Crusaders 2018
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A bit spoilt for backs now, what a change from a few years ago.
If there's room, I'd be keen to keep Mataele.
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@cantab79 Jager got a handful of appearances (4?) for the Crusaders - mainly against the lesser teams, I think - Reds and Sunwolves were two - but, I think there was at least one biggish game Owen Franks didn't feature in and I think the forwards stood up pretty well.
Seems like Tokalahi has got more of the starts for Canterbury this year. I haven't really been watching for Jager.
Seems like decent tightheads are scarce on the ground, so I'm not surprised they've snapped Franks, Alaalatoa and Jager up again. Presumably Jager is going to have to feature in the first half of next season, but we'll also need to sign some cover.
We could probably do worse than this Isaac Salmon who's come into the Mako$. I've been pleasantly surprised with how he's stood up in the absence of Halanukonuka.
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@cantab79 said in Crusaders 2018:
How does Oli Jager go at club level in Christchurch? Because I have to admit I'm not sold on him at all as a SR level prop. I guess given our strength at prop we can't afford to spend much on our fringe props, but I wouldn't be comfortable if we had to rely on Jager to play significant minutes in 2018. I can barely remember him taking the field for us this year, although I assume he must have played some minutes?
Haven't watched him at club level, didnt get to watch Brighton this year.
He's been very good for such a young bloke at NPC level. And has Chris mentioned he's been very solid in limited minutes for the Crusaders. Pretty impressive for a 21 year old.
Anyway....If Jason Ryan rates him as highly as he does that's good enough for me.
Some great props have come through the Sydenham front row factory. A very smart move by Robertson to bring Ryan in as an assistant.
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Oli Jager used to dominate at club level from what I saw of him last season. In most games the Brighton front row would get the upper hand over their oppsing scrums.
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@african-monkey said in Crusaders 2018:
Oli Jager used to dominate at club level from what I saw of him last season. In most games the Brighton front row would get the upper hand over their oppsing scrums.
Great, but why are the Saders developing a future Irish player? He's on record as saying he sees himself as Irish and wants to play for them.
(Assumes trump voice) "Send him home!"
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@gt12 said in Crusaders 2018:
@african-monkey said in Crusaders 2018:
Oli Jager used to dominate at club level from what I saw of him last season. In most games the Brighton front row would get the upper hand over their oppsing scrums.
Great, but why are the Saders developing a future Irish player? He's on record as saying he sees himself as Irish and wants to play for them.
(Assumes trump voice) "Send him home!"
He hasn't played for Ireland yet. Maybe complain about the Chiefs picking Michael Leitch or that useless Japanese prop instead.
Anyway........there's plenty of local talent being developed also. There's a few talented local props that I'm very excited about who will be ready in a few years.
As a crusaders supporter I want us to pick the best team possible, not suck up to hansen/tew .... that's what Blackadder did.
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I know he hasn't played for them, but he intends too. And, I equally had the same problem with the Chiefs using that useless friggin JP prop.
My point remains that NZ rugby shouldn't be paying this guy's salary - which is my understanding if he is getting super contract. If he committed to black, I'm 100% happy to have resources put into him, but otherwise, doesn't this seem like a bad investment?
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@gt12 said in Crusaders 2018:
I know he hasn't played for them, but he intends too. And, I equally had the same problem with the Chiefs using that useless friggin JP prop.
My point remains that NZ rugby shouldn't be paying this guy's salary - which is my understanding if he is getting super contract. If he committed to black, I'm 100% happy to have resources put into him, but otherwise, doesn't this seem like a bad investment?
Yep i agree. We have had way too many non NZ players in NZ teams over the last few years. Especially props.
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@gt12 said in Crusaders 2018:
I know he hasn't played for them, but he intends too. And, I equally had the same problem with the Chiefs using that useless friggin JP prop.
My point remains that NZ rugby shouldn't be paying this guy's salary - which is my understanding if he is getting super contract. If he committed to black, I'm 100% happy to have resources put into him, but otherwise, doesn't this seem like a bad investment?
No doubt he's on the IQ team's radar but if he thought there was an opportunity to get a black jersey, I suspect he'd stay. Presumably, he has, or is about to qualify on residency grounds this year. And he's contracted to end of 2020 season. Of course, he may not be good enough, in which case, it's moot.
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@pot-hale
Perhaps, but I don't want to invest in him unless he says he wants a black jersey and is prepared for fight for it.
I should mention that I'm only going by what he has said:
And as for the suggestion that he might have a choice to make somewhere down the line, all going well, Jager says he still feels like an Irishman.
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@gt12 said in Crusaders 2018:
@pot-hale
Perhaps, but I don't want to invest in him unless he says he wants a black jersey and is prepared for fight for it.
I should mention that I'm only going by what he has said:
And as for the suggestion that he might have a choice to make somewhere down the line, all going well, Jager says he still feels like an Irishman.
Context. He's being interviewed by an Irish journalist doing a tour of NZ about rugby and talking to Irish players based there. His audience is largely Irish. He's not going to say - nah I'm not interested in Ireland, I'm here now. Nor is he going to say - nah I'm going to be an All Black. So he punts down the middle.
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@pot-hale said in Crusaders 2018:
@gt12 said in Crusaders 2018:
@pot-hale
Perhaps, but I don't want to invest in him unless he says he wants a black jersey and is prepared for fight for it.
I should mention that I'm only going by what he has said:
And as for the suggestion that he might have a choice to make somewhere down the line, all going well, Jager says he still feels like an Irishman.
Context. He's being interviewed by an Irish journalist doing a tour of NZ about rugby and talking to Irish players based there. His audience is largely Irish. He's not going to say - nah I'm not interested in Ireland, I'm here now. Nor is he going to say - nah I'm going to be an All Black. So he punts down the middle.
He's Irish, he should play for Ireland.
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@nepia I pretty much agree and I've written before about the number of especially foreign tightheads being employed around the franchises.
Slowly improving - the Japanese one is gone from the Chiefs as are Geldenhuys and now Halanukonuka from the Highlanders.
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@chris-b said in Crusaders 2018:
@nepia I pretty much agree and I've written before about the number of especially foreign tightheads being employed around the franchises.
Slowly improving - the Japanese one is gone from the Chiefs as are Geldenhuys and now Halanukonuka from the Highlanders.
I'm not anti foreigners completely, I don't mind PIs and Japanese, any tier 2 players having the odd spot (prefer them not all in the same position), in our Super squads, but we shouldn't have tier 1 players (not Irish and especially not Australians). Didn't we use to have a two PIs rule for each squad, getting back to that would be a plan.
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@nepia said in Crusaders 2018:
@pot-hale said in Crusaders 2018:
@gt12 said in Crusaders 2018:
@pot-hale
Perhaps, but I don't want to invest in him unless he says he wants a black jersey and is prepared for fight for it.
I should mention that I'm only going by what he has said:
And as for the suggestion that he might have a choice to make somewhere down the line, all going well, Jager says he still feels like an Irishman.
Context. He's being interviewed by an Irish journalist doing a tour of NZ about rugby and talking to Irish players based there. His audience is largely Irish. He's not going to say - nah I'm not interested in Ireland, I'm here now. Nor is he going to say - nah I'm going to be an All Black. So he punts down the middle.
He's Irish, he should play for Ireland.
Well to be accurate, he was born in England to an Irish mother and Dutch father, grew up in Ireland and moved to NZ at 18/19. He's three years this year, so that gives him 4 countries in theory.
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Just looked up his stats, 192cm and 120kg. That's massive for a 22 year old. I didn't realise he was quite such a large young lad. The CRFU and Crusaders have a good eye for young props, so I will trust their judgement on this one. I hope he repays their faith in 2018, with Franks missing much of the season they will need Jager and Ala'alatoa to be firing.
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@cgrant said in Crusaders 2018:
And what about Ala'alatoa ? Will he commit to NZ or Australia ? He is playing better and better, and has far more potential than his brother IMO.
If I was him I would commit to Australia. Kepu is already 33 and his brother is much better at loosehead than he is at tighhead. They really don't have anyone else of quality in that position. In NZ, he would have Franks, Laulala, Moli and promising youngsters such as Lomax to compete with for an AB spot. It's a much harder task.
