Hurricanes 2023

[Yeetyaah]

Flanders and Walker-Leawere sign til 2024.

[Higgins]

@Yeetyaah Two things spring to mind. i) Reed Prinsep must have "long covid" that will rule him out for a lengthy period or ii) Ardie must be reverting to openside (or lock!)

[Canes4life]

@Yeetyaah fantastic news, all good signings so far. Keep them coming.

[gt12]

@Yeetyaah

Two big signings for them. With luck )for the Canes, at lest), both players will be starting next year.

[Canes4life]

@gt12 yeah, Ardie to 7, Flanders to 8 would be ideal.

[Stargazer]

@Canes4life Flanders at 6 and Ardie at 8 is more likely, unfortunately.

[gt12]

@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2023:

@Canes4life Flanders at 6 and Ardie at 8 is more likely, unfortunately.

If they play Iose at 7, that could still work.

[Stargazer]

@gt12 I don't think Iose plays openside though, so not sure whether that will work.

[Canes4life]

@gt12 if they play Iose at 7, they may aswell play him at 8. No point playing two players out of their best positions.

I think the best balanced trio for the Canes is 6. Howden 7. Savea 8. Flanders.

[gt12]

@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2023:

@gt12 if they play Iose at 7, they may aswell play him at 8. No point playing two players out of their best positions.

I think the best balanced trio for the Canes is 6. Howden 7. Savea 8. Flanders.

I agree, but if they insist on playing a 7 at 8, they may as well play an 8 at 7. They could then bring Howden off the bench.

Was it howden who got a game at 7 this year? I think I remember one of them getting a start there.

Much of it depends on the pattern they want to play I guess.

[Canes4life]

@gt12 nah Howden is very much a 6 who can play 8 if needed, definitely not an openside.

The pattern they are trying to play ATM with an undersized forward pack is not effective so they definitely need to change things going forward.

[Stargazer]

@Yeetyaah said in Hurricanes 2023:

Flanders and Walker-Leawere sign til 2024.

Hurricanes media release:

https://www.hurricanes.co.nz/news/article/hawkes-bay-duo-recommit-to-hurricanes-through-2024/

[Nepia]

@Stargazer Does it say Hawkes Bay duo recommit to sporadic starts and long spells on the bench behind Canes superstars Prinsep and Blackwell?

[mikey07]

@Nepia Were hoping Prinseep is gone

[Canes4life]

Without trying to start rumours I was talking to someone today that's in close circles with the likes of O'Reilly, J Garden-Bachop and Goosen (who are all leaving the Canes), and his assumption was that a Blues player was on the Hurricanes radar to replace Goosen. Joing the dots it makes me think that could be Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens but I could be wrong.

Du Plessis Kirifi commented with a shake hands emoji on JRK's leaving post on Insta so maybe that's a slight hint.

[Machpants]

Wishing our departing players all the best for their next chapters. Great men, both on and off the field.
Wes Goosen #229
James James O'Reilly #238
Alex Fidow #245
Jackson Garden-Bachop #246
Scott Scrafton #268
Tei Walden #292
Tom Parsons #293

[Stargazer]

hurricanesrugby Wishing our departing players all the best for their next chapters. Great men, both on and off the field.

Wes Goosen #229

James James O'Reilly #238

Alex Fidow #245

Jackson Garden-Bachop #246

Scott Scrafton #268

Tei Walden #292

Tom Parsons #293

#canesfamily

[Duluth]

Where’s O'Reilly going? Overseas?

I know he’s not popular on the fern for whatever reason. However I thought his form was pretty good this year, a big step up from previous seasons

[Tim]

@Duluth Better than Aumua this year.

[Stargazer]

@Duluth With that surname, I wonder whether he qualifies for Ireland? Maybe he wants to give that a shot? Haven't seen any signing announcement. Maybe he's just moving to the Highlanders, who could use at least two new hookers.