NPC 2025
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WESLEY CLARKE APPOINTED AS TURBOS HEAD COACH
Manawatū Rugby is proud to announce that Wesley Clarke has been appointed as the Turbos Head Coach.
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I think Wellington will find it tough to replicate their recent success, with key players moving on to the All Blacks and other commitments.
In 2022, we had players like Love, B Proctor, TJ, Lakai, and Aumua. None of them were in the 2024 final, so winning without these core players - who were with the All Blacks - was a big achievement.
This year, we had Higgins and Numia, both of whom are on career paths likely to reduce their availability for NPC minutes going forward. Kirifi might also end up in a similar position.
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I think Wellington will find it tough to replicate their recent success, with key players moving on to the All Blacks and other commitments.
In 2022, we had players like Love, B Proctor, TJ, Lakai, and Aumua. None of them were in the 2024 final, so winning without these core players - who were with the All Blacks - was a big achievement.
This year, we had Higgins and Numia, both of whom are on career paths likely to reduce their availability for NPC minutes going forward. Kirifi might also end up in a similar position.
I think there is enough quality coming through Wellington to ensure we remain close to the top of the pile.
Seeing players go onto higher honours is only a positive thing.
Without all the players you’ve mentioned above the worse case scenario would be a side resembling the below, I think it’s still fairly strong.
- Sheck
- O’Reilly
- Lauaki
- Plummer
- Ieremia
- Delany
- Halalilo
- Shields
- Preston
- Harkin
- Patafilo
- Savea
- Umaga-Jensen
- Filipo
- Clarke
- Poasa
- Kamimori (if he comes back)
- Chrichton
- Ropeti
- Avei-Collins
- McLeod/Muriwai
- Garden-Bachop
- Solomon
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Wellington will be fine. The Hutt, Porirua and the Wairarapa just spit out talented footy players
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Blues media saying that Jordan Lay will play for Northland next season.
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@Daffy-Jaffy yeah Northland rugby posted yesterday congratulating Northland contracted players which included an image of Lay, while I had heard they were in talks with him, it was a 'sneaky player' announcement.
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@george33 Hopefully that comes with a quality attack coach. The Forwards and defense were ok last two seasons but our attack was woefully clunky under Hickey.
Would Steven Bates have the inside running for head coach? He has been in the system for a while now. -
@Daffy-Jaffy don't think Bates is keen ,or been told no thanks.
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@Daffy-Jaffy he was/is the Auckland U21 coach isnt he, and Blues U21 previously? Would seem he is moving in the wrong direction to go straight upto an NPC HC role?
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He's been the forwards coach for 3 years. The forwards have generally been ok
Hickey must go
It's probably makes sense to have an entirely new group
