at first five who would likely be third choice anywhere else (if selected).
Add in some older heads (Moody) looking uninterested, and some in terrible (early) form (Grace etc) with a start that has very few homes games, and it was a good recipe for the shit season.
I'm not a fan of this coaching team, but this team was always a big question mark after losing Burke with other missing names in the spine.
Edit: I missed a few more injuries of course, such as the injuries to Blackadder, McAlister, Gallagher, even Reihana.
-
@gt12 injuries are part of the game, the Hurricanes are down to their 4th/5th Hookers atm, on that note, last year featured the highest injury rate that I can recall as a Crusaders supporter, we were literally on our knees and (almost) didn't even win the competition, O'Keefe helped us in the final.
-
