Crusaders 2024
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@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2024:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
@SBW1 said in Crusaders 2024:
Now time to do some poaching.
It is what they are best at so I would expect a fair bit of movement. It’s going to be an interesting few months seeing what they can pull off. Do they still have that same pulling power now that Razor isn’t there? Time will tell…
The Saders still have plenty of pulling power and a bonus of not making the playoffs is the coaches and management can spend all their time looking to next year.
What are the main recruitment areas for the Crusaders in 2025?
To me the below 23 looks decent and you'd expect them to definitely be a top 6 team next year.
- Williams
- Taylor
- Newell
- Barrett
- Hannah
- Grace
- Blackadder
- Lio-Willie
- Hotham
- Reihana (I'm putting him here for now but this could change, I feel like he wasn't given enough time in the saddle this year).
- Springer
- Havili
- Ennor
- Reece
- Jordan
- Bell
- Bower
- Newell
- Strange
- Christie
- Drummond
- Kemara
- McLeod
we need
2 props. to replace Franks and Moody
1 LF We only picked 6 in 2024 due to picking a 4th Hooker to cover Taylor,Would expect we go for a 7th LF and drop the 4th Hooker.
1 HB To replace Heinz
1 First five to replace Burke
MF Ennor comes back for Crotty
maybe 1 or 2 outside backs to replace Halfpenny which could be McNicol being retained.
Not sure on Mataele we may need to replace him. -
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@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2024:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
@SBW1 said in Crusaders 2024:
Now time to do some poaching.
It is what they are best at so I would expect a fair bit of movement. It’s going to be an interesting few months seeing what they can pull off. Do they still have that same pulling power now that Razor isn’t there? Time will tell…
The Saders still have plenty of pulling power and a bonus of not making the playoffs is the coaches and management can spend all their time looking to next year.
Yeah mate like I said it is what they are best at. They know what they are doing when it comes to that side of things.
They well and truly have pulling power, a lot more than most teams, but my question was is it still the same as when Razor was there. It’s like anywhere when they get a new coach, what comes with that is usually a new direction and Razor was known as one of the best and you always hear players want to play for him kind of thing was more my point.
We’ve seen so far at the Chiefs, Blues and Canes, those clubs have managed to get almost everyone they can resigned for next season or beyond. That is generally a time when one or 2 of those guys might have eyed up a move south is my point.
It’s an interesting time in New Zealand rugby, it isn’t often you have teams with obvious holes that need filled. In the Crusaders case they have a fair few which is very rare.
As I have said on here a few times before, the Crusaders will be fine. They are a class organization who have set the standard in super rugby and I have no doubt they will be back in the mix next season. I’m just interested to see how recruitment plays out.
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@Landers92 agree with everything you've said. It's going to be interesting for all the clubs that are recruiting for the same position because there definitely isn't as much depth to choose from these days with players choosing contracts abroad. e.g. most teams will need to recruit wingers for next season so there will be plenty of competition for certain signatures in that position alone.
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@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2024:
@Landers92 agree with everything you've said. It's going to be interesting for all the clubs that are recruiting for the same position because there definitely isn't as much depth to choose from these days with players choosing contracts abroad. e.g. most teams will need to recruit wingers for next season so there will be plenty of competition for certain signatures in that position alone.
It should end up being a conversation around what the teams can offer the player. We see you starting in the upcoming season v you are probably going to hold tackle bags. Or it is likely our starting player may leave in 2026 and you are lined up for their spot. This is the style we expect to play and it aligns with how you play. I get a bit bemused when players settle for suiting up in club rugby, and holding tackle bags instead of getting game time.
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Liam Napier: The Crusaders need a first five - here's who they should target for 2025
After using five playmakers in 2024, the Crusaders desperately need to find a first five.
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@Tim said in Crusaders 2024:
Liam Napier: The Crusaders need a first five - here's who they should target for 2025
After using five playmakers in 2024, the Crusaders desperately need to find a first five.
This is behind a paywall. Who are they recommending?
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@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2024:
Liam Napier: The Crusaders need a first five - here's who they should target for 2025
The suggestions were Jacomb, Cruden, Sullivan, JOC
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@Machpants said in Crusaders 2024:
Cruden and JOC def fit the 'grab the oldest fluffybunny around' modus operandi of Penney
Jacomb and Sullivan the best options of those four. JOC and Cruden well passed it.
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@ploughboy said in Crusaders 2024:
id be surprised if jacomb or sullivan were available
Both do not have contracts anywhere yet for next year as yet.
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@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:
@ploughboy said in Crusaders 2024:
id be surprised if jacomb or sullivan were available
Both do not have contracts anywhere yet for next year as yet.
no announced contracts
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@ploughboy said in Crusaders 2024:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:
@ploughboy said in Crusaders 2024:
id be surprised if jacomb or sullivan were available
Both do not have contracts anywhere yet for next year as yet.
no announced contracts
Still not contracted as I understand,
That is not to say they won’t be signed by their present teams. -
I feel like I heard Jacomb say during the season that the Chiefs had signed him on when he was promoted to the full squad. I could very well be wrong but I could have sworn I heard that.
I rate Jacomb a lot, absolutely killed it for the Naki last season.
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@ploughboy said in Crusaders 2024:
id be surprised if jacomb or sullivan were available
Jacomb for Ioane sounds good to me.
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@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
I feel like I heard Jacomb say during the season that the Chiefs had signed him on when he was promoted to the full squad. I could very well be wrong but I could have sworn I heard that.
I rate Jacomb a lot, absolutely killed it for the Naki last season.
Just for 2024 as an injury replacement for Trask who is signed for 2025 so will be back.
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@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
I feel like I heard Jacomb say during the season that the Chiefs had signed him on when he was promoted to the full squad. I could very well be wrong but I could have sworn I heard that.
I rate Jacomb a lot, absolutely killed it for the Naki last season.
Just for 2024 as an injury replacement for Trask who is signed for 2025 so will be back.
Yeah I felt like I heard it was more than just this season but that would make more sense if it was just 1. He would be a huge grab imo.
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@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2024:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
@SBW1 said in Crusaders 2024:
Now time to do some poaching.
It is what they are best at so I would expect a fair bit of movement. It’s going to be an interesting few months seeing what they can pull off. Do they still have that same pulling power now that Razor isn’t there? Time will tell…
The Saders still have plenty of pulling power and a bonus of not making the playoffs is the coaches and management can spend all their time looking to next year.
What are the main recruitment areas for the Crusaders in 2025?
To me the below 23 looks decent and you'd expect them to definitely be a top 6 team next year.
- Williams
- Taylor
- Newell
- Barrett
- Hannah
- Grace
- Blackadder
- Lio-Willie
- Hotham
- Reihana (I'm putting him here for now but this could change, I feel like he wasn't given enough time in the saddle this year).
- Springer
- Havili
- Ennor
- Reece
- Jordan
- Bell
- Bower
- Brewis/Calder
- Strange
- Christie
- Drummond
- Kemara
- McLeod
Fainganu'uku should be back next year.
