Crusaders 2025
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How many outgoings are there?
Drummond isn’t signed beyond this year or O’Connor, Blackadder but most players are signed already I think. I guess Aumua probably won’t be back but Leicester comes in.
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Correct
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@Chris will Penney get re-signed if Crusaders do progress deep into playoffs?
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@darylmitchell said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris will Penney get re-signed if Crusaders do progress deep into playoffs?
With the current CEO I would say yes he will be Re -signed.
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@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@darylmitchell said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris will Penney get re-signed if Crusaders do progress deep into playoffs?
With the current CEO I would say yes he will be Re -signed.
Do you know if the talks they had with Nick Evans last year will lead to anything in future?
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@darylmitchell said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@darylmitchell said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris will Penney get re-signed if Crusaders do progress deep into playoffs?
With the current CEO I would say yes he will be Re -signed.
Do you know if the talks they had with Nick Evans last year will lead to anything in future?
No I don't know where those discussions. ended up.
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Thought he was talked about as a possible backs coach sometime last year.
Former Highlander in talks over Crusaders coaching role
Former Highlanders first-five Nick Evans is in talks with the Crusaders about joining their coaching lineup next season.
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@SBW1 said in Crusaders 2025:
Thought he was talked about as a possible backs coach sometime last year.
Former Highlander in talks over Crusaders coaching role
Former Highlanders first-five Nick Evans is in talks with the Crusaders about joining their coaching lineup next season.
Exactly the type of coach the Blues require to get their misfunctioning backline operating.
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Not sure quite where this belongs, but I'll leave it here.
Richie the Mo - wins a Championship for the ninth straight year!
Extraordinary!
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
Not sure quite where this belongs, but I'll leave it here.
Richie the Mo - wins a Championship for the ninth straight year!
Extraordinary!
11 straight titles if you include Canterbury winning the NPC in 2015 and 2016.
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Soerious question, if the Crusaders go on to win it this year, what are the opinions of Rob Penney? Would his achievement be considered one of the biggest considering he doesn't have a star 10 at his disposal unlike previous Crusaders sides and from where the team was last year? Or will it just be considered a fluke?
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@African-Monkey considering how competitive this season has been in particular, and the level of opposition they'd have to get through to get there, it'd have to be considered one of the best wins in their franchise history. At this point, it'd be impossible to call it a fluke.
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@African-Monkey That's a big IF.
Last season injuries to our most important players was a major issue. Williams, Taylor (sabbatical), Barrett, Burke and Jordan played little or no part in proceedings. Getting a few of these guys back towards the end of the season made us more threatening, but too little too late.
But, Penney also lost his way a bit with selections - he'd backed a bunch of pensioners - Franks, Moody, Crotty, Halfpenney - and they were pedestrian. The rest of the team lost confidence and we were in any case fielding some pretty NPC looking teams. At times Sevu Reece was carrying pretty much the whole show.
This year, we've mostly had those guys available. Moananu, Shalfoon, Hotham, Kemara, and Reihana have all had another year under their belts and are much improved and O'Connor is a pensioner who has largely worked out.
I'd also guess Penney and his coaching team have had any and all complacency knocked out of them and have done a better job. e.g. the weird-looking deep backline configuration has disappeared.
However, we still don't look like title winners to me. Bursts of good play, but then scuppered by errors and impatience - turning the ball over and conceding rafts of points or playing exhausting defence. Rob needs to find more answers and quite quickly.
If he does, well it will be an excellent redemption for him.
