Magpies 2021
-
I know the season has just ended, but who do people think the Magpies will try to recruit for next season.? Will it be Zarn Sullivan from Auckland? Kini Naholo from Taranaki? Anybody hearing anything. Hugh Renton? Be interesting to hear what people think.
-
Hugh Renton would be a surprise as we are rather strong in the loose forward department already. Still he does owe us a bit considering we have paid his wages for an eternity for next to no return.
-
Well hugh Renton went to play for tasman because the magpies didn't want him
-
@Higgins I would be surprised if Hugh returned as well. But Ranfurly Shield, and back in the premiership if it stays in it's current format are huge incentives to bargain with for any player they might talk to.
-
@Billsy111 No that's not right. Hugh lives in Christchurch and went to play for Tasman because Canterbury didn't want him.
-
I think we just need to lock Baker into a long term contract and we should be set for year's. Probably get a spot at the next RWC.
-
Looks like Latrell Smiler AhKiong is off to Waikato
-
@kiwimatrix What's your source? I've heard some rumours, too, but haven't seen them confirmed anywhere.
-
@Stargazer said in Magpies 2021:
@kiwimatrix What's your source? I've heard some rumours, too, but haven't seen them confirmed anywhere.
Is this good or bad for Waikato?
-
He would be a very good addition for Waikato, and will be behind McClutchie and Makene in the pecking order. So if Smiler Ah-Kiong wants to play he probably needs to move.
Tepaea Cook-Savage is the same age if Waikato is looking locally.
-
@Bovidae I expect Makene to return to fullback in 2021, with - hopefully - Kurt Baker gone. If good enough, there would be plenty of opportunities for Smiler-Ah Kiong, if he stayed. At first five or fullback.
I think that a possible move to Waikato may have more to do with the presence of a University in Hamilton than with expected game time in M10 Cup. Unless our coaches prefer Jordan Thompson-Dunn (which may be the correct call) ...
-
@Hooroo Good poach. One of the best first five-eighth prospects in his age group (19). National Top Four winner with Hastings Boys' in 2019 (and MOTM of that Final).
Waikato reportedly already tried to sign him, last year, but he chose to stay in Hawke's Bay.
IIRC, he played most of his club rugby in 2020 at fullback. Did well at the Ignite7s, too.
-
@Bovidae said in Magpies 2021:
He would be a very good addition for Waikato, and will be behind McClutchie and Makene in the pecking order. So if Smiler Ah-Kiong wants to play he probably needs to move.
Tepaea Cook-Savage is the same age if Waikato is looking locally.
We have also got Tiaan Falcon who must be back from Japan soon (maybe not until 2022 season?).
-
@Higgins You think he's coming back any time soon? The money may be too good in Japan. I'm not sure he's still dreaming of a SR contract .... If he doesn't, he won't come back.
At the moment, if the rumours about Smiler-Ah Kiong are correct, I'd bet on Thompson-Dunn to make the step up.
-
@Stargazer said in Magpies 2021:
@Higgins You think he's coming back any time soon? The money may be too good in Japan. I'm not sure he's still dreaming of a SR contract .... If he doesn't, he won't come back.
I wonder if he’ll have a crack in Aussie at some stage. He’s qualified to play for them
-
@Duluth What do you mean with "qualified to play for them"?
-
He was born in Penrith when his father Gordon was playing rugby league.
-
Born there. Or is he locked into NZ already?
-
@Duluth His father and grandfather both played for the NZ Maori team. How could he possibly even consider playing for the Aussies given the status and stature of those two folk?
-
@Higgins I don't think he'll go to Oz because of the pull of the yellow jersey, either.
But if he's offered a SR contract there, and not in NZ, who knows?
-
@Stargazer Well I think we can count out the Hurricanes as an option given we have that world famous (in Wellington anyway) superstar JGB with in a seemingly invinceable hold on the starting position.
-
@Higgins Yeah, and don't forget their "Love" for certain schoolboys who are first signed up by the Wellington Academy and then get long-term Hurricanes contracts before they've even proven their worth at M10 Cup level.
-
@Stargazer Love isn't the problem. Hickey is.
-
@KiwiMurph I think Hickey is mostly a problem for McClutchie. Love is more a problem for younger guys like Smiler-Ah Kiong.
-
Anyway, the player-drain from Hawke's Bay to the bigger provinces - or provinces with a university - is extremely frustrating.
Players like Zarn Sullivan, Tyrone Thompson, and now possibly Smiler-Ah Kiong, are a big loss. Julian Goerke, if he ends up playing for Manawatu. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few recent examples.
-
@Stargazer Don't forget Aidan Morgan. He went down to Welly at the same time as Love, and was probably more highly rated.
-
@Bovidae Yeah, he was the player who was outplayed by Smiler-Ah Kiong in the 2019 Top Four Final. Yet, the Canes have probably been chasing him (resulting in the Wellington signing) instead of a player from their own catchment, who may now go to the Chiefs catchment ....
-
@Stargazer given Reihana is heading back to Northland next season, Waikato will be looking for a replacement, so makes sense.
-
@taniwharugby Yeah, from Waikato's point of view it does (and I'm happy for Northland). But it sucks big time for us if the Smiler-Ah Kiong rumour is true ....
I can't even say that Waikato should give Bailyn Sullivan back in return, because Bailyn has been a bit disappointing the last few years and we don't really need him.
-
Blame Canterbury. They took Poihipi and Burke from us!
-
@Bovidae Nope. That's not an excuse for poaching from a small province. Anyway, you may get Poihipi back, if he has indeed been signed by the Chiefs?
-
@Stargazer said in Magpies 2021:
@Bovidae Nope. That's not an excuse for poaching from a small province. Anyway, you may get Poihipi back, if he has indeed been signed by the Chiefs?
I agree, the real reason to poach is to strengthen your team.
-
@Hooroo Reason, yes. Excuse, no.
Anyway, in the case of Smiler-Ah Kiong, an additional reason may be the presence of a university in Hamilton. Not much that can be done about that disadvantage for smaller provinces.
-
@Stargazer not saying its great, just Waikato have a spade now, so makes sense they would be shopping.
-
@taniwharugby Where are they getting their money from as it was only a few years back that were were about to turfed out of Rugby Park for non payment of rent?
-
@Stargazer Herman put up a post farewelling him at the airport.
-
@Stargazer said in Magpies 2021:
@Bovidae Nope. That's not an excuse for poaching from a small province. Anyway, you may get Poihipi back, if he has indeed been signed by the Chiefs?
What I meant is that player movement often has a flow-on effect from their own player(s) moving to another province. Coaches/CEOs will always look to fill a gap in their squad, and it doesn't really matter where they get them from, or the incentives used to sign them.
-
@Stargazer Poihipi definitely leaving chch. Asked him if he was still here the other day. I’ll find out where he’s going
-
I've been surprised the last year, or so, that Ozich's name was never mentioned as a Super Rugby assistant coach whenever one left at one of the NZ franchises. I'm glad he's keen to stay at the Magpies as I don't want to lose him as a coach, but I think he'd be a great coach at SR level. (The article is longer than what I've quoted)
In the near term, Ozich's future is at Hawke's Bay. He has a contract until the end of 2021 and is hopeful of extending that when he sits down with the Magpies in the next few weeks to discuss the future.
His wife and kids are happy and settled in the region, and there have been no nibbles of interest from the Super Rugby franchises, where openings are rare.
But the Magpies success’ - and their style – should at the least start a conversation about what it takes to be a good coach, and whether the pathways in this country are always rewarding the right people.
Super Rugby is dominated by coaches who, by and large, have played the game at a high level and go from playing into coaching in a relatively short time frame.
It can be a relatively cosy system where those with knowledge of the professional game as players are favoured for coaching roles in part because they know how it works.
But Ozich's story is really about education. To hear him talk passionately about the profession is really to get an insight into how to deal with young men. In fact, the Magpies have three teachers in their coaching setup and Ozich makes no bones about the fact they see that as “point of difference”.
“I think the interpersonal skills and the 'soft' skills are key," he says.
“Josh [Syms], my assistant coach here, and [scrum coach] Francisco [Deformes], we're all schoolteachers, the three of us.
“We all played a bit and dabbled at various levels but none of us were exceedingly great at rugby.
“But all those relationship skills are key, and then the ability to step back, reflect, look at a problem or a skill and break it down and try to create a context or drill to work on the deficiencies ... all that skill acquisition teaching he had as teachers helped us.
(...)
-
@Stargazer It's a good article, and gives a good insight into Marks background and coaching philosophy. He is way too good as a coach for the Magpies not to resign.
