Magpies 2022
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@Stargazer Still look to be awaiting final notification of the locking situation. As an aside I picked up my season ticket today and saw Mark Braidwood's van in the carpark so it looks like the lineup for the second Shield Defense of the season might be some way off a full strength lineup, unless Braidwood was there to ensure there were sufficient props on hand to allow fully contested live contact scrumming practice.
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So we still need a lock (replacing Cridge), two loosies (Lochore? & O'Connor replacement), and a back. It wouldn't surprise me if they name only three out of those four, because of the squad size.
Like all other provinces, I assume there will be some development players in the squad.
Bye the way, I haven't seen Jonah Lowe in any of the photos of training yet. I wonder how bad that hamstring injury is/was.
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They've signed another prop! No, not Owen Franks. It's the young LH prop that was named as a development player in the squad in 2021 and played in the MLR for Toronto, this year (on the recommendation of our scrum coach Francisco Deformes, who was Toronto's assistant coach).
The 39th signing is Lolani Faleiva.
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2022:
Lolani Faleiva
From the Toronto player bio looks like he's homegrown (Napier Boys). Also, and I'm surprised if this passed you by, he played club rugby in the Netherlands in 2019.
Also he's a monster - 6ft 4.
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@Higgins I wonder whether they've decided to sign one less loosie or back?
Faleiva is - no doubt - seen as a player who'll eventually replace Jason Long, who's not the youngest. Or, I hope not, Pouri RS is heading overseas. Haven't seen any news of him re-signing with the Canes, yet.
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2022:
@Nepia Yep, I knew that. @Higgins posted info about him, last year.
According to last year's Magpies' media guide, he's 1.92m, 131 kg and 23 years old. Very big lad, who's surprisingly quick.
Ah, I misread your post it seems.
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@Higgins Yep, I agree, he's behind Solomone Funaki, Gareth Evans and Josh Kaifa for that 7 spot. Even if those players have to move to another position in case of multiple injuries, then I think they'll still prefer to play Gimblett at 6 over Smith at 7 (and therefore not move Gareth or Josh if Marino or Devan gets injured).
I think you're right about the RS game against Poverty Bay though, although he might have to take place on the bench, this time, with Gareth, Devan and Marino taking the loosie starting spots. I think Kaifa got injured against South Canterbury and I'm not sure he's back yet.
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I also wonder why Smith moved from Wellington to the Bay. Was he asked by Syms? Smith played 9 games (225 minutes) for Wellington, last year (8 from the bench for the last 15 - 20 minutes), with his only start in a non-competition game. So, no doubt, his reason is to get more game time. But, unless Syms rates him very highly for some reason, he's more likely to get fewer minutes game time for the Magpies than for Wellington. He goes from being stuck behind Kirifi, to being stuck behind Funaki and others.
His profile on the Wellington Rugby website:
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The next signing is Tiaki Fabish. Would really like to know whether they see him as a lock of a loosie, but I assume he takes Cridge's spot?
Edited to add that - in addition to at least five players from the 2017 Hastings Boys' Top 4 champions team (Flanders, Kereru-Symes, McClutchie, Toala and Fakatava, six if Robinson-Bartlett makes the squad) - we now also have four players from the 2018 Napier Boys' Top 4 runners-up team: Thompson, Gimblett, Lochore and Fabish. (Another player from that team has been signed by Manawatū, Kegan Christian-Goss.)
