Magpies 2023
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@Stargazer Nic Patumaka must have had a stunning brilliant display against Pouri Rakete-Stones in the game that I was unable to attend on Saturday as I have never seen him there in the front row before. Maybe he didn't play and perhaps he may have been kept as a secret weapon the Texans were going to unleash against some completely unsuspecting opponent later in the season only for the secret to leak out of the bag. At this stage the Texans currently have used five different props in the Premiers this season with another (not Patumaka) being kept in the wings so it has taken even me by surprise.
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@Higgins Nik Patumaka is an Academy squad member. According to the HBRU Community Rugby page on FB, the squad for today's game is "a mix of Academy players and Wider Training Group players". I guess they didn't publish a squad list, because it's quite a big group and they'll be using rolling subs. They also said there won't be a livestream, unfortunately.
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@Stargazer But is he a prop? In the 2022 and 2023 seasons I have yet to see him play that position.
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@Stargazer Well I certainly await with great anticipation to witness how they are getting on as I have never seen him in anything other than a loose forwards jersey in the fifteen or twenty club games I have seen him play. Neither have I seen him fill in at prop when injuries might have seen any of his starting props go off.
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@Stargazer said in Magpies 2023:
Full time:
Manawatū Evergreens 42 - 10 Hawke's Bay XVNot surprised by that score. I think we always lose this game in preseason. I don't like it, but nothing to worry about.
Sheesh, this has been an awful day, Magpies and Hastings Boys results!
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@Stargazer Hopefully the Sullivan boys.
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Josh Syms has resigned as Magpies head coach and signed on as a coach to Italian club Zebre in the URC.
Brock James has been promoted to Magpies head coach.
Shock for Hawke’s Bay rugby as Magpies coach heads for Italy
Head coach Josh Syms' departure is announced by the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union.
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Mixed feelings really, fancy ditching a decent performing team at reasonably high performing level for a poxy Italian outfit that could not win a game in the United Rugby Championship finishing a distant 13 points adrift from the next most inept team (Dragons from Wales). At least his Zebre outfit had a perfect record with 18 consecutive losses, something he no doubt will be keen to rectify!
On the other hand he certainly gave us plenty of entertainment in keeping the Magpies on the winning trail so for that we must thank him and be forever grateful for.
Not sure about the new head coach who presumably ran the backline last season. A backline that was rather stodgy and unimaginative in my eyes (or at least when compared to the display in the two or three years before Mr. James' arrival.)
We must cut him a bit of slack to see what he can do with our Magpies but the pressure will certainly be on him, especially i) he looses to BoP, ii) he looses to Manawatu and iii) if there is any further sliding down the NPC Points table under his stewardship.
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I rated Syms as an assistant coach under Ozich, but I have no doubt that we have to thank mostly Ozich for the success that we've had with the Shield and promotion to the Premiership. Syms' first season as head coach wasn't great and there were some questionable signings and selections. I can't really form an opinion on what he's done for HB rugby outside the NPC. People seem to rate him, so I'll go with that.
What pisses me off is that Syms resigns such a short time before the season starts! I don't think we can blame Syms completely for the bad timing (he probably just got the gig at Zebre), but I can imagine the HBRU weren't impressed. Such a short time isn't enough to search for a new, good head coach, so I can understand the promotion of James.
It's hard to say how Brock James will go, as he's quite an inexperienced coach. There's a big typo in the article where it says he has "about 15 years of coaching experience in Europe and Australia". That's playing experience, not coaching experience. No doubt he'll make mistakes, but I'll cut him some slack. This whole situation isn't his fault. I just hope he'll do better than Syms. A big challenge for him. We'll see.
So is Francisco Deformes now the assistant coach? Will he be responsible for the forwards now, and not just the scrum/set piece?
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Hopefully Syms departure means we wont be hiring any of his mates as players this year.
The Magpies looked a lot worse coached last year than under Ozich. It's a pity that Tafai has gone to Whanganui and can't be brought in as an assistant.
@Number-10 might have some inside knowledge of how annoyed HBRU are?
@Higgins said in Magpies 2023:
especially i) he looses to BoP, ii) he looses to Manawatu and iii) if there is any further sliding down the NPC Points table under his stewardship.
I wont hesitate to point out he's an Australian who played for the Naki so what do we expect, if this happens.
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It's far from ideal but you would think James would have been heavily involved in the planning for this season and would at least have a decent idea of the club scene and what positions we need to strengthen.
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@kiwimatrix I think the timing is very piss poor, I get it but it's bloody poor. Leaves Brock James in a prick of a position, and under heavy pressure to deliver at least what we've done in the last few years. Could also make recruitment difficult. I hope other coaches get behind him and support him. George Konia would be a great help. I hope the recruitment is good because with the super Rugby players coming back, then we stand a chance of not slipping down the pecking order on New Zealand Rugby
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Responding to this here:
@Higgins said in Highlanders 2023:
You mean players of the likes of Richard Buckman? Spotted him at Whitmore Park on Saturday with family, but without his rugby boots. There is certainly not an ounce of fat on him and would qualify for the All Blacks Under 85kgs team when they get round to establishing one!
Have you asked him whether he's available for the Magpies, this season? We might need some experience and leadership in our midfield if Toala and Ili are both in the Samoa RWC squad. Especially if the HBRU doesn't succeed in signing Bailyn Sullivan.
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It was after the game had finished and I was busy racing to head off the queue at the bar so only waved a greeting in his direction in passing. He certainly looks in good trim but after the time away from rugby in NZ you wonder whether he still has the desire to subject his body to the physical demands on it that you get at an NPC level when he might be able to pop over and pick up a decent pay packet and play the lower level intensity MLR in the states.
United Rugby Championship standings for season 2025 / 2026