Crusaders 2025
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@Chris think he’s just gone up there for a change of scenery. Try and break Wellington team and get a contract from there.
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Mqinly a good squad.
If one of the first fives plays decently and we don't have too many injuries it should be well capable of winning the title. To me, the odds @Duluth posted elsewhere don't seem like a vote of confidence in the coaches - but, we will see.
Seems like the propping rotation is as good as we can do. No quibbles there.
The locks don't really enthrall me. Beyond SBarrett, which of them are future All Blacks? Cahill? I don't see the next Sam Whitelock.
Some future proofing in the loosies though. Looks like a good group - can't racall seeing Saifoloi, but he looks to be the right size of unit!
Halfbacks - I guess I'm OK with Drummie getting one more year, but I hope the other two guys get most of the game time. Hope Louie Chapman is in the WTG.
Frst fives - are what they are - Bridge to Teri...Mo'unga. Hopefully one of them is decent Super standard.
Midfield more or less as expected. Maybe a player light - with an extra loosie.
Outside backs - same. We need Jordan to stay fit, because otherwise there's a shortage of X-factor in the backs.
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
Mqinly a good squad.
If one of the first fives plays decently and we don't have too many injuries it should be well capable of winning the title. To me, the odds @Duluth posted elsewhere don't seem like a vote of confidence in the coaches - but, we will see.
Seems like the propping rotation is as good as we can do. No quibbles there.
The locks don't really enthrall me. Beyond SBarrett, which of them are future All Blacks? Cahill? I don't see the next Sam Whitelock.
Some future proofing in the loosies though. Looks like a good group - can't racall seeing Aki Tuivailala., but he looks to be the right size of unit!
Halfbacks - I guess I'm OK with Drummie getting one more year, but I hope the other two guys get most of the game time. Hope Louie Chapman is in the WTG.
Frst fives - are what they are - Bridge to Teri...Mo'unga. Hopefully one of them is decent Super standard.
Midfield more or less as expected. Maybe a player light - with an extra loosie.
Outside backs - same. We need Jordan to stay fit, because otherwise there's a shortage of X-factor in the backs.
Aki Tuivailala. is really a centre than can play wing, we might also see Amua and Mcleod covering wing sometimes.
I like the squad the additions are good Preston looks like a great pick up at HB.
Aki Tuivailala impressed in the NZ under 20s at centre he went ok on the wing for Waikato.Xavier Saifoloi is a big unit 195 m and 114 kgs adds some size to the LF mix.I went back and watched some of his NPC games hits hard in the tackle good extra Line out option and uses his height well to off load in some tight situations.
The 2 young props add more around the field.
Shalfoon I Iike he doesn't take a backward step and he played really well in the 3 starts he had at the end of the season.
If someone takes the lead at First five we will be a contender.
Stronger squad than last season imo. -
@Chris Don't disagree with much of that.
Except if Fergus Burke had stayed fit, I think we would have done much better - and we need O'Çonnor or Reihana (most probably) to step up. So in terms of overall squad strength, I think that's the main question mark - someone needs to be as good as Burke (was at the back end of the season). To be honest, it's not that high of a bar.
Among the locks, I wish we had a young guy in the mix who is more than two metres. But if Scott is fit, we can pair him with probably any of the others and be highly competitive.
Williams, Taylor, Newell
Barrett, Strange
Blackadder, Kellow, Lio-Willie
Hotham, Reihana
Havili, Ennor
Reece, Fihaki, JordanBell, Brewis, Bower, Shalfoon, Grace, Preston, OÇonnor, Aumua.
Pretty decent if they're all fit!
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
Except if Fergus Burke had stayed fit, I think we would have done much better - and we need O'Çonnor or Reihana (most probably) to step up. So in terms of overall squad strength, I think that's the main question mark - someone needs to be as good as Burke (was at the back end of the season). To be honest, it's not that high of a bar.
Yep 100% this is the key.
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
Pretty decent if they're all fit!
That's it though aye, all the sides look to have a decent 23 until they start getting injuries. Will be a pretty interesting season to see how things pan out.
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Don't disagree with much of that.
Except if Fergus Burke had stayed fit, I think we would have done much better - and we need O'Çonnor or Reihana (most probably) to step up. So in terms of overall squad strength, I think that's the main question mark - someone needs to be as good as Burke (was at the back end of the season). To be honest, it's not that high of a bar.
Among the locks, I wish we had a young guy in the mix who is more than two metres. But if Scott is fit, we can pair him with probably any of the others and be highly competitive.
Williams, Taylor, Newell
Barrett, Strange
Blackadder, Kellow, Lio-Willie
Hotham, Reihana
Havili, Ennor
Reece, Fihaki, JordanBell, Brewis, Bower, Shalfoon, Grace, Preston, OÇonnor, Aumua.
Pretty decent if they're all fit!
You wouldn't have Jamie Hannah starting?
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@chchfanatic said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris think he’s just gone up there for a change of scenery. Try and break Wellington team and get a contract from there.
That's super interesting, is Rova a winger?
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@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2025:
@chchfanatic said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris think he’s just gone up there for a change of scenery. Try and break Wellington team and get a contract from there.
That's super interesting, is Rova a winger?
Mid field
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@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Don't disagree with much of that.
Except if Fergus Burke had stayed fit, I think we would have done much better - and we need O'Çonnor or Reihana (most probably) to step up. So in terms of overall squad strength, I think that's the main question mark - someone needs to be as good as Burke (was at the back end of the season). To be honest, it's not that high of a bar.
Among the locks, I wish we had a young guy in the mix who is more than two metres. But if Scott is fit, we can pair him with probably any of the others and be highly competitive.
Williams, Taylor, Newell
Barrett, Strange
Blackadder, Kellow, Lio-Willie
Hotham, Reihana
Havili, Ennor
Reece, Fihaki, JordanBell, Brewis, Bower, Shalfoon, Grace, Preston, OÇonnor, Aumua.
Pretty decent if they're all fit!
You wouldn't have Jamie Hannah starting?
Hannah/Strange on the Bench me maybe I would start Shalfoon over Strange.
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
Williams, Taylor, Newell
Barrett, Strange
Blackadder, Kellow, Lio-Willie
Hotham, Reihana
Havili, Ennor
Reece, Fihaki, JordanBell, Brewis, Bower, Shalfoon, Grace, Preston, OÇonnor, Aumua.
A very strong squad dominated by All blacks and AB XV players. All but one has been in an AB or AB XV environment in that starting XV. A few on the bench and a 60+ cap wallabie to top it off. Depth looks a lot better this year. Crusaders will be back in the top 4 and pushing for a championship again.
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@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Don't disagree with much of that.
Except if Fergus Burke had stayed fit, I think we would have done much better - and we need O'Çonnor or Reihana (most probably) to step up. So in terms of overall squad strength, I think that's the main question mark - someone needs to be as good as Burke (was at the back end of the season). To be honest, it's not that high of a bar.
Among the locks, I wish we had a young guy in the mix who is more than two metres. But if Scott is fit, we can pair him with probably any of the others and be highly competitive.
Williams, Taylor, Newell
Barrett, Strange
Blackadder, Kellow, Lio-Willie
Hotham, Reihana
Havili, Ennor
Reece, Fihaki, JordanBell, Brewis, Bower, Shalfoon, Grace, Preston, OÇonnor, Aumua.
Pretty decent if they're all fit!
You wouldn't have Jamie Hannah starting?
I'm not convinced he's tall enough to play lock. I think he was a part of the lineout problems last year.
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Don't disagree with much of that.
Except if Fergus Burke had stayed fit, I think we would have done much better - and we need O'Çonnor or Reihana (most probably) to step up. So in terms of overall squad strength, I think that's the main question mark - someone needs to be as good as Burke (was at the back end of the season). To be honest, it's not that high of a bar.
Among the locks, I wish we had a young guy in the mix who is more than two metres. But if Scott is fit, we can pair him with probably any of the others and be highly competitive.
Williams, Taylor, Newell
Barrett, Strange
Blackadder, Kellow, Lio-Willie
Hotham, Reihana
Havili, Ennor
Reece, Fihaki, JordanBell, Brewis, Bower, Shalfoon, Grace, Preston, OÇonnor, Aumua.
Pretty decent if they're all fit!
You wouldn't have Jamie Hannah starting?
I'm not convinced he's tall enough to play lock. I think he was a part of the lineout problems last year.
Not tall enough? He's 1.99m, I thought Hannah was one of the better Crusader players last year. Really surprised he's not a lock to partner Barrett.
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@Canes4life He's listed at various heights - I'm pretty doubtful he's 1.99m. I thought during the season that his height looked a problem, so I'll stick with that observation for now.
I agree he looked good in general play.
The lineout certainly improved when Shalfoon took over in partnership with Strange - but, that was also around the time Taylor came back from sabbatical.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders 2025:
Paul Cully's Hard Luck XV article says that Hutchinson is in the WTG.
Are you able to share a link?
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Don't disagree with much of that.
Except if Fergus Burke had stayed fit, I think we would have done much better - and we need O'Çonnor or Reihana (most probably) to step up. So in terms of overall squad strength, I think that's the main question mark - someone needs to be as good as Burke (was at the back end of the season). To be honest, it's not that high of a bar.
Among the locks, I wish we had a young guy in the mix who is more than two metres. But if Scott is fit, we can pair him with probably any of the others and be highly competitive.
Williams, Taylor, Newell
Barrett, Strange
Blackadder, Kellow, Lio-Willie
Hotham, Reihana
Havili, Ennor
Reece, Fihaki, JordanBell, Brewis, Bower, Shalfoon, Grace, Preston, OÇonnor, Aumua.
Pretty decent if they're all fit!
You wouldn't have Jamie Hannah starting?
I'm not convinced he's tall enough to play lock. I think he was a part of the lineout problems last year.
Mate, he’s 6ft 6😂 if anything, there isn’t enough meat on the bones yet. Hes listed at 110+ but doesn’t look it.
