The Silver Fern

I have heard Brodie Rettalick wants to end his career by playing 2 seasons for the Magpies. Wouldn't be bad if he could talk his mate Sam Whitelock into playing the odd game for the Bay.

This week's Ta$man announcements:

NPC squad: Taine Robinson, Viliame Napa'a, Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Finlay Christie

All Blacks: Tyrel Lomax, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder, David Havili, Noah Hotham

Development squad: Brodie Robinson, Quinn Harrison-Jones, Mason Lund

They're done with Backs and the Development squad.

Added to:

NPC squad: Kershawl Sykes-Martin, Isaac Salmon, Ryan Coxon, Sam Matenga, Quinten Strange, Jack Gray, Kyran Taumoefolau, Sam Moli, Levi Aumua, Campbell Parata, Braden Stewart, Monu Moli, Quentin MacDonald, Willi Havili, Max Hicks, Macca Springer, Sione Havili Talitui, Antonio Shalfoon, Louie Chapman, Fletcher Anderson, Will Butler

Development squad: Hugh Robinson, Cooper Roberts, Maloni Kunawave, Eli Odenryn, Johnny Lee, Cooper Grant, Matt Lowe, Nic and Timi Sauira, Joel Lauvale, Sione Mafi, Hunter Leppien, Tayne Hemopo

Looks like MAC,Hastings and Taradale had easy wins and the other 2 games were closer.Havelock beating OldBoys Marist would be a bit of an upset wouldn't it??

The reactions under this post reflect what many have been saying after the SR squads were announced, including here. I still can't believe no NZ franchise offered him a spot.

Hawkes Bay Magpies Hawkes Bay Magpies

What a season for 'The General' in 2023. Bunnings NPC Top Points Scorer 🤫

@stargazer right. So we don't know what the structure of the balance of the season is yet. Seems to be a lot of angst about fixtures not being played, which may yet be played.

Injury update (2 March 2022):

Devery (Hurricanes) - concussion
Cridge (Waratahs) - ankle injury
Ili (Rebels) - is injured, but I don't know what kind of injury he has
Visinia (Moana Pasifika) - still recovering from a foot injury; has started running again
Sapsford (Brumbies) ?? - don't know whether he is injured, or just not picked

long-term:
Walker-Leawere

Edit:
Overseas: all our players in the MLR are playing, except Robinson-Bartlett, who's been out with an "upper-body injury".
Falcon playing, too, in Japan (if the games aren't cancelled due to Covid).

@Crucial said in Hawkes Bay v Counties Manukau:

@Nepia said in Hawkes Bay v Counties Manukau:

@Crucial said in Hawkes Bay v Counties Manukau:

@Billsy111 You guys also need to do some lineout drive training. The moves were so predictable that even our motley bunch knew what you were about to do and were able to nullify.
*apart from that bullshit YC/PT call

I just think we don't need to overuse it, overuse of it contributed to our loss against Southland and a few times last year.

We have some bloody good backs and top class loosies, we should base more attack around them rather than overdoing the lineout drives.

It was more the case that you only had one drive move (apart from going around our side and dragging it down to get a PT) and we studied it beforehand. Shit coaching on your side.

Yeah, as you had a whole season and one game of it to study. 😉

Wow, the current Bay struggled but still won, hardly impressive but still won. We won’t miss Cane though

Just thought I would remind our Hawkes friends 😀

Apologies to @Magpie_in_aus who went through shit with this game

Lastly bring on the battle of the bays!

I just googled Scott Hamilton, went to his wiki page and check this out! Obviously someone from TSF or familiar with it has written or updated this page. Gold!

"Unlike many of his peers, Hamilton did not feature in age group teams in his development years. In fact, while at school at Christchurch Boys' High School, Hamilton could not make his first XV, instead playing in the third XV. However, with his skill set, and at the end of the Crusaders and Canterbury backlines, it was considered by most rugby pundits to be a formality that he would eventually go on to higher honours – a point alluded to by his nickname FABSH (Future All Black Scott Hamilton).[citation needed] Indeed, it was a surprise to many that it took as long as it did for him to be named in the All Black squad for the first time. He was named in the All Blacks squad to play Ireland.[5] All Blacks coach Graham Henry said of Hamilton's All Black selection, "We like the way he anticipates, he's got a good feel for the game in the back three. He reads the play well. He's got a huge work rate and he's deserved of selection".[6]

Due to an injury to All Black wing Sitiveni Sivivatu, Hamilton was promoted from the bench of the 2006 mid-year series against Ireland, to the starting 15 for the Argentina test. This was Hamilton's All Black début, and he celebrated it by scoring a match winning try in the second half. "

Scott Hamilton (rugby union) - Wikipedia Scott Hamilton (rugby union) - Wikipedia

@magpie_in_aus He is temporarily in the Highlanders squad as cover for Japanese player Himeno, who just came out of managed isolation. Renton will wear the 23 jersey against the Crusaders tonight.

Ili has already played for Melbourne Rising in the NRC a few years ago, so that's how they know him.