Chiefs 2022
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@yeetyaah Who do you think the player with the dreads is that is packing on the side of the scrum is? I suppose it could be Ah Kuoi if someone else is at lock.
The guy standing next to Moli looks like Solomone Tuku’afu. There must be a huge contingent of extras there.
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I think each franchise has to pay the salaries for the WTG but NZR may contribute to the wage bill in the preseason as the absence of the ABs is not of the SR team's doing. The Chiefs have 10 ABs missing. I'm not sure on the injuries of other squad members.
Some of the players are U20 so probably only there for experience, and will likely continue to train with the main squad.
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Replacement Players:
George Dyer (Waikato)
Hamilton Burr (Waikato)
Hamish Dalzell (Auckland)
Jared Profit (Taranaki)
Lalomilo Lalomilo (Bay of Plenty)
Leni Apisai (Auckland)
Liam Coombes-Fabling (Waikato)
Liam Hallam Eames (Northland)
Logan Crowley (Taranaki)
Mitchell Jacobson (Waikato)
Rob Cobb (Waikato)
Sam McNamara (Northland)
Solomone Tukuafu (Waikato)
Taniela Filimone (Manawatu)
Tom Florence (Taranaki)National Development Players:
Adam Lennox (Taranaki) - halfback
Josh Bartlett (Bay of Plenty) - LH prop
Mason Tupaea (Waikato) - LH prop
Nikora Broughten (Bay of Plenty) - loose forward
Veveni Lasaqa (Bay of Plenty) - openside -
@oleoleole said in Chiefs 2022:
@bovidae this doesn;t identify the WTG players, unless i'm mistaken. I assume they are part of the Replacement Player group.
I would think so, and will depend on how many in each position they want to cover. Dalzell is a surprise amongst that list, as well as no CM players.
I had heard that Jacobsen and Burr had picked up WTG contracts.
Well deserved for Mitch.
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@arhs I agree. All teams should be engaging with their fans and providing basic information about player availability, injuries etc.
The Chiefs website and SM channels have published a lot of photos from training, which has shown a number of these replacement players there. I see that Allan Bunting has also been at Ruakura and Gatland has been doing some hands-on work with the players.
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A little more information in this article about the coaching setup.
Neil Barnes' departure had seen McMillan take on the lineout coaching. David Hill's defensive brief will increase, and Gatland will work alongside Hill to provide some guidance. Former Black Ferns Sevens coach Allan Bunting will also be involved in skills coaching with the group alongside his coaching of the Chiefs' Manawa team in the women's competition.
It doesn't say who is in charge of the forwards, and whether Nick White has increased responsibilities.
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Some comments from Josh Ioane about his move:
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@duluth said in Chiefs 2022:
“The 10 situation is probably one of the most contestable positions in the team,” McMillan said.
It should just be a shoot out between Ioane and Gatland?
Trask looks more like a fullback and Reihana isn't ready
Yep it would seem that way Duluth, though Trask is still a boy I see going pretty well at 10 as he comes on. You probably right about Reihana, like the boy, but may need a year or 2 yet.
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Rugbypass attempts to name a XV for the first round
1 Aidan Ross
2 Bradley Slater
3 Sione Mafileo
4 Josh Lord
5 Tupou Vaa’i
6 Samipeni Finau
7 Sam Cane
8 Luke Jacobson
9 Brad Weber
10 Bryn Gatland
11 Etene Nanai-Seturo
12 Quinn Tupaea
13 Anton Lienert-Brown
14 Jonah Lowe
15 Kaleb Trask