Exodus 2018

[Catogrande]

@frye There's a difference?

[JayCee]

Shit.

Exclusive: Sopoaga in million dollar move to Premiership

The English Premiership has swooped on another front line All Black with Lima Sopoaga set to announce he has signed with Wasps for the northern 2018/2019 season.

[Bones]

@jaycee well fuck, that's shit as. What an egg.

[Rapido]

@jaycee

That's a blow.

And for me, it would cross a line. Would be no mature well that's life reaction from me.

Totally not cool to 'fuck us about' during a RWC cycle only to bail just 12 months beforehand.

What a waste of time.

No, I don't believe it (please .......)

[antipodean]

@jaycee I expected him to be overtaken this year anyway. It would have been nice to keep depth, but he can piss off now.

[booboo]

Had Mo'unga gone past him?

[JayCee]

I normally wouldn't be so down about losing players, but we've only just lost Cruden. So that is #2, and #3 gone.
Always rated him as well.

[KiwiMurph]

@jaycee It's a loss to the ABs but more due to the rawness of the other options at 10 more than anything else.

I'm a big fan of Sopoaga but his 2017 was quietly a real drop in form from his 2015 peak. He had the ball in his hands right at the death of both Highlanders-Crusaders derbies with a chance to win both games and blew both of them with poor decisions/execution. He also had a poor game the one AB start that he got last year in Brisbane. Having said all that - a terrific player to watch in full flight and will be an enormous loss for the Highlanders.

It may only be a 1 year deal and he returns for the 2019 RWC but either way at least the ABs now know they have 2018 to get their other 10 options up to speed (Mounga, Dmac etc).

[Bones]

@kiwimurph tell him he's dreaming - would be my response to any thoughts of doing a one year stint. Waste of time and money on everyone's part.

[Tim]

@kiwimurph Stuff says it's two years.

[canefan]

It's a shame he didn't stick around until the RWC 19 and cash in then. The AB machine will replace him in due course but it would have saved Shag and Co the hassle until then

[Chris B.]

Not cool, Lima. Not cool at all!

[Nepia]

When does Cruden's contract finish?

[kiwiinmelb]

Big loss but at the same time I wasn’t that convinced he was that great a test 10 , not saying he wasn’t either but jury was still out a bit for me .

But you don’t want to go losing the next in line all the same .

[Milk]

It was interesting just how little development time Sopoaga got last year. I know Barrett is relatively new and needs time in the saddle, but usually the selectors try harder to develop the next guy simultaneously.

[Stargazer]

@nepia said in Exodus 2018:

When does Cruden's contract finish?

2020

[Stargazer]

By the way, Sops' move hasn't been confirmed by Wasps yet. Nor by Sopoaga himself.

[KiwiMurph]

@Stargazer

Rugby Pass broke the news and Sopoaga's depature will be confirmed Thursday morning.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11972607

[Tim]

The Times (London) has reported it too.

[canefan]

@kiwiinmelb said in Exodus 2018:

Big loss but at the same time I wasn’t that convinced he was that great a test 10 , not saying he wasn’t either but jury was still out a bit for me .

But you don’t want to go losing the next in line all the same .

We lost Nick Evans, we survived. Next man up