Chiefs v Highlanders

Crucial

@stargazer said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

Here's hoping Weber starts for the Chiefs. Nice little battle between two Magpies halfbacks within the bigger battle between the Chiefs and Landers.

Minor union excitement

Kiwiwomble

@crucial we could add some "former Otago and unwanted by the Highlanders Weber" into the mix and make it a multi minor union grudge match

Stargazer

@crucial said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@stargazer said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

Here's hoping Weber starts for the Chiefs. Nice little battle between two Magpies halfbacks within the bigger battle between the Chiefs and Landers.

~~Minor~~ Premiership union excitement

FIFY

@Kiwiwomble Leaving Otago was the best thing Weber ever did. Didn't you say yesterday that Otago has never been able to get out of the Championship? :smiling_face_with_horns:

Kiwiwomble

@stargazer i agree, i was always a bit dark he didn't get a shot with the Landers and that really screwed Otago being able to keep hold of him, obviously Smith has proven the better choice in the long run but still

still love it when he does the Dunedin RFC shark fin

Yeetyaah

Gallagher Chiefs:

Reuben O’Neill (10)
Samisoni Taukei’aho (36)
Sione Mafileo*
Tupou Vaa’i (7)
Naitoa Ah Kuoi (12)
Samipeni Finau**
Sam Cane (122) (cc)
Luke Jacobson (25)
Brad Weber (85) (cc)
Bryn Gatland*
Etene Nanai-Seturo (14)
Anton Lienert-Brown (81)
Sean Wainui (38)
Jonah Lowe*
Damian McKenzie (84)

Reserves:
16. Bradley Slater (15)
17. Ollie Norris (4)
18. Angus Ta’avao (35)
19. Mitchell Brown (45)
20. Mitchell Karpik (29)
21. Xavier Roe**
22. Alex Nankivell (32)
23. Shaun Stevenson (52)

Yeetyaah

Unavailable for selection:
Atu Moli (hips), Aidan Ross (knee), Laghlan McWhannell (knee), Lachlan Boshier (foot), Pita Gus Sowakula (knee), Kaleb Trask (knee), Quinn Tupaea (hamstring), Chase Tiatia (concussion)

Gunner

@yeetyaah said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

Gallagher Chiefs:

Reuben O’Neill (10)

Samisoni Taukei’aho (36)

Sione Mafileo*

Tupou Vaa’i (7)

Naitoa Ah Kuoi (12)

Samipeni Finau**

Sam Cane (122) (cc)

Luke Jacobson (25)

Brad Weber (85) (cc)

Bryn Gatland*

Etene Nanai-Seturo (14)

Anton Lienert-Brown (81)

Sean Wainui (38)

Jonah Lowe*

Damian McKenzie (84)

Reserves:
16. Bradley Slater (15)
17. Ollie Norris (4)
18. Angus Ta’avao (35)
19. Mitchell Brown (45)
20. Mitchell Karpik (29)
21. Xavier Roe**
22. Alex Nankivell (32)
23. Shaun Stevenson (52)

@Stargazer is going to wet himself....

Yeetyaah

@gunner classic fern gag. In all seriousness, I do hope he's as good as Stargazer makes him out to be.

Bovidae

Finau at 6, his best position, due to the unavailability of so many other loose forwards. Ta’avao and Brown haven't played in any preseason games.

I hope the Chiefs attack the Highlanders scrum.

KiwiMurph

@bovidae said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

I hope the Chiefs attack the Highlanders scrum.

Will be an interesting set piece battle with Highlanders presumably set to attack the Chiefs lineout with Taukei'aho throwing to relatively short lineout options

Gunner

@bovidae said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

Finau at 6, his best position, due to the unavailability of so many other loose forwards. Ta’avao and Brown haven't played in any preseason games.

I hope the Chiefs attack the Highlanders scrum.

Who are the injured/unavailable Chiefs loosies?
I can't even think of what loosies they have in their squad...

Sowakula the only one I can think of.

Bovidae

@kiwimurph Finau provides a genuine 3rd lineout option. I expect Jacobson to be used as well.

Bovidae

@gunner said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

Who are the injured/unavailable Chiefs loosies?
I can't even think of what loosies they have in their squad...

Sowakula the only one I can think of.

L Boshier too. Brown is lacking gametime so was probably only going to be on the bench.

Finau is only a WTG player. They could have played Parker there.

Nepia

@yeetyaah said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@gunner classic fern gag. In all seriousness, I do hope he's as good as Stargazer makes him out to be.

TBF - @Stargazer has never made him out to be a superstar. Just that he’s never been given a decent opportunity at the Canes.

He’s another injury magnet too, so there’s a good chance he’ll be injured out of the season on Friday.

Stargazer

@yeetyaah said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@gunner classic fern gag. In all seriousness, I do hope he's as good as Stargazer makes him out to be.

I've never made him out to be anything. I've said he had a very good NPC season (again) and that he deserves a decent shot at playing SR. Despite several years at the Canes, he's still very inexperienced at SR level, because he was unlucky with injuries and the Canes never gave him a chance when he was fit. I hope he'll stay injury free, plays well and can become a good SR player.

Stargazer

@nepia Snap!

Tim

Reckon this one will be tight. Not much depth in Chiefs pack, and a less than lethal backline.

Bovidae

The other big surprise is no TTT on the bench. Maybe that was signalled in the last game of 3 halves when he didn't start either game. I do hope he gets some opportunities soon, as from the outside looking in nothing seems to have changed from 2020.

KiwiMurph

@bovidae TTT is injured according to Stuff

Xavier Roe is the reserve halfback ahead of the injured Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi.

Bovidae

@kiwimurph OK. He wasn't listed in the unavailable for selection list with the team announcement.

The Silver Fern

Chiefs v Highlanders