Hurricanes 2023
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Aslong as Ardie moves back to 7 and Kirifi is our second choice openside I don’t mind this signing. However, if Ardie continues to play at 8 instead of 7 because Holland has a hard on for Kirifi then this is bad news.
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@Canes4life It basically means that 5-6 other guys (if they've all re-signed for 2023) are fighting for the 6 jersey (Gibson not included). One will be lucky to get 6, another gets 20. I can see players definitely leaving after the 2023 season, if they haven't already.
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@Canes4life
Savea will mostly play 8. kirifi isn't a bad player to have in the squad to cover for injury. Or to rest a better 7. This year will either make or break the canes. Resign Barrett and sign 1 or 2 future ABs (like Lakai, maybe Higgins) and keep Savea and the best of the rest (lomax and players like Wellington based Numia, Aumua, PUJ etc) and team will have a good base to move forward. But lose the best and it will consign the Canes to making up the numbers for years to come.I hope the likes of Tyler Laubsche, PRS, IWL, Flanders (not quite there yet - needs to up his workrate), Mafileo and Morgan kick on too. Even Bird is playing a lot better now he's injury free
Its possible now whereas last year I had given up on the team. Unsure if we have the right coaches. I just worry that the coaches haven't the necessary status / mana to attract and keep the best though. The next few months will tell. Whether I become a super keen Canes supporter again. Or accept a team that's poorly coached with leaders without any real ambition or ability to be the best. Like last year. I felt we never had a hope of winning it. Or even making the final
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@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Canes4life It basically means that 5-6 other guys (if they've all re-signed for 2023) are fighting for the 6 jersey (Gibson not included). One will be lucky to get 6, another gets 20. I can see players definitely leaving after the 2023 season, if they haven't already.
Shame the coaches have a hard on for Prinsep, I was really impressed with Laubscher (unsure what hs work rate is like) but Delany (esp when he bulks up more - work rate is VG) is also looking VG. I had high hopes for Flanders but have never been that impressed with him. But ofter playersd just take time to find their feet at super rugby level
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@Winger There's nothing wrong with Flanders' workrate. He's been suffering from multiple injuries in 2021 and 2022, especially that awful knee injury, and it has taken him a long time to get over that.
He's been good for the Magpies this season, especially his line-out work (lots of steals), but the game plan forces him to do a lot of the dirty work and he doesn't seem to be allowed to do a lot of the ball carrying he's so good at (Mikaele-Tu'u is used for that). Maybe as a result of that, our scrum has been more dominant this year, but Flanders' strengths haven't been used. At the Canes, he (like others) needs consistent game time to develop and he isn't getting it.
sign 1 or 2 future ABs (like Lakai, maybe Higgins)
That's very funny and premature.
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@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2023:
sign 1 or 2 future ABs (like Lakai, maybe Higgins)
That's very funny and premature.
Maybe with Higgins. But not Lakai. He has future AB written all over him. But Canes must sign SOME players that MIGHT make it all the way. Higgin and Lakai might. Blackwell and Prinsep never well. Even Proctor, Kirifi etc will never be future regular or starting ABs. I also have doubts re Sullivan, Morgan, Love and Moorby. Good at super level but lack the extra qualities. ever team need the super stars to build the team around
Hope you're right re Flanders. Delany is a high work rate quality player but lacks bulk. But we need at least 3 quality 6s to cover for injuries. One who can also cover lock.
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@Winger said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2023:
sign 1 or 2 future ABs (like Lakai, maybe Higgins)
That's very funny and premature.
Maybe with Higgins. But not Lakai. He has future AB written all over him.
Amazing he's only 19..still eligible to be touring with the U19's in South Africa. I watched him for U20's when they were here and he was fantastic. Looks a little on the short side but that hasn't hampered Ardie much.
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@TheMojoman said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Winger said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2023:
sign 1 or 2 future ABs (like Lakai, maybe Higgins)
That's very funny and premature.
Maybe with Higgins. But not Lakai. He has future AB written all over him.
Amazing he's only 19..still eligible to be touring with the U19's in South Africa. I watched him for U20's when they were here and he was fantastic. Looks a little on the short side but that hasn't hampered Ardie much.
Agree. Maybe he should focus on 7.
Lakai was born 4 March 2003.
Hes 1.86 (6ft 1 inch) and maybe 109 kg (17.1 stone) (weight seems too high)
Savea is 1.88 and 102kgHes got it all. A joy to watch. Remind me of first watching Michael Jones but was pissed he played for Auckland
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@Winger said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Canes4life It basically means that 5-6 other guys (if they've all re-signed for 2023) are fighting for the 6 jersey (Gibson not included). One will be lucky to get 6, another gets 20. I can see players definitely leaving after the 2023 season, if they haven't already.
Shame the coaches have a hard on for Prinsep, I was really impressed with Laubscher (unsure what hs work rate is like) but Delany (esp when he bulks up more - work rate is VG) is also looking VG. I had high hopes for Flanders but have never been that impressed with him. But ofter playersd just take time to find their feet at super rugby level
I agree, Flanders needs to show more at NPC level, he has all the skills in the world but just hasn’t dominated at that level like I thought he would have. When you compare his play to the performance from Lakai last Saturday, we haven’t really seen that from Devan yet. Hopefully he can find some form on the back off a lengthy period without getting injured.
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@Winger said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2023:
sign 1 or 2 future ABs (like Lakai, maybe Higgins)
That's very funny and premature.
Maybe with Higgins. But not Lakai. He has future AB written all over him. But Canes must sign SOME players that MIGHT make it all the way. Higgin and Lakai might. Blackwell and Prinsep never well. Even Proctor, Kirifi etc will never be future regular or starting ABs. I also have doubts re Sullivan, Morgan, Love and Moorby. Good at super level but lack the extra qualities. ever team need the super stars to build the team around
Hope you're right re Flanders. Delany is a high work rate quality player but lacks bulk. But we need at least 3 quality 6s to cover for injuries. One who can also cover lock.
Signing Higgins is a must. He has been class all the way through schoolboy rugby, Under 20s etc. definitely a player of the future. He just needs time on the park to get that first class experience. The fact he had more wraps on him than Lakai coming out of St Pats Stream says a lot, considering how good Peter Lakai has been for Wellington.
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THE HURRICANES FULL SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC DRAW: (ALL TIMES NZT)
RD1: Reds v Hurricanes, Saturday 25 February, Queensland, 9:45PM
RD2: Rebels v Hurricanes, Friday 3 March, Melbourne, 10:10PM
RD3: Hurricanes v Blues, Saturday 11 March, Wellington, 7:05PM
RD4: Hurricanes v Waratahs, Friday 17 March, Wellington, 7:05PM
RD5: Moana Pasifika v Hurricanes, Saturday 25 March, Auckland, 7:05PM
RD6: Hurricanes v Force, Sunday 2 April, Hurricanes region TBC, 3:35PM
RD7: Highlanders v Hurricanes, Sunday 2 April, Dunedin, 7:05PM
RD8: Hurricanes v Chiefs, Saturday 15 April, Wellington, 7:05PM
RD9: BYE
RD10: Hurricanes v Brumbies, Friday 28 April, Wellington, 7:05PM
RD11: Fijian Drua v Hurricanes, Saturday 6 May, Location TBC, 2:05PM
RD12: Hurricanes v Moana Pasifika, Saturday 13 May, Wellington, 4:35PM
RD13: Chiefs v Hurricanes, Saturday 20 May, Hamilton, 7:05PM
RD14: Blues v Hurricanes, Saturday 27 May, Auckland, 7:05PM
RD15: Hurricanes v Crusaders, Saturday 3 June, Wellington, 7:05PM -
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So Canes play Blues, MP and Chiefs twice. With the Highlanders away and the Crusaders at home
Looks a good draw to start
Lets just hope team is what I want. Get the team I want as discussed before and Ill feel hopeful to start the year with 6 wins. Including the blues at home. Get the team wrong and it will be a tough year
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@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Winger I think we’ll have he squad to go far next year, it’s whether or not Holland decides to play the right players that will determine how far we actually go.
Hope so
But also injuries. The year we won there were a few injuries but not too many. But last year was a joke. Hopefully they have a new conditioning coach on Board. Makes a big difference as Wellington is showing this year
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If I had to pick a 23 on form right now it would probably look something like this:
Update: I’ve decided to split this into a First XV and Second XV to show our depth.
1st 15:
- Numia
- Aumua
- Lomax
- Sangster
- Walker-Leawere
- Delany
- Savea (c)
- Lakai
- Roigard
- Morgan
- Rayasi
- Barrett
- Umaga-Jensen
- Sullivan
- Moorby
2nd 15:
- Rakete-Stones
- Coles
- Mafileo
- Blackwell
- Bird
- Howden
- Gibson
- Flanders
- Perenara
- Cameron
- Patafilo
- Higgins
- Proctor
- Savea
- Love
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Id be happy with that team. Esp the forward pack. But I'm still not sold on Sangster. Hows he going in the NPC?
edit. 2nd 15 is good for a 2nd 15 side
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@Canes4life what about Iose and Booth there’s not exactly crap players