Chiefs 2022

[Steven Harris]

@yeetyaah bugger was hoping MP may have picked this boy up

[Tim]

Chiefs might have some good depth at lock next year:

Brodie Retallick
Tupou Vaa'i
Josh Lord
Laghlan McWhannell
Naitoa Ah Kuoi

[Bovidae]

@steven-harris I would start Finau at 6 for the Chiefs. Add in Cane and Jacobson and that makes a very good loose forward trio.

[Bones]

@tim could Va'ai cover 6, or too cumbersome?

[Tim]

@bovidae

So what's your game day pack looking like? Assuming Moli isn't available, something like this?

1 Ross
2 Taukei'aho
3 Mafileo
4 Retallick
5 Vaa'i
6 Finau
7 Cane
8 Jacobson

16 Slater
17 O'Neill
18 Ta'avao
19 Ah Kuoi
20 Sowakula

[Bovidae]

@bones said in Chiefs 2022:

@tim could Va'ai cover 6, or too cumbersome?

I read that Vaa'i was meant to play at 6 when he came on in Perth to replace Papalii but the players decided to move Barrett there, and Vaa'i to lock.

Vaa'i often used to play no.8 at Wesley but I would still play him at lock for the Chiefs.

[Bovidae]

@tim Yes, those would be my selections except I would have Norris on the bench in place of O'Neill.

[cliff]

If Thompson has signed for the chiefs I would use him as the back up hooker to taukeiaho

[cgrant]

@tim said in Chiefs 2022:

@bovidae

So what's your game day pack looking like? Assuming Moli isn't available, something like this?

1 Ross
2 Taukei'aho
3 Mafileo
4 Retallick
5 Vaa'i
6 Finau
7 Cane
8 Jacobson

16 Slater
17 O'Neill
18 Ta'avao
19 Ah Kuoi
20 Sowakula

I'd swap Mafileo for Ta'avao.

[Machpants]

Gatland. Hahahaha

[Yeetyaah]

@bovidae Sheesh that's an old school point of view.

[ARHS]

@cgrant Give me Taavao or Norris ahead of Mafileo any day. Otherwise good.

[Yeetyaah]

@arhs eh I like Norris but Mafileo is a bloody scrummager

[Bovidae]

@yeetyaah Norris is a LH so isn't competing with Ta'avao or Mafileo.

If the Chiefs don't support and promote players from within the region they have no reason to stay in NZ.

[gt12]

@bovidae said in Chiefs 2022:

@yeetyaah Norris is a LH so isn't competing with Ta'avao or Mafileo.

If the Chiefs don't support and promote players from within the region they have no reason to stay in NZ.

Although I somewhat agree, we also have to be able to keep some of those players, such as Kneepkins who went to the blues - and would likely be starting for the Chiefs. We can’t go backwards with a ‘local local’ attitude when the local players have already moved beyond that.

Our best Chiefs teams came from us looking beyond the local area too.

[Bovidae]

@gt12 If you have the chance to get an AB or quality player that makes your best XV from outside the region, then no problem from me. But if it's just a squad player then I would prefer a local over an import. We will have to wait for the squad announcement to see the rationale behind their decision.

[gt12]

@bovidae said in Chiefs 2022:

@gt12 If you have the chance to get an AB or quality player that makes your best XV from outside the region, then no problem from me. But if it's just a squad player then I would prefer a local over an import. We will have to wait for the squad announcement to see the rationale behind their decision.

I don’t disagree with that, but as I’ve illustrated, we can’t necessarily keep the really good local talent, so we may as well go looking outside. Essentially, if we follow your logic we’ll be looking at guys coming through 3-6 high schools and the Chiefs will be an HBHS special.

IMO, our local region doesn’t develop enough great talents.

Btw, who are the local talents we’ve lost by choosing ‘outside’ players that you think should be playing for the Chiefs? I can only think of players who were offered contracts and said no.

[Bovidae]

Nowadays players are identified at schoolboy level and commit to provinces/SR franchises then. That's how Reihana ended up at the Chiefs as he signed with Waikato despite playing at St Kent's and being from Northland. The Chiefs have more talent coming through than you think with 4 provinces to select from, and would have more depth than any of the other franchises except the Blues. The U20s were undefeated in the NZ competition this year. We are not going to be able to retain all of them but the likes of Vaa'i and Tupaea have come through that pathway. Below that Finau, Slater, Norris, Lord, K Boshier, Roe, Trask and ENS are some of the younger players in the current Chiefs squad.

Selecting Dylan Nel for one season in 2020 didn't make sense ahead of any loose forward from the 4 Chiefs provinces. Ataata Moeakiola was signed in 2019 which meant we eventually lost Sevu Reece.

[cgrant]

Ridiculous talent in midfield, particularly at second five (Tupaea, Nankivell and Wrampling). Barring injuries, this means that two promising players will get a limited playing time, which is not very good for NZ rugby. The other franchises are not so blessed with talented 2nd fives. Nankivell could be a regular starter at the Blues, the Canes and the Landers, while Wrampling's talent could be wasted if he is relegated to the matches played by the Chiefs Development XV.

[Bovidae]

@cgrant Even though Wrampling is playing 2nd 5 for Waikato his best position is centre. He could also be used on the wing, like Rieko was early in his career.