Crusaders 2025
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@kpkanz said in Crusaders 2025:
@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2025:
Crusaders lock-in Johnny for two more years.
I don't know how you lock in McNicholl and let go Blair Murray to go up north.
Actual travesty and the people responsible should be held accountable.
That kid looked like the next Cullen. Watch him tear us up in a Welsh jersey now.
Blair Murray wanted to move he was offered a good deal you can’t keep people if they don’t want to stay .
Money talks. -
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@kpkanz said in Crusaders 2025:
@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2025:
Crusaders lock-in Johnny for two more years.
I don't know how you lock in McNicholl and let go Blair Murray to go up north.
Actual travesty and the people responsible should be held accountable.
That kid looked like the next Cullen. Watch him tear us up in a Welsh jersey now.
Blair Murray wanted to move he was offered a good deal you can’t keep people if they don’t want to stay .
Money talks.It also would have helped if the Crusaders actually played him or gave him a super rugby contract. They just kept him in the wider training squad.
The guy was an under 20s representative and looked an insane talent. Penney was more concerned about winning games immediately and brings in 35 year old McNicholl.
Genuinely a joke.
I can't wait to hear that Murray was player of the year immediately within his first season up north.
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@kpkanz said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@kpkanz said in Crusaders 2025:
@Canes4life said in Crusaders 2025:
Crusaders lock-in Johnny for two more years.
I don't know how you lock in McNicholl and let go Blair Murray to go up north.
Actual travesty and the people responsible should be held accountable.
That kid looked like the next Cullen. Watch him tear us up in a Welsh jersey now.
Blair Murray wanted to move he was offered a good deal you can’t keep people if they don’t want to stay .
Money talks.It also would have helped if the Crusaders actually played him or gave him a super rugby contract. They just kept him in the wider training squad.
The guy was an under 20s representative and looked an insane talent. Penney was more concerned about winning games immediately and brings in 35 year old McNicholl.
Genuinely a joke.
I can't wait to hear that Murray was player of the year immediately within his first season up north.
Yeah maybe Murray did get injured for a large part of NPC last season maybe they saw him as too small for SR.
I have no love for Penny or ceo Colin they both need to fuck off imo. -
@gt12 said in Crusaders 2025:
You will have ABs (or squaddies) on the bench in multiple positions.
Factor in AB XV players too and it’s loaded. Just another year for the red and blacks.
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@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@gt12 said in Crusaders 2025:
You will have ABs (or squaddies) on the bench in multiple positions.
Factor in AB XV players too and it’s loaded. Just another year for the red and blacks.
God knows how many of them might be capped by the end of the year too
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@kpkanz said in Crusaders 2025:
The guy was an under 20s representative
Not to take away from your general point, but as far as I remember/can find Murray wasn't selected for either the broader NZ U20s training squad selected in 2020 (no team named because of Covid) nor for the 2021 NZ U20 team. I also remember hearing around that time that he took a short break from the game.
Murray was a real standout of the 2018 NZ Schools squad, though, as a 16/17-year old. He had a great game at fullback against Australia Schools and U18 where, I think, he scored a try and looked an incredible counter-attacking threat.
I think it's fair to say that he didn't quite crack on to become the next Cullen. I watched the recent game between Scarlets and Cardiff where Murray played on the left wing (quick sidenote for those interested: you can watch full replays of URC matches after the game's been played on their website URC.tv if you live in an area where there are no tv rights. You have to register though). You can tell he's a very talented player, he's got natural footballing instincts. But player of the year, I'm not so sure. (another sidenote: Plumtree is looking good, has added muscle, but still makes some poor decisions at times).
All that being said, I'm not a particular fan of the McNicholl-signing or the Crusaders' recent recruitment strategies. Super Rugby is a comp of athleticism and speed, I'm not sure how players like McNicholl and O'Connor fit into that.
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@Mauss Ah apologies he played for NZ schools that's right. I just remember him representing NZ in some respect in the juniors.
I also remember him completely burning off a bunch of fijians. Found the vid.
At 3.05 here -
Also scored two nice tries here for Canterbury in his last season (I think this would have been his NPC debut?)
Tries at 9.02 and 10.20 in the vid.
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@kpkanz The entire game of NZ Schools versus Australia Schools and U18s is on Youtube, if you're interested. I think a lot of people took notice of Murray after that game:
If anything, he's always been a great player to watch.
It's funny, looking at those lineups now. In a forward pack containing Tamaiti Williams, Soane Vikena, Saula Ma'u and Sam Darry, the most 'hyped-up' name at the time would arguably have been Niko Jones, after his performance for St. Peters in the Top 4 Final. It's not easy to predict future success.
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@Mauss said in Crusaders 2025:
Murray was a real standout of the 2018 NZ Schools squad, though, as a 16/17-year old. He had a great game at fullback against Australia Schools and U18 where, I think, he scored a try and looked an incredible counter-attacking threat.
I remember when Murray came off the bench for the Chiefs U18s and completely dominated the match against the Crusaders U18s with his speed. Then they signed him.
He made the NZ Schools team after that. He is small, basically Ben Blair MkII.He and Manson would be the quickest schoolboy players I've seen up close.
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All about perspective this is what the Crusaders top 23 looks like (roughly):
- Williams
- Taylor
- Newell
- Strange
- Barrett (c)
- Blackadder
- Christie
- Lio-Willie
- Hotham
- Reihana
- Reece
- Havili
- McLeod
- Fihaki
- Jordan
- Bell
- Brewis
- Bower
- Hannah
- Grace
- Drummond
- Aumua
- Springer
Add in solid depth across the park (maybe lacking a touch at prop?) and this team probably plays like they did at the end of the season and comfortably makes the top six. Rob Penney did a lot wrong, but there was also a shit ton of bad luck that exaggerated things. If the Crusaders keep their players fit, they look an easy top 4 to me.
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@Bovidae I know he's had some injury issues and it must've impacted his speed, because when watching him against Cardiff his speed doesn't really stand out anymore. It was mostly footwork and running angles which allowed him to make ground rather than beating players through raw pace, like you can see Manson do.
He's named on the wing for the Scarlets for their game tomorrow against Connacht, lining up against Mack Hansen.
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@frugby said in Crusaders 2025:
All about perspective this is what the Crusaders top 23 looks like (roughly):
- Williams
- Taylor
- Newell
- Strange
- Barrett (c)
- Blackadder
- Christie
- Lio-Willie
- Hotham
- Reihana
- Reece
- Havili
- McLeod
- Fihaki
- Jordan
- Bell
- Brewis
- Bower
- Hannah
- Grace
- Drummond
- Aumua
- Springer
Add in solid depth across the park (maybe lacking a touch at prop?) and this team probably plays like they did at the end of the season and comfortably makes the top six. Rob Penney did a lot wrong, but there was also a shit ton of bad luck that exaggerated things. If the Crusaders keep their players fit, they look an easy top 4 to me.
Ennor will be in that 23 somewhere probably starting at 13 with McLeod on the bench for Springer.
Prop is covered with Bower,Brewis,plus Sykes-Martin and Calder have done pretty well in the last two seasons when called upon they have had a fair bit of game time. -
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