Super Rugby 2023
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Li actually scored some great tries when he was with us, we have nareki and koroi as those smaller kind of wings so im not sure we need more of the "same"...but he might have been better than some we have
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Not sure whether anyone picked this up, but former Crusaders strength and conditioning coach Simon Thomas has been appointed as the Head of Performance at the Western Force.
By the way, this is their coaching group for 2023:
Head Coach - Simon Cron
Forwards Coach - Jimmy Duffy (former Connacht assistant coach). He has replaced Paul Tito in that position.
Backs Coach - ?
Attack Coach - Mark Ozich
Defence Coach - Will Eggleston (from Toyota Verblitz, where he worked with Steve Hansen - and Simon Cron)
Skills Coach - Dylan ParsonsForce enlist the best to head performance
The Western Force have appointed Simon Thomas as head of performance on multi-year contract. Widely known as one of the top strength and conditioning directors in the world, Thomas curated his success at the Crusaders. Leading the performance department over five seasons resulting in three Super...
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby 2023:
Attack Coach - Mark Ozich
What a waste. They should loan him to the Magpies for the NPC.
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@Stargazer what happened with Tito. Was he let go or did he leave
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@Winger I don't know. The duration of his appointment was never published. His and Ozich's appointments were announced two days apart, last year, and I therefore always assumed that they were signed for the same duration, but maybe not? They've done a bit of a clean-out of their coaching staff, but that doesn't have to mean that he was let go. Maybe just not re-appointed or he has something else line-up.
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby 2023:
I would add the following as unlucky -mostly wider squad candidates, or looking elsewhere???
Fullback: T Robinson, J Trainor, D Wild,
Wing: H Murray, Ed Fidow (MP?), T Cook-Savage
Centre: D Rona R Nu'u Lalomilo
10's: L Cashmore
9's:L Campbell, R Judd, L Milo-Harris
Loosies: J Melvin, A Brash, O Haig
Lock: H Dalzell, H Burr, J Bekhuis, L Hallam-Eames
Prop: J Lay, R Cobb, P Sheck, S Calder
Hooker: I Moananu, J O'Reilly,R JacksonNone of these are hugely unlucky in my view - bar perhaps James O'Reilly
Noted that JGB, NMS, Tua and Li all signed overseas -
Confirmed Tua at Brumbies
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@ARHS said in Super Rugby 2023:
@Stargazer said in Super Rugby 2023:
I would add the following as unlucky -mostly wider squad candidates, or looking elsewhere???
Fullback: T Robinson, J Trainor, D Wild,
Wing: H Murray, Ed Fidow (MP?), T Cook-Savage
Centre: D Rona R Nu'u Lalomilo
10's: L Cashmore
9's: L Campbell, R Judd, L Milo-Harris
Loosies: J Melvin, A Brash, O Haig
Lock: H Dalzell, H Burr, J Bekhuis, L Hallam-Eames
Prop: J Lay, R Cobb, P Sheck, S Calder
Hooker: I Moananu, J O'Reilly, R JacksonNone of these are hugely unlucky in my view - bar perhaps James O'Reilly
This list will grow and/or decrease with the Moana Pasifika squad naming.
Agree with the last sentence, although I expect some won't even feature in a WTG (Wild, for example).
Some of these players will no doubt play SR in 2023 as there will be injuries.
I know some of these players already have overseas contracts (MLR/Japan).
R Jackson is currently in a moonboot. -
@Stargazer said in Super Rugby 2023:
know some of these players already have overseas contracts (MLR/Japan).
Which ones??
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What NZ team plays an Aust team twice. And which team?
As MP play the FD twice another team must also play an Aussie team twiceCanes play Chiefs, Blues and MP twice
MP play Canes, FD and Crusaders twice
Chiefs play Highlanders, Hurricanes and Crusaders twice
Blues play Canes Crusaders and Highlanders twice
Crusaders play MP, Blues and Chiefs twice
Highlanders play Blues, Chiefs and ? twice -
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2023:
@Winger Highlanders play the Force twice.
Its not a bad idea. Although the NZ team that gets to play an Aussie team twice will have a slight advantage if this is continued into the future. And it might impact on the gate revenue slightly
edit on 2nd thoughts it makes little difference. Instead of playing MP they play an Aussie side instead
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@Winger every team not playing every other team the same number of times definitely undermines the comp...but has been that way for ages, like years we've had to play the crusaders twice like the chief will do next year
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@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2023:
@Winger every team not playing every other team the same number of times definitely undermines the comp...but has been that way for ages, like years we've had to play the crusaders twice like the chief will do next year
it doesn't really. The NRL has it. The AFL has it. They have shit teams, they have good teams. Sometimes you get a good draw. Sometimes you get a tough draw. And your draw may end up harder or easier than it looked at the start of the season as teams are often better/worse than expectation.
In the end the best team wins the comp. Draw "inequalities" are generally the domain of losing fans.
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@mariner4life both those comps and america sports that also have "uneven" draws all have larger draws, more games, so each game is a smaller percent of your season so more chance to even out, things like the AFL and American sports also have drafts specifically designed to give teams at the bottom of the ladder one year and chance to improve the next year
Super rugby is a short season compared to those and so, in my opinion, the unevenness can effect things, the example ive seen come up before is the sharks making the final after only playing i think 3 of the NZ teams and then getting a hiding
but...i did say that's the way its been for a while and every team will have "good" and "bad" draws from years to year
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@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2023:
@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2023:
@Winger every team not playing every other team the same number of times definitely undermines the comp...but has been that way for ages, like years we've had to play the crusaders twice like the chief will do next year
it doesn't really. The NRL has it. The AFL has it. They have shit teams, they have good teams. Sometimes you get a good draw. Sometimes you get a tough draw. And your draw may end up harder or easier than it looked at the start of the season as teams are often better/worse than expectation.
In the end the best team wins the comp. Draw "inequalities" are generally the domain of losing fans.
Just looking at the draw. The Crusaders have probably got the best draw of NZ teams. Followed by the highlander. Chiefs is not great with the last game an away game vs Force (although they might be able to rest and leave at home their best players) The worse is the Canes with three tough games to finish with 2 away.
Results & Fixtures
