Crusaders 2023
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Joe Moody won’t play for the Crusaders again this season, but the loosehead prop will be available for All Blacks duty this year.
The Crusaders on Thursday confirmed the 34-year-old had surgery to repair a tendon in his ankle, which he damaged early in the team’s tense win over the Blues in Christchurch a fortnight ago, and would be sidelined for about eight weeks.
Moody is the fourth prop the Crusaders have lost during their title defence, joining fellow All Blacks Fletcher Newell (foot) and George Bower (knee) on the sidelines. Finlay Brewis (neck) is also done.Former Chiefs prop Reuben O’Neill, who has spent a pre-season with the Crusaders in the past, has joined the team as cover.
"He's a great scrummaging prop, he's fitted straight in, he's come back from a bit of a layoff from playing some club footy, he was familiar to us so that's why we went for him,” head coach Scott Robertson said.With Tamaiti Williams and Oli Jager the only remaining props standing amongst the six-strong group named in the 2023 squad, Robertson said the team was working on adding another body next week.
“I can't tell you who it is because he hasn't arrived or anything, we haven't signed it off. He's played a lot of footy, and he's come from overseas, he knows his way around a rugby field.
“It's incredible, we've worked real hard to find who is available in propping stocks...I've been talking to a lot of agents, they are a rare breed. They are precious. You need them. You don't have a game of rugby without a front row and a ref.” -
@Stargazer There will be a few outraged howls if we've signed someone good from overseas - but, we need to have.
I'm not sure KSM and O'Neill are going to cut it off the bench in big play-off games.
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@Chris-B I think all NZ franchises, and most Aussie franchises, have had a foreign player the last few years. It's just reality that - with so many of our fringe SR players going overseas to play in the MLR and elsewhere - we don't have the depth to cover for a lot of injuries. The number of injured props at the Crusaders is insane and you can't replace them with a loosie in the same way you can replace a lock with a loosie (and that can be hard enough).
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Is this right though That a team can get a top player from overseas just before the finals. And surely there are props available in NZ. Sheck is one for example. Tough luck if they are a level below the very best.
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@Winger Sheck is still with the Highlanders and the props that are still available (remember several are with the NZ U20s, too) are more than one level below the level required. Remember, it's not just that players aren't good enough; they're also not conditioned for SR (that takes more than a few weeks of training with the team). A player who isn't good enough and not conditioned properly, runs a bigger risk of getting injured.
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Crusader's injuries happened some time back (except moody). Plenty of time to bring props in and do the required training
But finding a top quality overseas non AB eligible prop to play in the finals shouldn't be allowed
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@Winger I don't think it's allowed to bring in someone for the finals only. That's why I assume he'll play next week. And who says he's top quality?
Edited to add that I think they expected Brewis back, because he's been on the team sheet at least twice in recent times, only for him to be withdrawn and replaced by someone else on the bench.
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@Stargazer said in Crusaders 2023:
@Winger I don't think it's allowed to bring in someone for the finals only. That's why I assume he'll play next week. And who says he's top quality?
Edited to add that I think they expected Brewis back, because he's been on the team sheet at least twice in recent times, only for him to be withdrawn and replaced by someone else on the bench.
Re top quality. If he's not then why do it. I don't blame the crusaders. The rules should stop teams doing it. Say players must be available for the ABs. Or available to play for say 4 games before the finals.
To stop this nonsense.
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@Winger You do realise there's something in-between "top quality" and "not good enough", do you?
I actually think it's more acceptable to get someone from overseas in an emergency (like all contracted props being injured, no other props available in NZ of a sufficient level), than for a whole season. Think John Ryan at the Chiefs, who's there because Ta'avao is injured. I've never heard you complain about him playing for the Chiefs. The Canes had a South African, who's name escapes me, a few seasons back. I don't even think he was there to replace multiple injured players. All franchises have had foreigners, but this is exactly the situation where it makes most sense.
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@Stargazer said in Crusaders 2023:
@Bovidae Ryan Coxon is a TH prop as far as I know. Not sure whether he's injured.
He's a LH. O'Neill (in theory) can play both sides, which was the reason given for him making the extended AB squad to play Japan.
Ryan Coxon — Tasman Mako
