Hurricanes 2026
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@Canes4life , mate I was reading a comment of yours on AB thread (I think), and you were saying next year Laidlaw should/would play Roigard/Love as 9-10. Just thought I would answer in here and ask do you think Godfrey will miss out? I would be happy with Love at 10, but can also see Roigard/Godfrey going well, with JB, Proctor in midfield and Love at 15. Understand also the Higgins think, but I still remember how well JB and Proctor went, especially in defence last year, and perhaps I see Barrett as maybe a better option at 12. Higgins I like, but tends to be a little frail injury wise, and not sure I am convinced on his defence. But once again just an opinion anyway, and no more correct than yours.
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@Canes4life , mate I was reading a comment of yours on AB thread (I think), and you were saying next year Laidlaw should/would play Roigard/Love as 9-10. Just thought I would answer in here and ask do you think Godfrey will miss out? I would be happy with Love at 10, but can also see Roigard/Godfrey going well, with JB, Proctor in midfield and Love at 15. Understand also the Higgins think, but I still remember how well JB and Proctor went, especially in defence last year, and perhaps I see Barrett as maybe a better option at 12. Higgins I like, but tends to be a little frail injury wise, and not sure I am convinced on his defence. But once again just an opinion anyway, and no more correct than yours.
@Dan54 said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life , mate I was reading a comment of yours on AB thread (I think), and you were saying next year Laidlaw should/would play Roigard/Love as 9-10. Just thought I would answer in here and ask do you think Godfrey will miss out? I would be happy with Love at 10, but can also see Roigard/Godfrey going well, with JB, Proctor in midfield and Love at 15. Understand also the Higgins think, but I still remember how well JB and Proctor went, especially in defence last year, and perhaps I see Barrett as maybe a better option at 12. Higgins I like, but tends to be a little frail injury wise, and not sure I am convinced on his defence. But once again just an opinion anyway, and no more correct than yours.
Personally I would start a backline of 9. Roigard 10. Love 11. Naholo 12. Higgins 13. Proctor 14. Moorby 15. Barrett
Godfrey also showed plenty of promise this year, but I feel Love has a better all-round game, bigger boot, better defensively. Godfrey would be my 10/15 cover off the bench and then Sullivan would be my other bench option covering centre/wing.
I'm sure if this season is anything to go by, we will see plenty of different combinations next year due to injuries, but I feel Higgins has to start playing 12 on a regular. His combination with Proctor was superb when they both came back, and I believe Higgins has a much higher ceiling at 12 than Jordie long term. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Higgins is contending for that 12 spot come the WC. He's shown at every level he's played at that he's a classy operator.
Moving Jordie back to 15 means we have a world-class option at the back which Jordan showed over the weekend is absolutely vital come those big games.
Whether it's the way Laidlaw goes remains to be seen but it's what I feel will give us the best chance at a title next year.
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Looks like Peter Umaga-Jensen is suiting up for the Barbarians against South Africa.
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@LABCAT said in Hurricanes 2026:
I highly doubt Jordie won't be playing 12, unless he wants to switch back to 15.
There will 100% be rotation next year in the Canes. Jordie will play 12 but so will Higgins. The luxury of having Jordie in the side is he can play almost every position outside of 9 if required. Higgins will likely also play 13, whatever’s required to keep guys fresh through the season.
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The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
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The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
@Canes4life How good. Shame to lose gallagher but Dearns is a great boost. Locking looked okay-ish this year, line out probably a big work on for next year though. Pretty sure Delaney was exclusively at lock throughout the year, which probably wouldnt change next year. IWL is such a penalty magnet but can have good impact.
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The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
It says sabbatical. So he's not coming home to gain eligibility for the All Blacks?
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The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
The source was on the money with the details of the deal too, will keep him on.
Just to balance things out, brace yourself for the Ere Enari announcement next week.
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So weird for the Canes to have big fast locks.
@nostrildamus said in Hurricanes 2026:
So weird for the Canes to have big fast locks.
Might be the key ingredient we are missing.
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@Canes4life How good. Shame to lose gallagher but Dearns is a great boost. Locking looked okay-ish this year, line out probably a big work on for next year though. Pretty sure Delaney was exclusively at lock throughout the year, which probably wouldnt change next year. IWL is such a penalty magnet but can have good impact.
@DurryMexted said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life How good. Shame to lose gallagher but Dearns is a great boost. Locking looked okay-ish this year, line out probably a big work on for next year though. Pretty sure Delaney was exclusively at lock throughout the year, which probably wouldnt change next year. IWL is such a penalty magnet but can have good impact.
I think Delany’s size lets him down a bit tbh. He’s a good solid player and all but he was shown up against the Brumbies. We just didn’t have the grunt when him and Devery came into the pack.
Even though IWL is a rocks and diamonds player, he’ll likely partner Dearns next year as I think the Canes will look to play a similar game that resulted in a pretty successful 2024 season where they looked to power up in that tight five which ultimately provided a very good platform for our backs to go to work.
With the return of Jordie and the potential return of Moorby, the team will be stronger next year than the one that topped the table in 2024.
Next year will be the strongest squad we’ve had since the 2015 team IMO. Hope they can get it done. The key will be making sure we are near the top of the table so we don’t have to go to Canberra again in a playoff.
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@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
It says sabbatical. So he's not coming home to gain eligibility for the All Blacks?
@canefan said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
It says sabbatical. So he's not coming home to gain eligibility for the All Blacks?
How would that work? Needs to be playing in NZ to be eligible.
Shame it's just a sabbatical, bloody poaching Japs.
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@canefan said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
It says sabbatical. So he's not coming home to gain eligibility for the All Blacks?
How would that work? Needs to be playing in NZ to be eligible.
Shame it's just a sabbatical, bloody poaching Japs.
@Bones said in Hurricanes 2026:
@canefan said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
It says sabbatical. So he's not coming home to gain eligibility for the All Blacks?
How would that work? Needs to be playing in NZ to be eligible.
Shame it's just a sabbatical, bloody poaching Japs.
He wouldn’t give up a spot in the Japanese side in what will be a year out from the WC once he returns to Japan. If he ever wanted to shift his allegiance to NZ it would be post the 2027 WC. He’s still very young.
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@canefan said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
It says sabbatical. So he's not coming home to gain eligibility for the All Blacks?
How would that work? Needs to be playing in NZ to be eligible.
Shame it's just a sabbatical, bloody poaching Japs.
@Bones said in Hurricanes 2026:
@canefan said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
It says sabbatical. So he's not coming home to gain eligibility for the All Blacks?
How would that work? Needs to be playing in NZ to be eligible.
Shame it's just a sabbatical, bloody poaching Japs.
That's what I mean. It's a sabbatical therefore he's not coming back long-term to make a claim for the ABs
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@Bones said in Hurricanes 2026:
@canefan said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
It says sabbatical. So he's not coming home to gain eligibility for the All Blacks?
How would that work? Needs to be playing in NZ to be eligible.
Shame it's just a sabbatical, bloody poaching Japs.
That's what I mean. It's a sabbatical therefore he's not coming back long-term to make a claim for the ABs
@canefan said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Bones said in Hurricanes 2026:
@canefan said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
The big man has arrived. Warner Dearns signs for the Canes.
It says sabbatical. So he's not coming home to gain eligibility for the All Blacks?
How would that work? Needs to be playing in NZ to be eligible.
Shame it's just a sabbatical, bloody poaching Japs.
That's what I mean. It's a sabbatical therefore he's not coming back long-term to make a claim for the ABs
Hopefully playing in NZ makes him re-think his future. He’s certainly a player that would enhance the AB tight five if he decided to go down that path in future.
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@Nepia said in Hurricanes 2026:
"If" Gallagher left because of this is this really a good decision for NZ rugby?
Don’t think the Dearns signing had anything to do with his decision to leave. If Gallagher was hell bent on remaining in NZ he would have stayed and would have probably been the front runner to partner Dearns next year.
