Chiefs v Highlanders
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@Kiwiwomble Weber never played for another SR franchise.
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@Stargazer no but that was largely just because people like Smith and even cowen were ahead of him in dunners, had turned out for otago and there were lots of us calling for him to turn out for the Highlanders, pretty much straight into starting for the chiefs show to me he was ready
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@Kiwiwomble He didn't start a single game in his first season at the Chiefs.
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my bad, i forgot you can never make a throwaway comment without getting pulled up, not going to check if youre right as i dont think it really matter, he still signed with the chiefs on the back of playing in dunedin which suggests to me he was ready for that next step. Not saying he hasn't got better being up there, just that he was 22-23 when he headed to the chiefs not some teenager
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@kiwi_expat said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
Weber, Ratima, Roe, TTT.
DMac, Gatland, Ioane, Reihana.
ALB, Tupaea, Nankivell, Poihipi, Wrampling.
Rettalick, Vaaii, McWhannell, Lord, Selby-Ricket, Ah Kuoi.I wonder how Chiefs get away with their blatant stockpiling of halves, midfielders & locks?
The Chiefs have the burden of having 4 feeder npc teams and always lose a bunch of players due to that. But it does leave them with better depth capabity overall than other super sides. If they only had 2 teams they could basically recruit for those two npc teams and for their development teams to plug any holes in either.
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@Kiwiwomble my bad also. Developed wasn’t the right word for all of them.
I think quite a few are just average for this level so can’t really be classified as hoarded -
@Kiwiwomble said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
@Stargazer no but that was largely just because people like Smith and even cowen were ahead of him in dunners, had turned out for otago and there were lots of us calling for him to turn out for the Highlanders, pretty much straight into starting for the chiefs show to me he was ready
Weber had Josh Renton in front of him at Otago at the time. It baffled a lot of us. Turns out a reason why was because he was seen as a good time party boy who was perceived to prioritise getting on the piss ahead playing and training. He was clearly one of the best players in Dunedin Club Rugby at the time, in a Dunedin team that featured High Blake and Gareth Evans. His talent was clear to see, sadly, I think at the time, Tony Brown as coach liked Renton's work ethic. On reflection a silly move. It would have been interesting to see how he would have gone over the last decade, giving the Highlanders a 1-2 punch of Smith and Weber.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
seriously, burns to 15?
I'm guessing they want his kicking game, and for him to come into first receiver often, but they don't trust his defence in the front line? His misses the previous week were costly
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I'm starting to think ALB may fall into the same category as Goodhue. Too broken, too often. Nothing wrong with his rugby brain but appears that injuries have curtailed his pace and impaired reaction time, making him easier to read for defences. Whilst I'm keen to see more of Poihipi, Chiefs midfield has a temporary look and feel to it with Nankivell heading offshore, whereas TUJ and Timu are progressing nicely complementing each other (and have been bright spots) in an underperforming team.
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@Jailbreak7 unfortunately Timu is now injured, landers backline casualty ward is ever growing Timu, Gilbert, Lowe, Nareki, Gregory
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@Jailbreak7 That ankle injury was a freak injury. If ALB has repeated problems with his shoulder then I would be concerned.
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@Duluth said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
Fetuli Paea starts, Jake Te Hiwi on the bench
Paea who would be the fourth choice centre with Ta$man? Being backed up to Te Hiwi who is barely getting his provincial career going. What shithouse options.