Chiefs 2023

[Bovidae]

Still no public announcement of the new forwards coach. Everything is very quiet over this holiday period.

[kiwi_expat]

@mariner4life

So the Blues and Crusaders have all the elite players, yet the Chiefs finished with 1 more loss than Crusaders last year in the regular season, 2022 final standings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Super_Rugby_Pacific_season

Also in 2021 - finished with 3 losses to Crusaders 2, making final ahead of Blues (4 losses), pretty impressive for a side with such a lack of elite players.

[mariner4life]

@kiwi_expat because, unlike the other sides, the Chiefs have elite coaching to make up for a lack of elite talent

[Yeetyaah]

Chiefs had their bronco today. In this first picture I can see Paddy McCurran off to the right.

[Bovidae]

Jacob Norris might end up being Tupaea's injury replacement.

[Stargazer]

@Yeetyaah Logan Dodds, the same fitness guy in this vid as in the Surf to Peak vid posted in the Hurricanes 2023 thread. Who is he and why is he at training with our SR franchises?

[ARHS]

@Bovidae hope so. They are light at 7.

[Yeetyaah]

@Stargazer I think he's doing a documentary with all the Super teams.

[Canes4life]

@Yeetyaah said in Chiefs 2023:

@Stargazer I think he's doing a documentary with all the Super teams.

It’s all part of the Rugby Fit series by World Rugby. If you jump on their YouTube channel they have other episodes from other teams around the world.

[Yeetyaah]

Lalomilo Lalomilo is training with the Chiefs. Solomon Alaimalo is also still there.

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah I drove past Ruakura today and there were heaps of players and others on the field. The WTG will be training full time with the main squad.

@Crucial will be interested in who else is in that photo. Is she part of the Chiefs Manawa WTG?

[Stargazer]

@Bovidae They've tagged her in that picture. Olive Watherston.

[Crucial]

@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2023:

@Yeetyaah I drove past Ruakura today and there were heaps of players and others on the field. The WTG will be training full time with the main squad.

@Crucial will be interested in who else is in that photo. Is she part of the Chiefs Manawa WTG?

Yep. Found out a while back. Hadn’t been officially announced though

[kiwi_expat]

Chiefs still haven't filled the vacancy left by Gatland, currently have McMillan, Randall & White on the staff, they're needing a 4th coach.. I'm waiting for Rennie to be announced as a technical coach for the 2023 season.

[kiwi_expat]

https://www.rugbyrama.fr/2023/01/15/top-14-jono-gibbes-clermont-pousse-vers-la-sortie-christophe-urios-et-mario-ledesma-dossiers-prioritaires-10927532.php

Jono Gibbes is getting the sack, so there's another option to replace Gatland with the Chiefs forwards.

[Bovidae]

Talk of the new forwards coach has gone quiet. First, we heard they were wanting to have that decision made before Christmas, but nothing. Maybe an announcement will be made this week as the squad has returned to training. They were looking local.

[Yeetyaah]

@kiwi_expat fuck me wouldn't complain tbh. Funnily enough I got my hands on his 2004 semi-final match worn Chiefs jersey last week.

[Yeetyaah]

Hopefully some good pre season games incoming

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah I noticed that Gatland's profile in the Chiefs coaches webpage was removed today so maybe they finally announce a new forwards coach.

[Yeetyaah]

Liam Coombes-Fabling coming in first at the Bronco with 4:17. Ratima very close behind him. Roe at 4:22.