Horror-canes - The Fever Union thread

Israel Dagg to announce future in the next few days, likely to be a move to the Crusaders where he will link up with close friend and Hawke's Bay team mate Zac Guildford.

Colin Slade likely to move south for the Super 15 season in lure of a starting first five spot.

I really dont know, all the top players will have their stuff sorted out for next yr. He will have to spot new talent who havent played Super rugby, and pick up people that dont want to sit on the bench at other teams. Maybe some of the Counties boys might be worth a look at.

Slade would be a decent pick up for us, but would mean no chance of Ben Smith at fullback. If we had Robbie Robinson, Michael Hobbs and Colin Slade, one will be the #10, and Robinson or Slade at fullback.

And congrats to Tasman, always love seeing Hawkes Bay lose, shame I was working, so couldn't watch.

Crusaders sign Dagg, backline is now even more stacked.

Potentially:
Ellis, Carter, SBW, Fruean, Maitland, Guildford, Dagg

This would be my Highlanders backline at the moment

Cowan
Robinson / but obviously Slade if he signs
Vainikolo
Hobbs
Lynn / Ideally have a draft pick here
Paterson
Smith

Here's a list of players who would likely be in the draft, but we are pretty well covered at fullback.

Toby Morland - Auckland
Aaron Smith - Manawatu
Chris Smylie - Harbour
Andre Taylor - Taranaki
Kurt Baker - Taranaki
George Pisi - Taranaki
Kade Poki - Tasman
Julian Savea - Wellington
Jamie Helluer - Auckland
Brent Ward - Auckland
Sosene Anesi - Waikato
Luis Garcia2010-08-13 18:39:48

Morland is ex Otago, did a decent job for us, didnt realise he was back in nz.
Smith is one for the future, NZ Maori #9 and impressed me since seeing him last year. Wouldnt mind him.
Smylie, yet another ex Otago player doing the rounds, thought we were watching the next AB's halfback in his first season, no clue where that talent went.
Taylor, still young, but always looked small for Manawatu, a few more years away from being ready for Super rugby, and wants to play fullback.
Baker, has alot of talent, and an x-factor last year at Manawatu, but dislike him for jumping to Taranaki.
Pisi, not bad at ITM level, but not really up to Super rugby imo.
Poki, will be in the Crusaders squad im sure
Savea, havent seen Wellington play this season, so he is a new one on me.
Helluer, good solid player, but dont we have enough of them already?
Ward, same again, not a match winner but wouldnt let you down.
Anesi, if fit and on form, world class, but that seems to be rare atm.

Aaron Smith and Sosene Anesi would be the only ones I would like, but neither could alone change the Highlanders into a contender for the semis.

The areas we need to improve alot I feel are, the loose forwards and the midfield backs & wingers. Oh how I would love some quality wingers, Vainikolo & Lucky Mulipola have made me pull out alot of hair in the last few years.

Think the Chiefs would let us have Colin Burke? We will need a dynamic player to replace Thommo.

Taylor was in the Hurricanes squad, It'd be a battle between him, Savea and Baker to make the squad next year. Savea was the IRB U-20 player of the year. Huge wing with blistering speed. So two of them should be in the draft. Along with Shannon Paku.. But he may be passed it too.

Lucky Mulipola wasn't there last year. James Paterson has plenty of potential. There's probably a decent wing in Auckland or Counties that we could pick up. Sosene Anesi should be behind Mills and Nainai-Williams so I'm sure we could get him.

The Chiefs would never let Bourke go, he should start for them.

I just don't want Berquist. Robbie Robinson seems a better fullback and is great off the bench, I'd rate Ben Smith ahead of him. So Colin Slade would be perfect, the All Blacks coaches want him to play first five so I'm sure there will be a bit of pressure on him to move away from the Crusaders.


If this was our backline I'd be happy.

9. Cowan          20. Smith
10. Slade          21. Robinson
11. Vainikolo   22. Paterson
12. Hobbs
13. Atiga
14. Smith
15. Anesi

I just have no idea who the centre would be? Atiga? Umaga? Winston Stanley? The Crusaders are far too good with SBW, Fruean, Crotty and Poki.

I also think Isaac Ross will leave the Crusaders this year. He would want to be in a team where he would start, Joe Wheeler from Tasman is a good enough fourth lock for them. So if we had Donnelly, Bekhuis, Triggs and Ross I'd be pretty stoked.Luis Garcia2010-08-14 15:35:25

You realise the whole contracting structure has changed? Not really such a thing as a draft anymore.

Regardless of draft or not.. it's a list of players who wouldn't likely be selected in the other Super rugby franchises.

This is what the Hurricanes used to be. Kings of the draft. Didn't serve them to well either. But who knows.

Is Jared Payne still with the crusaders? He isnt normally a centre, but always seems to do well when he has to play there. He had a good game this afternoon for the Taniwha, and I wouldnt mind him at centre for the Highlanders.

Jared Payne to Blues.

Jarred Hoetta to Highlanders

Scott Waldrom to Chiefs.

Could Matthew Cooper stop commentating on Waikato games. He has to be the most one-eyed commentator in the country. When Kahui had the worst Super 14 and even admitted it himself Cooper still kept going on about how good he was. But all he does his talk about Waikato, the other team barely gets a mention. The opposition score a try.."But you do have to credit Waikato's defense there" Him and Scotty Stevenson make the worst collaboration, then throw in Willie Loose and I'm tempted to put the game on mute.

Ripia signs with Force and commits to Australia. I don't know how long you even need to be in the country for to play international rugby but I wouldn't be surprised if we see Daniel Bowden playing for England one day.

Ripia was promisng a few years ago, but hasnt kicked on, maybe getting out of his comfort zone will improve his game. He wasnt going to get much gametime for the 'Canes anyway, unless Cruden got hurt.

Ripia is a product of fine schooling

Hoeata was done for drink driving, not sure the Highlanders would still want him, guess he's just a replacement for Thomson if he leaves.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-14/4031588/Rugby-stars-trail-of-mayhem-terrifies-motorists/Luis Garcia2010-08-17 14:42:51

Agree entirely.

Otago v Habour tonight, hopefully Otago's first win for the season.

sigh we didnt even make it out of the sheds in the 2nd half. All credit to Habour, they came out and played well in the 2nd half.

haha good one, Otago are rubbish

And so were Harbour in the 1st half.

HARBOURRRRRR

Can't believe Otago will be playing second division next year. Even if they aren't producing players, they aren't even bothering recruiting either.

Has the structure for next season been confirmed yet? Will teams be going from the Heartland Championship to the second division? If so, would Nelson Bays have likely been in there? I'm a Makos fan, but I would much prefer it to be just Nelson Bays. And if Nelson Bays would be in the same competition as Tasman is now then the amalgamation was pointless. Nelson and Marlbrough have had so much in-fighting and it's a bloody long drive for a home game.

So that's what the NH in NHpeter stands for!

HARBOURRRRRR!
Footpaul2010-08-21 19:01:55

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-14/4046391/Waldrom-Triggs-head-to-the-Chiefs

Hayden Triggs and Scott Waldrom to the chiefs

Jarred Hoeata to the Highlanders

Luke Braid to the Blues

Haha took your time.

And my real name is actually Ryan, But my nickname is PETER. As in PETER CROUCH

The current 14 will be split into two sevens. Premiership and Championship.

Argh why the hell does the top division and second division play each other? That makes no sense!!! you could have a situation where a team in the second division would have won the top one.

My understanding is that the bottom team in Div 2 get to choose the 4 teams they play from Div 1. Thats the starting point for all of it. Going to get really comical!

Could lead to a very unfair situation, esp in Div 2. You could see 1 side going unbeaten in div 2, but drawing 4 top teams from the 'premiership', and another side dropping a game or two in div 2, but drawing the bottom few sides in the 'premiership' and finishing in 1st. Absolutely ludicrous.

yea but whatever format they use the Bay will still win so no bigs

Best suggestion I heard for the revamp, was to have two pools of 7. You play each team in your pool, have 1 traditional derby game with a team in the other pool, and play 3 of the other sides, swapping to the other 3 every second year. Sadly the NZRFU dont listen to common sense anymore.

No, what needs to happen is for the ITM Cup to run throughout the year. Similar to the NRL. Have less teams, then a reserve amateur league below it. A Champions league-like knockout tournament will also happen with teams from the Currie Cup, an Australian compeition, Argentinian, Japanese and Pacific Island. Maybe the top four from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia would qualify for this. There would also be windows for internationals which would mean players are picked purely on form and you wouldn't have a competition where the top players don't even feature. the structure of rugby in the southern hemisphere is beyond farcical. This has the potential to be the strongest club compeition in the world, open it up with two imports each team. The fringe All Blacks need to be staying in the country, the Nick Evans, Rudi Wulfs, Anthony Tuitavakes of this world.Luis Garcia2010-08-23 20:49:40

Its worse than I thought. Apparently its not div 1 and div 2, its two pools, but with one combined points table. So for next season, its probably better to finish 8th or 9th this year than it is to finish 6th or 7th!

source at the bottom of this article.aitkenmike2010-08-24 15:13:59

"14 ITM Cup teams playing in a 10-game competition." This is why I'm getting sick of rugby. It has to be one competition, everyone plays everyone. How do they not see it!?

The thrust of that argument about people not calling it Div 1/2 is what I have been saying for a couple of weeks now.

Half truths ?  Rugby media ?  Never.

They've been at their half truth spouting best in the last couple of days to, I must be the only person on the planet who thought the ABs were really lucky to win and were probably horrendously outplayed for 60 minutes of that game. But meh.