Magpies 2023
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@Stargazer did you manage to figure out how tall he is? He seems to be around the 2m mark but looks can be deceiving sometimes.
@Canes4life No, unfortunately not.
By the way, there's a really tall lock in the Napier Boys' 1st XV squad at the moment: George Prouting. And I mean really tall! His older brother Angus is tall, too (but a bit shorter than George), and played at lock for them until last season. This season, they've moved him to no. 8 and he's easily their best forward, at the moment.
If George becomes just as good, and bulks up, we could have another good option at lock in a few years time.
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@Canes4life No, unfortunately not.
By the way, there's a really tall lock in the Napier Boys' 1st XV squad at the moment: George Prouting. And I mean really tall! His older brother Angus is tall, too (but a bit shorter than George), and played at lock for them until last season. This season, they've moved him to no. 8 and he's easily their best forward, at the moment.
If George becomes just as good, and bulks up, we could have another good option at lock in a few years time.
@Stargazer good to know, we really need some big, athletic locks in our engine room. Hopefully like Gus Brown, he isn't eventually signed by competing franchises.
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@Stargazer good to know, we really need some big, athletic locks in our engine room. Hopefully like Gus Brown, he isn't eventually signed by competing franchises.
@Canes4life said in Magpies 2023:
@Stargazer good to know, we really need some big, athletic locks in our engine room. Hopefully like Gus Brown, he isn't eventually signed by competing franchises.
Excuse me, this is a Hawkes Bay thread so you using the words "we" and "our" in reference to Hawkes Bay players when discussing a Hawkes Bay team is not tolerated or accepted.
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@Canes4life said in Magpies 2023:
@Stargazer good to know, we really need some big, athletic locks in our engine room. Hopefully like Gus Brown, he isn't eventually signed by competing franchises.
Excuse me, this is a Hawkes Bay thread so you using the words "we" and "our" in reference to Hawkes Bay players when discussing a Hawkes Bay team is not tolerated or accepted.
@Higgins obviously speaking from a Canes lens.
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@Canes4life said in Magpies 2023:
@Stargazer good to know, we really need some big, athletic locks in our engine room. Hopefully like Gus Brown, he isn't eventually signed by competing franchises.
Excuse me, this is a Hawkes Bay thread so you using the words "we" and "our" in reference to Hawkes Bay players when discussing a Hawkes Bay team is not tolerated or accepted.
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I'll retreat back to my Wellington Lions thread then and will see you all on the 30th of September when we lock away the Shield for the summer again.

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So utterly gutted about this. :sad_but_relieved_face: I consider him as one of our best in the squad at the moment.
Leaving way too soon IMO. I blame the Highlanders :face_with_raised_eyebrow:
At least he'll still play NPC for us, this season. If Samoa don't pick him up for the RWC.
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@stargazer Goodness, debut was six years ago, my hasn't time flown by since that eminently forgettable season (including that unfortunate season opening reversal against Wellington 26 - 36)? I put the root cause right at Mr. Philpott's doorstep!
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There's supposed to be a King's Birthday game on Monday 5 June between Hawke's Bay XV and Manawatū Evergreens in Dannevirke. I assume at Coronation Park. Haven't seen a kick-off time or line-ups, yet.
@Stargazer Given Coronation Park (usual home of the HB 7s) is in Waipawa you will have travelled about 70km too far north if you are intending to travel up to watch the game. Dannevirke play their rugby at the aptly named Rugby Park if my memory serves me correctly.
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@Stargazer Given Coronation Park (usual home of the HB 7s) is in Waipawa you will have travelled about 70km too far north if you are intending to travel up to watch the game. Dannevirke play their rugby at the aptly named Rugby Park if my memory serves me correctly.
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I don't know about anyone else, but its getting a bit concerning that we still don't have any signings. Seems most other provinces are announcing, but we're not. Anybody know anything.
@Billsy111 I don't know anything either, but I expect they're going to do the same as last year: drip-feeding the squad in the lead-up to the full squad announcement (early August, I presume). Last year, they announced a signing/squad member every week-day. So I guess we'll have to wait a few more weeks.

I find it frustrating that we don't know whether we've signed at least one of the Sullivan brothers (Bailyn more likely than Zarn, I think). I think the HBRU should throw us a bone.
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@Billsy111 I don't know anything either, but I expect they're going to do the same as last year: drip-feeding the squad in the lead-up to the full squad announcement (early August, I presume). Last year, they announced a signing/squad member every week-day. So I guess we'll have to wait a few more weeks.

I find it frustrating that we don't know whether we've signed at least one of the Sullivan brothers (Bailyn more likely than Zarn, I think). I think the HBRU should throw us a bone.
@Stargazer I think ya right mate. But it would be good if they us something.
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Really, how hard is it for unions to keep us up-to-date of preseason games? All you need is a phone and a social media account, which they all have.
@Stargazer Come on HBRFU give us something.
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I've been keeping an eye on our players in the MLR and have noticed that in the last few rounds, Kianu Kereru-Symes has been playing at prop (LH). He used to play at prop for HBHS and only changed to hooker after he left school. Would that be a solution for our potential lack of depth at LH prop? Not a permanent change, just as a back-up in case of injuries?
By the way, if you'd like to watch him and Joel Hintz play for NE, their next game is tomorrow (Monday) at 2.30pm. It's streamed for free at the Rugby Network. You'll have register, but it won't cost you anything.