Hurricanes 2023
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@gt12 the biggest problem for the Canes is the whole Ardie at 8 thing, we’ve got three outstanding 8s (Flanders, Iose, Laubsher) coming through the system but because we keep playing Ardie there means they will probably all F off at some point. The Canes would be so much stronger playing Ardie where he truely belongs in the 7 jersey but I doubt Holland will ever learn.
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This 8 would be awesome for the Canes next year:
- Mafileo
- Coles
- Lomax
- Walker-Leawere
- Sangster
- Howden
- Savea
- Flanders
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@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2023:
@gt12 the biggest problem for the Canes is the whole Ardie at 8 thing, we’ve got three outstanding 8s (Flanders, Iose, Laubsher) coming through the system but because we keep playing Ardie there means they will probably all F off at some point. The Canes would be so much stronger playing Ardie where he truely belongs in the 7 jersey but I doubt Holland will ever learn.
Yeah, the only thing they could do is try to find a 7.5 to play at 7 to make up for that ridiculousness. So, perhaps Flanders (6), Iose (7), Savea (8) would be the right players, even if they are in the wrong jerseys.
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@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2023:
Likely signings for next year:
- Tevita Mafileo
- Pasilio Tosi
- Pouri Rakete-Stones
- Jacob Devery
- Justin Sangster
- Isaia Walker-Leawere
- TK Howden
- Caleb Delany
- Tyler Laubsher
- Devan Flanders
- Brayden Iose
- Blake Gibson
- Cooper Flanders
- Cam Roigard
- Jamie Booth
- Riley Higgins
- Billy Proctor
- Josh Moorby
- Harry Godfrey
I like your optimism about the Canes signing Cooper Flanders, too. Not sure it will happen, though. Would be great to develop him as a permanent replacement of Kirifi/Gibson, adding some height as well (he's only a little bit shorter than Devan). A player who can play all three backrow positions would be an asset.
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@Stargazer I think they will sign Cooper but I don’t think he will play much. Same with Higgins and Godfrey.
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@Canes4life They could give them game time against the likes of Western Force, Drua and MP. And obviously preseason games.
Not sure Cooper will already get a NPC contract btw. I hope he gets Brendon O'Connor's spot. He'd sit behind Solomone Funaki and Josh Kaifa, but it would be a year of learning.
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@Stargazer yeah no point rushing the kid. Hopefully he takes over from Kirifi.
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@Crucial said in Hurricanes 2023:
Why are you all looking at the loosies when it is locks and 10s that you need?
If you want to back Moorby and Love then go ahead and target the semis as a development year for them. It's the best option.
Depth in the second row is your next problem.The big question for me is where Cameron will go - either the Canes or the Landers (possibly Chiefs, but that would be assuming we don't re-sign Dmac, so hopefully not).
My feeling is that Cameron would be a good fit for the Landers, but he was rumored to be a Canes target (I think I read that somewhere). If he doesn't sign, then aiming to be the third best NZ side and try to steal a semi would be over-achieving.
In terms of lock talent, one question could be whether the Chiefs can keep all of theirs. Picking up even McWhannell could be good for the Canes.
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@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2023:
This 8 would be awesome for the Canes next year:
- Mafileo
- Coles
- Lomax
- Walker-Leawere
- Sangster
- Howden
- Savea
- Flanders
You’re forgetting Blackwell.
Typo I assume 😉
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@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2023:
The Canes should sign Cridge again. Only not sure Cridge would want to. He gets consistent game time at the Waratahs. He might be watching from the sideline a lot at the Canes, despite being far better - and taller - than Blackwell.
Nah Cridge is average, he started a couple of games for the Waratahs and soon became out of favour there once they realised he’s big but doesn’t make much impact. I would prefer Tom Parsons, he looks to have a great work rate.
We need locks and props who can scrum and have high work rates. Sangster was a brilliant find this season but we need to find more gold nuggets.
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@Canes4life LOL, I don't know how you make up that bs about Cridge. He started 7 games (both at the beginning and near the end of the comp), came off the bench in 4, was injured in round 3 (ankle), 13 (hand), 15 (concussion) and the QF (concussion). So he played in 11 of their 15 games. He played pretty well for a rookie who had one SR game under his belt before the season started. He has consistently been one of the best locks in NPC, too, the last few years, and has a huge workrate.
I think Parsons is class and deserves to play SR, but he's 31 years old.
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@Stargazer nah Cridge isn’t anything special, definitely not the sort of lock I would be looking for to help bolster an area of weakness within the Canes.
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@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Stargazer nah Cridge isn’t anything special, definitely not the sort of lock I would be looking for to help bolster an area of weakness within the Canes.
Right, so you are quite happy to persevere with Mr. Blackwell then?
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@Higgins said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2023:
@Stargazer nah Cridge isn’t anything special, definitely not the sort of lock I would be looking for to help bolster an area of weakness within the Canes.
Right, so you are quite happy to persevere with Mr. Blackwell then?
Of course not, have you not been reading the Canes thread for the last couple of years? If we want to be title contenders we need to do better than players like Blackwell and Cridge.
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@Canes4life But you do agree that you just made up the bs you said about him getting out of favour at the Tahs, right? And that "they realised he's big but doesn't make much impact" was also also an argument you just fabricated without it being based on fact? Because if it was true, they wouldn't have kept picking him over the other locks in their squad.
You may not find him special, but he offers a heck of a lot more than Blackwell and not just centimetres in height.
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@Canes4life What you want is an ABs standard lock. Don't we all? But they don't grow on trees and there are few of those around. Until we find one, it's better to look for upgrades on who we have in the squad now. Cridge may not be ABs standard, but he is an upgrade compared to Blackwell.
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@Stargazer man you get defensive every time someone talks dirt on a Hawkes Bay player. Sheesh, stats don’t always tell you a full picture about a player, Cridge is someone I’ve watched quite closely ever since he made the Canes at the beginning of his career (including his stints for the Tahs this year) and he’s always been an average player at best, just a big body who shows the odd flash of potential but has never really pushed on to the heights many thought he would.
When you compare him to guys like Rettalick or Whitelock in their prime you quickly understand why no one has rushed out to sign him, highlighted by the fact he’s playing for the Tahs and not a NZ Super side.
And before you mention Blackwell, he too is just another average Super lock that is preventing the Canes from reaching their potential.
THE CANES NEED BETTER LOCKS! (Better than Cridge and Blackwell anyway).
