The Silver Fern

@Bovidae said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

McMillan can't help himself with his changes. Another 6:2 bench.

That's some real strong forward impact from the bench for the Chiefs. Who plays 10 for you if Jacomb goes down?

Canes team to play Chiefs. Kind of annoyed they dropped Gallagher to the bench, thought he played way better than what we've seen from IWL this year who's been a complete tit at times. I also find it odd they've benched Shields, we need his physicality at 6 against the big Chiefs loosies.

Looking at the remaining games, I don't think the Force will win much more and I feel the Tahs will have the same fate.

There are also a lot of cross over games between the Aussie sides in the top 6 so that will dictate where the Aussies end up. The Reds may fall down to 5th or 6th, but they could also climb into the top 2 if they win all their remaining games.

Everything to play for.

@george33 said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

@Canes4life win them all, same as the Blues both will be in, even Crusaders have a big run in, great comp. Positions will swap big time in the next 5 weeks.

I think the top two are almost gauranteed to be the Crusaders and Chiefs. I'm picking the Reds, Brumbies, Canes and Blues to make it. I just don't know which order it will be.

The Canes and Blues will want to get up to fourth because if they lose that quarter-final it doesn't necessarily mean they will be out of the comp.

@george33 said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

This week, probably need to win, still got Reds away, Highlander's, well that's probably will happen, then Moana , nothing is certain,

It's not certain, I'm very well aware of that. But the season is in our hands now and we don't have to rely on other results to go our way.

@george33 said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

@Canes4life Canes not finalists at all, but might make the 6, to flakey, all the talk about , Higgins, Proctor, let's see it ,not once but next 6 weeks.

They are finalists atm, because they are 5th, and we did see it because we won in Canberra against a very good Brumbies outfit. 🤔 It was nice to finally get our A team on the park for once this season. Here's hoping it wasn't a one off and they do it again against the Chiefs.

@mikedogz said in 2025 UNDER 85KG NATIONAL CLUB CUP:

New Zealand Under 85kg Team to Face Sri Lanka Tuskers Live on NZR+

A historic rugby Tour is about to unfold, as the New Zealand Under 85kg team prepares to face the Sri Lanka Tuskers in the Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts/SriLankan Airlines New Zealand U85kg Tour of Sri Lanka – presented by Dialog.

I understand my ex-colleague (previously the Highlanders videographer) is heading over with them. I'm sure there will be a bit of content from that trip.

As Donald said on his podcast yesterday, the Canes will shake up the competition if they beat the Chiefs on Saturday and it won't be just Canes supporters hoping that happens.

@mariner4life said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

@Duluth said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

@Canes4life Did they forget to circle the Blues games?

looking at the table perhaps they shouldn't have skimped on the circles.

I think the Blues just got lucky we were missing about 10 players when they played us.

@Duluth said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

@Canes4life Did they forget to circle the Blues games?

I'm sure they would have if the Blues beat them in the semi last year, but they didn't.

@No-Quarter said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

Looks a strong Canes team, time to teach these overrated Chiefs a lesson

The Canes would have circled this game at the beginning of the season as a revenge game so to speak. Hopefully it lines up for them.

@No-Quarter said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

Looks a strong Canes team, time to teach these overrated Chiefs a lesson

Based on last week's performance surely Ratima starts.

@Machpants said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

@Canes4life said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

Enari
Hohepa

Sigh

Yep

@Chris-B said in Highlanders v Crusaders:

@Chris For a good part of the season you could construct a very strong "Missing XV" from injuries and gone from the previous year - have to play Richie at halfback. Would certainly have given what we were fielding a good drubbing.

Brewis, Taylor, Williams
Barrett, Whitelock
Sione Havili, Blackadder, Dunshea
Mo'unga, Burke
Goodhue, Ennor
Faingaánuku, Nanai, Jordan

The Canes have had just as many injuries this year and are still in contention so it’s not always just injuries. Every team goes through that.

Interestingly both the Crusaders and Canes really struggled when they had Hohepa at 10 for a long period. I think as long as you have key players in key positions then you can cope.

Based on photos from the open training run at Hutt Rec yesterday, this will be the Canes team for the weekend.

1. Numia
2. Aumua
3. Lomax
4. Delany
5. Gallagher
6. Shields
7. Kirifi
8. Lakai
9. Roigard
10. Love
11. Naholo
12. Higgins
13. Proctor
14. Punivai
15. Harkin
16. Tuputupu
17. Mafileo
18. Tosi
19. Tucker
20. Iose
21. Enari
22. Hohepa
23. Sullivan

@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:

R.E Overseas signing, the indication I had it was more likely a Patchell than a Sopoaga... I am at the point now, where particularly at first five I'll take a quality operator.

Burns and Patchell would walk into this current team with the current form of our 10s, and I just want to win rugby games. We have signed a catalogue of 10s since Sopoaga, and none of them have bettered him. Josh Ioane had his moments but blotted things off the field. I'd say Patchell and Burns, had it not been for injuries at the wrong time, would easily have been 3rd and 4th on that list.

You can have Hohepa and Cashmore. We'll add in Enari for free.

@sparky said in Hurricanes 2025:

Probably our most important signing

A nice squad building for next year, those that have signed so far.

Props: Numia, Tosi, Lomax, Mafileo
Hookers: Aumua
Locks: Walker-Leawere, Allen, Delany
Loose forwards: Flanders, Shields, Kirifi, Lakai, Iose
Halfbacks: Roigard, Vijoen
First fives: Cameron, Godfrey
Centres: Proctor, Sullivan, Barrett, Higgins, Umaga-Jensen
Outside backs: Love, Punivai, Fineanganofo

Players that I hope extend:

• Zach Gallagher
• Siale Lauaki
• Callum Harkin
• Kini Naholo (rumour is he's heading to Japan)
• Kade Banks
• Tjay Clarke

@MN5 said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

@nostrildamus said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

@Mr-Fish said in Hurricanes vs Chiefs:

You just all wait until Riley Higgins comes of age.

Hyping up Hurricanes players is one thing but grooming them?

It's very windy down there.

Hopefully someone has told Riley Higgins not to go for a sleepover at @Canes4lifes house

He might get jealous of my Proctor poster.

@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:

@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2025:

@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:

@handa457 Alex Fidow was last spotted playing rugby league. Siate Tokolahis best days were done before he even left the Highlanders so won’t be near it now. Oli Jager… he went back home to Ireland so he could play test footy for them. You could safely put a line through those 3 I’d say.

Off shore will probably be an option for a couple clubs when it comes to tight head so recruitment won’t be easy. Especially when you consider how valued they are in the northern hemisphere.

Alex Fidow has been back playing club rugby in Wellington in the last three years but he's no longer a prop. He played number 8 the last two seasons for Para Plim and I think he played lock on Saturday just gone.

Should of stuck it out with union by the sounds of it then…

Yeah, he's lost loads of weight, when he started out with the Lions the coach apparently made him cry because he drilled him about being 140kg. He's now sitting around just over 100kg so is a completely different player. Definitely not a prop anymore.

This is what he looked like when he came back to Welly.