Moana Pasifika 2026
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Question is how do you change the momentum from signing top quality players for 1 - 3 years. To a more sustainable approach. The current one with is great for building excitement. It just means that the capability and performance of the team is likely to swing wildly from year to year.
As a strategy, being a final place for PIs to come play for a few years at the end of their career, bringing through youngsters, could work as a means for the PI teams.
Get them out there and contracted to teams in Japan etc, go make your money, then come back later to be a senior player who helps the new generation.
It’s a very different strategy but it could be successful if they can bring home one really good aging player each year (eg, Laumape next year, Mo’unga the following).
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Go look in Richie Moungas instagram story. ‘Fake accounts and rumours are going around about Richie, don’t believe everything you see online’.
Think that Moana fan page on Facebook just made up a story and it’s caught wind.
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Go look in Richie Moungas instagram story. ‘Fake accounts and rumours are going around about Richie, don’t believe everything you see online’.
Think that Moana fan page on Facebook just made up a story and it’s caught wind.
@Landers92 said in Moana Pasifika 2026:
Go look in Richie Moungas instagram story. ‘Fake accounts and rumours are going around about Richie, don’t believe everything you see online’.
Think that Moana fan page on Facebook just made up a story and it’s caught wind.
One would assume that he and his family live in Christchurch, so you'd assume if he came back, he'd go there.
It would still be great for MP though.
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As a strategy, being a final place for PIs to come play for a few years at the end of their career, bringing through youngsters, could work as a means for the PI teams.
Get them out there and contracted to teams in Japan etc, go make your money, then come back later to be a senior player who helps the new generation.
It’s a very different strategy but it could be successful if they can bring home one really good aging player each year (eg, Laumape next year, Mo’unga the following).
@gt12 said in Moana Pasifika 2026:
As a strategy, being a final place for PIs to come play for a few years at the end of their career, bringing through youngsters, could work as a means for the PI teams.
Get them out there and contracted to teams in Japan etc, go make your money, then come back later to be a senior player who helps the new generation.
It’s a very different strategy but it could be successful if they can bring home one really good aging player each year (eg, Laumape next year, Mo’unga the following).
I don't see them as serious title contenders anytime soon, even more so because of the high player turnover. But maybe success for them goes further than onfield success. The overall pool of PI players will increase as players leave and new players are given an opportunity to shine. Add the return of quality vets and they can continue to provide a good environment
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Drua beat MP in the race for Angelo Smith. Maybe Josh Tuala could be MP's next target -
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This can be shifted across to the exodus thread if need be.
There has been a bit of speculation around Ardie Savea taking his sabbatical in 2026 or not.
I have been told he will be taking that sabbatical and heading back to Japan for the 2026 season so will not be available for Moana. This is coming from the same source who provided the Laumape information a week or so before it was announced.
@Landers92 said in Moana Pasifika 2026:
This can be shifted across to the exodus thread if need be.
There has been a bit of speculation around Ardie Savea taking his sabbatical in 2026 or not.
I have been told he will be taking that sabbatical and heading back to Japan for the 2026 season so will not be available for Moana. This is coming from the same source who provided the Laumape information a week or so before it was announced.
Ardie has confirmed this today on Moana socials
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Drua beat MP in the race for Angelo Smith. Maybe Josh Tuala could be MP's next target -
@Daffy-Jaffy Northland were also looking at Angelo Smith but from what i was told getting a visa sorted was proving to be a massive issue , suspect Moana may have passed on Smith for the very same reason
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Hearing some whispers that Moana have reached out to Ben Lam. To my understanding he is off contract at the moment. Would be a decent replacement for Taumoefolau
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@Trig said in Moana Pasifika 2026:
If Murphy Taramai is returning to Harbour, is he a potential signing for Moana?
Hope not, but not a bad theory.
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@Trig said in Moana Pasifika 2026:
If Murphy Taramai is returning to Harbour, is he a potential signing for Moana?
Hope not, but not a bad theory.
@African-Monkey With Savea, Sione Havili, Lotu Inisi, and Alamanda Motuga all leaving, I wouldn't be surprised to see Moana looking to bring in an experienced option to the loose forwards. This will probably be their area to focus on for recruiting with Miracle and Semisi Tupou Taeiloa the only stand out players left.
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A premium article but the major 'revelation' is:
The Herald understands NZR voiced concerns that by joining Moana, Savea would become a less effective player; that his game would go backwards in an inferior programme and that he would, as a result, not be fit-for-purpose for the All Blacks.
It is understood these fears, and a lack of trust, led to Savea being presented with two contract options.
The first involved a guaranteed All Blacks top-up – the significant six-figure payment NZR makes to leading New Zealand players beyond their Super Rugby salaries – with the Hurricanes.
The second, should he join Moana, stipulated a portion of his All Blacks top-up was deemed “at risk” with key performance indicators to determine whether he would receive his full salary.
“They were stinging up to 20% of his total retainer,” the source familiar with negotiations told the Herald. “The quantum remained the same but they built in at-risk components.”
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A premium article but the major 'revelation' is:
The Herald understands NZR voiced concerns that by joining Moana, Savea would become a less effective player; that his game would go backwards in an inferior programme and that he would, as a result, not be fit-for-purpose for the All Blacks.
It is understood these fears, and a lack of trust, led to Savea being presented with two contract options.
The first involved a guaranteed All Blacks top-up – the significant six-figure payment NZR makes to leading New Zealand players beyond their Super Rugby salaries – with the Hurricanes.
The second, should he join Moana, stipulated a portion of his All Blacks top-up was deemed “at risk” with key performance indicators to determine whether he would receive his full salary.
“They were stinging up to 20% of his total retainer,” the source familiar with negotiations told the Herald. “The quantum remained the same but they built in at-risk components.”
@Mr-Fish said in Moana Pasifika 2026:
A premium article but the major 'revelation' is:
The Herald understands NZR voiced concerns that by joining Moana, Savea would become a less effective player; that his game would go backwards in an inferior programme and that he would, as a result, not be fit-for-purpose for the All Blacks.
It is understood these fears, and a lack of trust, led to Savea being presented with two contract options.
The first involved a guaranteed All Blacks top-up – the significant six-figure payment NZR makes to leading New Zealand players beyond their Super Rugby salaries – with the Hurricanes.
The second, should he join Moana, stipulated a portion of his All Blacks top-up was deemed “at risk” with key performance indicators to determine whether he would receive his full salary.
“They were stinging up to 20% of his total retainer,” the source familiar with negotiations told the Herald. “The quantum remained the same but they built in at-risk components.”
Seems they encouraged him to be better. Oh the horror.
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In three of those years, PMA used the Whānau Ora contract to directly bolster Moana Pasifika’s finances, by $770,000 per annum in 2022/23 and in 2023/24.
The use of Whānau Ora funds for a professional rugby team is quietly contentious, especially among Pasifika health service providers, though none spoke to the Herald for attribution.
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The new version of the contract carries more stringent requirements to measure the benefits that the money buys; the rugby team and its benefits would need to stack up against more bread-and-butter health and wellness services such as medical clinics, infant inoculations, education, and training.
You mean, like, actual health outcomes?
https://media.tenor.com/oRhDoibDP0kAAAAM/barack-obama-former-us-president.gif
