Magpies 2022
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Surprise signing: Sione Tuipulotu. Another one from Moana Pasifika.
I'd seen Mark Braidwood on photos of training, so I'm less surprised to see him in the list.
Nick Grigg is indeed in the squad.
Gareth Evans out with injury. I wonder whether we've seen the las tof him on the field?
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2022:
The Magpies squad for 2022:
It'd be a choke if HB don't win the comp with this squad
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@Dice The numbers above are probably a bit deceiving in so far as who are actually full contracted and those that will be first port of call in case of any injury replacements required ie might train a couple of mornings a week with the contracted squad to keep them up to date with games plans etc but otherwise working at their normal jobs during the week.
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Media release:
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@Higgins Yeah, I assume Mark Braidwood, Gene Syminton and Sam Smith are on injury replacement contracts. And lots of inexperienced rookies, such as Faleiva, Lochore, Fabish, Gimblett, Higgins and Godfrey (I think all are on full contracts now). I love how all that 1st XV talent is finding its way into the squad though.
Cracker Braidwood may add a bit to the average age of the squad, but Dixon's departure will offset that. There are at least 14 players of 23 years or younger, Godfrey being the youngest at 19.
Tuipulotu was the most surprising addition, replacing Geoff Cridge.
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@Stargazer So we get two Scottish internationals in Grigg (Scottish grandfather) and Tuipulotu (Scottish grandmother). That seems to be a travesty when we need to have two backs from Scotland of all places to fill out our roster. Are we that short of backline talent in NZ?
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@Higgins said in Magpies 2022:
@Stargazer So we get two Scottish internationals in Grigg (Scottish grandfather) and Tuipulotu (Scottish grandmother). That seems to be a travesty when we need to have two backs from Scotland of all places to fill out our roster. Are we that short of backline talent in NZ?
Be thankful a couple of Scots are giving back to one of the lesser nations.
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@MN5 said in Magpies 2022:
@Higgins said in Magpies 2022:
@Stargazer So we get two Scottish internationals in Grigg (Scottish grandfather) and Tuipulotu (Scottish grandmother). That seems to be a travesty when we need to have two backs from Scotland of all places to fill out our roster. Are we that short of backline talent in NZ?
Be thankful a couple of Scots are giving back to one of the lesser nations.
A true Scot never gives anything away...
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@Pepe said in Magpies 2022:
@MN5 said in Magpies 2022:
@Higgins said in Magpies 2022:
@Stargazer So we get two Scottish internationals in Grigg (Scottish grandfather) and Tuipulotu (Scottish grandmother). That seems to be a travesty when we need to have two backs from Scotland of all places to fill out our roster. Are we that short of backline talent in NZ?
Be thankful a couple of Scots are giving back to one of the lesser nations.
A true Scot never gives anything away...
Damn right
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@Higgins said in Magpies 2022:
@Stargazer So we get two Scottish internationals in Grigg (Scottish grandfather) and Tuipulotu (Scottish grandmother). That seems to be a travesty when we need to have two backs from Scotland of all places to fill out our roster. Are we that short of backline talent in NZ?
No, wrong Sione Tuipulotu. The Scottish international Sione Tuipulotu plays for Glasgow Warriors. Our Sione Tuipulotu played for Moana Pasifika, this year, and is a Tongan international. And he's a lock/loose forward, not a back.
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2022:
Twelfth player signing confirmed: Geoff Cridge.
Happy about that.
Are you sure? He certainly did not last long.
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Article about Nick Grigg.
Former Petone midfielder Nick Grigg relishing Hawke’s Bay opportunity
A younger Nick Grigg diving over to score for Petone against Paremata-Plimmerton in 2015. Since then he has gone on to play several seasons in Scotland and made nine international appearances for t…
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2022:
Article about Nick Grigg.
Former Petone midfielder Nick Grigg relishing Hawke’s Bay opportunity
A younger Nick Grigg diving over to score for Petone against Paremata-Plimmerton in 2015. Since then he has gone on to play several seasons in Scotland and made nine international appearances for t…
Interesting article, but it really appears a position we didn't need to go outside the province for as we have depth in midfield so we could have filled his spot with a young guy. I hope this isn't going to be a theme with Syms. Oszich brought in a few players he knew but they were players we were lacking depth at the time.
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@Nepia Yep, my thoughts exactly. Tiatia, Grigg, Sam Smith and Isaac Bracewell (dev squad) - maybe more, I don't remember - are all in the Bay because Syms knows them from his time in Wellington and Wairarapa. I have some reservations about Tiatia's signing, but Grigg's signing bothers me more. Looking at the midfielders in the development squad, why not give Jordan Thompson-Dun a go? Jayden Stok is still a bit young, but JTD? It's totally sending the wrong message to these young players.
JTD was maybe a bit young, last year, so when he didn't make the squad and the development team didn't get to play, he left for Portugal and played a season overthere. He returned in April/May, played club rugby, and misses out because someone from outside has been brought in. I wouldn't blame Thompson-Dunn if he went somewhere else again to try his luck, but I hope he stays.
@Higgins will know better, but is Sam Smith much better than Amos Roddick (HB Academy & Hurricanes U20)?
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@Stargazer I have my reservations about Smith. Obviously he is a good player but from what I have seen of him in club rugby against my guys this season he did not shine out as much as his hype. In the first game when his sides loose trio was D Flanders, C Flanders and S Smith they were comfortably beaten, in my eyes anyway by my guys more than useful trio of Isiah Martin, Xavier McCorkindale, and Amos Roddick.
The second round game saw his trio be T Lambourn, C Flanders and S Smith but that was skewed by the red carding of Lambourn and the sickening head knock taken by Nik Patumaka. He (Smith) stood out a bit more this time for obvious reasons and made a couple of semi breaks and supported attacks well and competed tigerishly a few times for turnovers in tackle situations, so yes he looked ok, but then again no more than should be expected of who is a semiprofessional player.
Roddick is a young guy still making his way in the game and will be even better than he is now given another season or so but think the selectors have got it right in this case (he says with teeth clenched). It should not affect HBs chances anyway as there is no realistic prospects of Smith making the matchday 23. My disappointment is that Roddick is a hometown boy (Gisborne are locals as far as rugby is concerned!) and is likely to stick around come what may rather than a player for hire like Smith thus should have more time and resource devoted to him. Roddick is a slightly taller A Savea build whereas Smith is more the S Cane type of build.
Regarding Isaac Bracewell, I declare that he is from my Wellington Football Club so obviously have sentimental connection there. He has always been a more than useful player and even went on the Hurricanes Development Trip to Japan a few years ago but seems to have fallen off the radar in terms of Darren Larsen etc are concerned. He has family connections to the Havelock Nth Club and was approached by them and along with his involvement with Mr Syms it was easy to cut his ties down south for the time being. I have an awful lot of time for him personally but again expect he will always be a Wellington/Wairarapa guy given his extremely strong close family there. When all is said and done I don't expect to see him ever being a starter in the No 9 jersey for HB in the NPC.
