NZ Conference 2020 Finishing order
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Chiefs
Crusaders
Canes
Blues
Highlanders -
Crusaders
Canes
Chiefs
Highlanders
BluesCanes and Chiefs could easily be swapped around.
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@Yeetyahh @sparky would love to know your reasoning by having the Canes last in the conference?
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@Canes4life Player roster looks a bit shit this year. Failure to sign a 1st 5 to replace BB. Ardie injured.
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@sparky man for man the Canes look far stronger than both the Highlanders and Blues. I suppose the proof will be in the pudding but the Canes still have too much firepower across the board to fall behind those two teams IMO.
I just can't take the Blues seriously when they still have Parsons at hooker.
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- As @sparky said, no worthy first five.
- Average tight 5 barring Coles (as long as he can keep disciplined), Lomax and possibly Scrafton but chances are he's too tall to play lock at the Canes.
- Ardie injured.
- New coach at the last minute
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Iām still not buying the fact that they are going to be worse than the Blues who apart from BB are a rabble when push comes to shove, and the Highlanders who have had a complete clean out of their roster.
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@Yeetyaah Jason Holland may be the new head coach, but he has been assistant coach for a few years. It's not like he's an outsider just coming in. He knows the Canes inside out. I'm not buying that as a reason/excuse/etc for the Canes (possibly) not performing.
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Crusaders
Hurricanes
Chiefs
Blues
HighlandersNot confident that Cruden will be the same player, nor that he will be available for most games. Don't rate Weber. A couple of forward injuries and the Chiefs could really struggle.
Blues need a quality halfback.
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I'm quite surprised at some of the predictions surrounding the Blues and Canes.
These are the two teams I really expect to perform differently to their last few years.
Blues have struggled hugely in need of a quality 10. They now have one. I expect that alone to add confidence and less occasions where they go off the reservation searching for a win and coming up short. The win/loss record should end up much better.
Canes have lost their two best players by some margin. They now have a very average looking 10 which makes them the team struggling to utilise the quality in the backs. Ardie was the guy that would step up and drag the team to a victory when they weren't playing well. I expect a worse win/loss record for them. -
@Crucial I swapped Blues and Hurricanes a few times before posting. In the end, I factored in - among other things - that BB only starts in April and, last year, Nonu had quite a big impact and he's not there anymore. On top of that, I've my doubts about moving Rieko from wing to midfield, if that's indeed going to happen.
I expect there won't be much between the Blues and Canes though.
