Crusaders 2024
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@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
@Crazy-Horse said in Crusaders 2024:
Finding a decent 10 and midfield would go a long way to sorting out some onfield problems. Easier said than done though.
Midfield? There’s already 3 All Blacks and an All Blacks XV player in there…
Havili
McLeod
Ennor
AumuaMidfield is in pretty good hands in my opinion. They just don’t have a world class 10 making the midfielders life easier. Frustrating for fans so you could only imagine how frustrating it is for the players. Midfield will be just fine. Just need a 10 who can be consistent, doesn’t have to be a world beater.
Not sure I rate the midfield options as high as you do. I have never liked DH at 12 and the jury is still out on Ennor at 13. To me he is a poor man's RI. Aumua was a complete and utter bust (who knows, with a better 10 they may work out how to use him) and McLeod is looking more like his old self where he was barely NPC level. The options are fine if the Saders want to stay a middling team but the they are lacking the class midfielder to take the backline to the next level.
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@Crazy-Horse said in Crusaders 2024:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
@Crazy-Horse said in Crusaders 2024:
Finding a decent 10 and midfield would go a long way to sorting out some onfield problems. Easier said than done though.
Midfield? There’s already 3 All Blacks and an All Blacks XV player in there…
Havili
McLeod
Ennor
AumuaMidfield is in pretty good hands in my opinion. They just don’t have a world class 10 making the midfielders life easier. Frustrating for fans so you could only imagine how frustrating it is for the players. Midfield will be just fine. Just need a 10 who can be consistent, doesn’t have to be a world beater.
Not sure I rate the midfield options as high as you do. I have never liked DH at 12 and the jury is still out on Ennor at 13. To me he is a poor man's RI. Aumua was a complete and utter bust (who knows, with a better 10 they may work out how to use him) and McLeod is looking more like his old self where he was barely NPC level. The options are fine if the Saders want to stay a middling team but the they are lacking the class midfielder to take the backline to the next level.
Yeah I’ve got to disagree there. That’s the midfield that the Crusaders had when they won multiple super rugby titles(with Goodhue involved here and there too).
If I were a Crusaders fan I would be pretty confident that with a better 10, the midfield would be a lot better next year. It’s going to be interesting to see how Ennor is when he returns, he’s had some pretty horrendous injuries in his fairly short career.
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I'll swap those midfielders and give the Saders ours.
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@SouthernMann said in Crusaders 2024:
I'll swap those midfielders and give the Saders ours.
No thanks.
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@Crazy-Horse said in Crusaders 2024:
@SouthernMann said in Crusaders 2024:
I'll swap those midfielders and give the Saders ours.
No thanks.
See doesn't seem so bad, when you compare them to the cattle of the slightly better team from down SH1
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@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
@Crazy-Horse said in Crusaders 2024:
Finding a decent 10 and midfield would go a long way to sorting out some onfield problems. Easier said than done though.
Midfield? There’s already 3 All Blacks and an All Blacks XV player in there…
Havili
McLeod
Ennor
AumuaMidfield is in pretty good hands in my opinion. They just don’t have a world class 10 making the midfielders life easier. Frustrating for fans so you could only imagine how frustrating it is for the players. Midfield will be just fine. Just need a 10 who can be consistent, doesn’t have to be a world beater.
None of the super rugby teams have a world class ten, DMac the best but his style often didn't suit test rugby, tho he can do amazing things.
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So what happens at 10 next year? They seemed to throw Kemara to the side this year, do you just give him the keys and time to develop in the position, like the Highlanders have with Cam Millar with Faleafaga as back up? Or does David Havili get the 10 spot from the start?
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@African-Monkey We're going to bring back a certain well-known, experienced and match winning Crusaders first-five from Japan.
Welcome back Mitch Hunt!
I think if you were going to give the keys to one of the first fives on the books, I'd give them to Rivez, but there's a fair degree of risk to that. I can't really see the point of moving Dave Havili, since he's our best second five and he'll be 30 when next season rolls around.
I'd be extremely surprised if overtures to Mo'unga for next season are successful, but if it happens that he doesn't really like Japan - then maybe they might lure him back a year early - once his bank account is suitably padded. In which case, maybe we jut bite the bullet with Reihana and Kemara for a year.
Overall, though, I'm inclined to think we need to sign someone a bit better.
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@Machpants said in Crusaders 2024:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
@Crazy-Horse said in Crusaders 2024:
Finding a decent 10 and midfield would go a long way to sorting out some onfield problems. Easier said than done though.
Midfield? There’s already 3 All Blacks and an All Blacks XV player in there…
Havili
McLeod
Ennor
AumuaMidfield is in pretty good hands in my opinion. They just don’t have a world class 10 making the midfielders life easier. Frustrating for fans so you could only imagine how frustrating it is for the players. Midfield will be just fine. Just need a 10 who can be consistent, doesn’t have to be a world beater.
None of the super rugby teams have a world class ten, DMac the best but his style often didn't suit test rugby, tho he can do amazing things.
I never said any of the other super rugby teams did. I’m talking about previous seasons when you had Richie Mounga…
My point stands about the midfield. With a better 10 they are a top midfield in the comp, you won’t see a lot of change in those positions next season.
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@Chris-B thing is, it was a perfect storm for the Crusaders at 10...
Losing one of thier best, then his his back up injured, leaving rookies to run the ship under a coach who was always on a hiding to nothing losing several key players to injury, trying to put a bit of his own style on the team following one of the best super coaches in a team that has pretty much always been at the top of the tree.
Either Reihana or Kemara would have flourished last year under Razor and behind Mounga...going forward they need to commit to one of them (or whatever other rookie they choose) f they can't attract a high profile player.
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@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
@Machpants said in Crusaders 2024:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2024:
@Crazy-Horse said in Crusaders 2024:
Finding a decent 10 and midfield would go a long way to sorting out some onfield problems. Easier said than done though.
Midfield? There’s already 3 All Blacks and an All Blacks XV player in there…
Havili
McLeod
Ennor
AumuaMidfield is in pretty good hands in my opinion. They just don’t have a world class 10 making the midfielders life easier. Frustrating for fans so you could only imagine how frustrating it is for the players. Midfield will be just fine. Just need a 10 who can be consistent, doesn’t have to be a world beater.
None of the super rugby teams have a world class ten, DMac the best but his style often didn't suit test rugby, tho he can do amazing things.
I never said any of the other super rugby teams did. I’m talking about previous seasons when you had Richie Mounga…
My point stands about the midfield. With a better 10 they are a top midfield in the comp, you won’t see a lot of change in those positions next season.
I wasn't disagreeing, just mentioning that we're thin all around at ten
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@taniwharugby Ending up with Riley Hohepa for half a dozen games (who, with due respect, was the best guy that nobody wanted) certainly wasn't ideal.
However, I didn't think he was any worse than Kemara (who is just a kid and may end up being really good).
I'm not really keen on bringing in a foreigner to be a first choice first five at any of our franchises - and I'm struggling to think of established, quality NZ first fives offshore. Sopoaga - but he's long in the tooth and I don't think the same player he was when he left NZ.
I'd quite like us to get Steve Perofeta, who in the greater scheme of things is likely to be a bit wasted at the Blues next year, with Beauden, Plummer and Sullivan also on the books. Apparently under contract, but those can sometimes be broken.
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2024:
Ending up with Riley Hohepa for half a dozen games (who, with due respect, was the best guy that nobody wanted) certainly wasn't ideal.
Hohepa was limited but not terrible
In order this year:
Burke
Havili
Hohepa
A gap…
Reihana
A bigger gap…
KemaraIt was interesting they called up Hohepa and didn’t go for Harford? Did he leave on bad terms?
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@Duluth Probably not far away.
Ferg made a few big blunders (Dave made at least one as well), but given he hadn't played for about a year, he did enough to show he would've been the best option if fit (and the match results reinforce that).
I missed some of the early season so only watched highlights of some games.
Edit: No idea about Harford. I can't recall ever seeing him play though I probably have.
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2024:
What happened to Manasa Mataele this year - was he injured or just never required?
He was out with a couple of injuries during the season but he did play a bit for his club Marist/Albion during the SR so was fit for a fair chunk of SR.
