Magpies 2023
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Looking at photos from training, Harry Godfrey is running and training with the team again. So at least we may have a back up for fullback/10 in case we get through to the semis and one of the incumbents gets injured. It also means that nothing nasty happened that may affect the start of his Hurricanes season.
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Tiaki Fabish, who didn't get a single minute of game time in black and white this year, has gone back to Spain. Maybe you'll remember that he played there last season as well, for relegated club Basque club Gernika Rugby Taldea. This year he has signed with a significantly better club: Valladolid (VRAC), who finished the 2022-23 season as Spanish champions. He played his first game (the club's second game of the season) on 8 October.
https://vracrugby.com/el-vrac-se-refuerza-con-tiaki-fabish/
Edited to add that this media release is from 8 August 2023, so I assume they let him go early (before the end of the NPC) because they didn't intend to give him any game time anyway (we had an unusually long list of locks this year & he seemed to be at the bottom of the pecking order).
Edit 2: Just like last year, he will not only play in the Spanish División de Honor, but also in the National U23 competition (later in the season).
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Tiaki Fabish, who didn't get a single minute of game time in black and white this year, has gone back to Spain. Maybe you'll remember that he played there last season as well, for relegated club Basque club Gernika Rugby Taldea. This year he has signed with a significantly better club: Valladolid (VRAC), who finished the 2022-23 season as Spanish champions. He played his first game (the club's second game of the season) on 8 October.
https://vracrugby.com/el-vrac-se-refuerza-con-tiaki-fabish/
Edited to add that this media release is from 8 August 2023, so I assume they let him go early (before the end of the NPC) because they didn't intend to give him any game time anyway (we had an unusually long list of locks this year & he seemed to be at the bottom of the pecking order).
Edit 2: Just like last year, he will not only play in the Spanish División de Honor, but also in the National U23 competition (later in the season).
@Stargazer said in Magpies 2023:
Tiaki Fabish, who didn't get a single minute of game time in black and white this year, has gone back to Spain. Maybe you'll remember that he played there last season as well, for relegated club Basque club Gernika Rugby Taldea. This year he has signed with a significantly better club: Valladolid (VRAC), who finished the 2022-23 season as Spanish champions. He played his first game (the club's second game of the season) on 8 October.
https://vracrugby.com/el-vrac-se-refuerza-con-tiaki-fabish/
Edited to add that this media release is from 8 August 2023, so I assume they let him go early (before the end of the NPC) because they didn't intend to give him any game time anyway (we had an unusually long list of locks this year & he seemed to be at the bottom of the pecking order).
Edit 2: Just like last year, he will not only play in the Spanish División de Honor, but also in the National U23 competition (later in the season).
Good club from all accounts. One of my best mates went over there for probably ten years. Ended up play g for the sevens/15s national team. Sounds similar to Japanese club rugby where the variation of skill levels across a team can be frustrating for foreign players.
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A disappointing result yesterday but all in all a much better season than I expected. Credit to the coaching staff and players.
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From the HBRU socials:
The M.agpies had their prize giving on Saturday night. Here are the winners for 2023!
Best Back - Nick Grigg
Best Forward - Tyrone Thompson
Rookie of the Year - Bo Abra
MagpiEs Man - Chase Tiatia
Player's Player - Devan Flanders
Player of the Year - Tyrone Thompson
I love watching Thompson play, but I disagree he was our best forward. IMO that was Flanders, but I can live with this choice. Not so the choice of back of the year. Although Grigg had a better than expected year, McClutchie would have been my pick.
Bo Abra got most game time of him, Morrison, Allen, Tuifua, Wye, Balekana, the Japanese hooker, Tu'ungafasi and Salmon, so I guess that explains the selection, but he immediately got dumped when 'Apikotoa came back.
If there was an award for most improved player, I'd nominate Frank Lochore.
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In my mind, it would be a tie for most improved. Frank Lochore had a high workrate and threw himself around really well, but I was majorly impressed by Joel Hintz's scrummaging improvements from previous years. The front row of him, PRS and Tyrone was unmoveable
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In my mind, it would be a tie for most improved. Frank Lochore had a high workrate and threw himself around really well, but I was majorly impressed by Joel Hintz's scrummaging improvements from previous years. The front row of him, PRS and Tyrone was unmoveable
@Stockcar86 The degree of improvement is hard to measure, obviously, when players are at different stages of their rugby career. Hintz has been around for a while, while Lochore is a rookie. Hintz has definitely improved and has been very good, this season. Lochore, however, is basically coming from nowhere and has now become a solid, reliable sub. Hence my choice, but Hintz would probably may second pick.
I'll write my season review this weekend. It would be nice if all the childish changes to our team's and province's name were finished by then, but I'm not holding my breath.
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So, this is the situation after the SRP squad namings today.
This was our list of 2023 SR players:
Player Super Rugby team Bo Abra Force Joe Apikotoa Moana Pasifika Jacob Devery Hurricanes Folau Fakatava Highlanders Devan Flanders Hurricanes Neria Fomai Moana Pasifika Harry Godfrey Hurricanes Stacey Ili Rebels Jonah Lowe Highlanders Lincoln McClutchie Moana Pasifika Marino Mikaele-Tu'u Highlanders Pouri Rakete-Stones Hurricanes Brodie Retallick Chiefs Ollie Sapsford Brumbies Tyrone Thompson Chiefs Chase Tiatia Force Anzelo Tuitavuki Moana Pasifika Isi Tuʻungafasi Moana Pasifika Lolagi Visinia Moana Pasifika Isaia Walker-Leawere Hurricanes Brad Weber Chiefs Sam Wye Moana Pasifika This is what is left of that list, our 2024 SRP players:
Player Super Rugby team Jacob Devery Hurricanes Folau Fakatava Highlanders Devan Flanders Hurricanes Neria Fomai Moana Pasifika Harry Godfrey Hurricanes Jonah Lowe Highlanders Pouri Rakete-Stones Hurricanes Ollie Sapsford Brumbies Tyrone Thompson Chiefs Chase Tiatia Force Anzelo Tuitavuki Moana Pasifika Isaia Walker-Leawere Hurricanes Obviously, we unofficially have (presumably) three more in Solomone Funaki, Ere Enari and Danny Toala. So that's 15 players, much shorter than 2023 (25). Pretty weird situation after our highest ranking ever in the NPC.
While MMT, Retallick and Weber were of course not in the picture, I'm absolutely gutted that there was no room for Lincoln McClutchie in any of the squads. I also expected Joe 'Apikotoa and Stacey Ili to be named.
If they're not staying in NZ, I hope they all go to the MLR, because if they sign in Japan or Europe, we'll lose them for the NPC as well.
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So, this is the situation after the SRP squad namings today.
This was our list of 2023 SR players:
Player Super Rugby team Bo Abra Force Joe Apikotoa Moana Pasifika Jacob Devery Hurricanes Folau Fakatava Highlanders Devan Flanders Hurricanes Neria Fomai Moana Pasifika Harry Godfrey Hurricanes Stacey Ili Rebels Jonah Lowe Highlanders Lincoln McClutchie Moana Pasifika Marino Mikaele-Tu'u Highlanders Pouri Rakete-Stones Hurricanes Brodie Retallick Chiefs Ollie Sapsford Brumbies Tyrone Thompson Chiefs Chase Tiatia Force Anzelo Tuitavuki Moana Pasifika Isi Tuʻungafasi Moana Pasifika Lolagi Visinia Moana Pasifika Isaia Walker-Leawere Hurricanes Brad Weber Chiefs Sam Wye Moana Pasifika This is what is left of that list, our 2024 SRP players:
Player Super Rugby team Jacob Devery Hurricanes Folau Fakatava Highlanders Devan Flanders Hurricanes Neria Fomai Moana Pasifika Harry Godfrey Hurricanes Jonah Lowe Highlanders Pouri Rakete-Stones Hurricanes Ollie Sapsford Brumbies Tyrone Thompson Chiefs Chase Tiatia Force Anzelo Tuitavuki Moana Pasifika Isaia Walker-Leawere Hurricanes Obviously, we unofficially have (presumably) three more in Solomone Funaki, Ere Enari and Danny Toala. So that's 15 players, much shorter than 2023 (25). Pretty weird situation after our highest ranking ever in the NPC.
While MMT, Retallick and Weber were of course not in the picture, I'm absolutely gutted that there was no room for Lincoln McClutchie in any of the squads. I also expected Joe 'Apikotoa and Stacey Ili to be named.
If they're not staying in NZ, I hope they all go to the MLR, because if they sign in Japan or Europe, we'll lose them for the NPC as well.
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@Stargazer I also think Joel Hintz and Geoff Cridge earnt a contract. Josh Kaifa must have gone close as well.
@Billsy111 My comment was only about the players who had SR contracts in 2023, but I agree that more players deserve to play SR.
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The reactions under this post reflect what many have been saying after the SR squads were announced, including here. I still can't believe no NZ franchise offered him a spot.
