Possible Chiefs team for 2012

[_George]

this guy knows his stuff, but i would make a few changes ...


Chiefs:
1- Toby Smith
2- Hika Elliot
3- Ben Afeaki
4- Craig Clarke
5- Romana Graham
6- Liam Messam
7- Scott Waldrom
8- Colin Bourke
9- Brendon Leonard
10- Aaron Cruden
11- Save Tokula
12- Phil Burleigh
13- Richard Kahui
14- Lelia Masaga
15- Tim Nanai- Williams

16- Dan Perrin
17- Sona Taumalolo
18- Fritz Lee
19- Tanerau Latimer
20- Tawera Kerr-Barlow
21- Trent Renata
22- Robbie Robinson

 

[lance2010]

this guy knows his stuff, but i would make a few changes ...


Chiefs:
1- Toby Smith
2- Hika Elliot
3- Ben Afeaki
4- Craig Clarke
5- Romana Graham
6- Liam Messam
7- Scott Waldrom
8- Colin Bourke
9- Brendon Leonard
10- Aaron Cruden
11- Save Tokula
12- Phil Burleigh
13- Richard Kahui
14- Lelia Masaga
15- Tim Nanai- Williams

16- Dan Perrin
17- Sona Taumalolo
18- Fritz Lee
19- Tanerau Latimer
20- Tawera Kerr-Barlow
21- Trent Renata
22- Robbie Robinson

Nice team i just have a couple of changes

1.Sona Taumalolo
2.H.Elliot
3.B.Afeaki
4.C.Clarke
5.Brodie Retallick
6.Tanerau Latimer
7.Sam Cane
8.Liam Messam
9.B.Leonard
10.Cruden
11.S.Tokula
12.Phil Burleigh
13.Kahui
14.Masaga
15.Tim Nainai-Williams

16.Toby Smith
17.Dan Perrin
18.Fritz Lee
19.Scott Waldrom (is he still playing in 2012?)
20.Tawera Kerr-Barlow
21.Trent Renata
22.Robbie Robinson

Pretty Much same team....

 

[Larksea]

Rennie is a professional.. Its not like hes going to be sitting at home plotting revenge strategies on Donald. Also, saying that Donald "dominated" him is a bit of a stretch. He played well but so did his opposite, Cruden was the only one from Manawatu who looked any good in that match.

the game in question the turbo's forwards dominated the waikato forwards for 70-80% of the match and surely should have won the game off the forwards effort and waikato only won because of donald, and he even ran in a try straight through Cruden.

Pretty obvious to me that that game was the main reason donald took Crudens spot in the AB's for the EoY tour.

Bit off the subject though.

 

[donmcdazzle]

the game in question the turbo's forwards dominated the waikato forwards for 70-80% of the match and surely should have won the game off the forwards effort and waikato only won because of donald, and he even ran in a try straight through Cruden.

Pretty obvious to me that that game was the main reason donald took Crudens spot in the AB's for the EoY tour.

Bit off the subject though.

Still going on about that game..

Well as i predicted Colin Bourke won't be playing for the Chiefs next year, so expect a worker in there instead. Burleigh really isn't any sort of answer at 12 either, shame Jonny Leota is going to overseas, could've been a good pick up. I reckon Tikoirotuma from Manawatu would be a good pick up for some team as well, can play centre and wing, super quick with good skills. Too bad the idiots in the 'canes only want to pick crap wellington academy players.

Do they have an MVP for the ITM cup? If they do Cruden would be a lock, he has been so good for Manawatu this year. Got to be excited about seeing him running the show with a coach who knows how to get the best out of him Larksea? Although once again the need for a 12 is obvious. Poor Kahui can;t seem to find a good partner in crime. Willison has failed to develop at all, he has almost regressed.

 

[Larksea]

1.Toby Smith
2.Elliot
3.Afeaki
4.Clarke
5.Brodie Retallick
6.Liam Messam
7.Scott Waldrum
8.Fritz Lee
9.B.Leonard
10.Cruden
11.Masanga
12.Phil Burleigh/SBW - gotta admit I do rate Burleigh, I dont think he's signed for a super team yet but I hope the chiefs do sign him. Also Jackson-Willison he's been good for waikato this year. His defence in particular has been very impressive and his passing/offload game is pretty good.
13.Kahui
14.Nanai
15.Robbie Robinson

16.Sona Taumalolo
17.Dan Perrin
18.Fitzgerald
19.Sam Cane/Bourke/Latimer
20.Tawera Kerr-Barlow
21.Trent Renata
22.Tokula/Willison/Burleigh

Find it hard to find a spot for Latimer, waldrum was better than him this year and Sam Cane the plaer for the future. With Bourke back it's created a log jam. I think the chiefs will have one too many loosies on their books and latimer would be the one to miss out for me.

potential future All Black front row. Though Owen Franks has the 3 jersey to himself for the forseeable future.

Cruden to do most of the work from 10 with backup from Robbie and Nanai/Renata

Sonny Bill still may stay and if he does surely hje will be more likely to go to the chiefs.

If I were chiefs coach I think I'd look for another prop, I'm not a huge fan of Taumalolo.

Is hika forbes signed anywhere? He'd be worth a look in my books. Also Cummings-Toone was fairly impressive.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Ma'afu Fia I reckon will get picked up for a spare prop. Has had an awesome season. Like I said, Bourke won't be there.

Hika Elliot needs to work a bit harder, we all know he can run with the ball but he is very loose (this is why he wasn't picked up by the AB's). As an example, against Manawatu at the start of the year, he carried the ball 23 times, attempted 2 tackles (one missed) and hit zero rucks. Pretty hard to believe that your hooker can go 80 minutes and not hit a ruck, so he clearly needs to tighten up.

 

[Larksea]

Still going on about that game..

Well as i predicted Colin Bourke won't be playing for the Chiefs next year, so expect a worker in there instead. Burleigh really isn't any sort of answer at 12 either, shame Jonny Leota is going to overseas, could've been a good pick up. I reckon Tikoirotuma from Manawatu would be a good pick up for some team as well, can play centre and wing, super quick with good skills. Too bad the idiots in the 'canes only want to pick crap wellington academy players.

Do they have an MVP for the ITM cup? If they do Cruden would be a lock, he has been so good for Manawatu this year. Got to be excited about seeing him running the show with a coach who knows how to get the best out of him Larksea? Although once again the need for a 12 is obvious. Poor Kahui can;t seem to find a good partner in crime. Willison has failed to develop at all, he has almost regressed.

only responding to another post >.<

where is Bourke going? if he's gone I'm not suprised. I think Fritz Lee has been too good this year for a young guy and Messam provides good cover for #8 if needed.

Sucks about 12, Kahui has struggled outside some crap players at 12 over the last two years. And we didn't see Tana enough this year. However I dont think Willison has done too badly, though he hasn't set the park alight on attack he has been ok and his defence has been very impressive - and that will be important with Cruden at 10. He's an ok tackler but he can ony be so good for his size, overall it's still a weakness.

I do hope Sonny Bill signs with the chiefs, he Cruden and Kahui will make for one serious backline

I am looking forward to Renee taking over the coaching. I did back foster for a long time but he made a LOT of mistakes in the last two years. 2010 was a shocker year for injuries at the chiefs but 2011 was more about bad selections. For the locks and 12 in particular, Sweeney was utter crap this year and quite obviously impacted on Donald and Kahui in particular but the backline as a whole. Masanga hardly touched the ball this year when Sweeney was at 12, interestingly in the few games Tana had masanga was brilliant.

If anything I'd really like to see the chiefs and the NZRU make an effort to get Henry Speight back into the chiefs outfit. He was the natural successor to Sivivatu and I think with Speight off to australia a year early it's left a massive hole in that area. Speight has become a player of great quality that I dont think many wingers in this area measure up too.

Will also be interesting to see if Tim or Declon make the squad.

 

[ranger]

the game in question the turbo's forwards dominated the waikato forwards for 70-80% of the match and surely should have won the game off the forwards effort and waikato only won because of donald, and he even ran in a try straight through Cruden.

Pretty obvious to me that that game was the main reason donald took Crudens spot in the AB's for the EoY tour.

Bit off the subject though.

I thought in play making Cruden had the upperhand. Being big and fast isnt the be all and end all etc etc

 

[donmcdazzle]

Larksea I don't know for sure if Colin Bourke is leaving, although my mate in the Bay of Plenty seems to think he is. Rennie doesn't like that sort of player so I guess him leaving is reliant on another franchise taking him, as he has at least one more year on his NZRU contract.

 

[_George]

Colin Bourke is all black material and HAS to be starting for the chiefs next year, just injury kept him from making the ab's this year.

 

[nickdnz]

Colin Bourke is all black material and HAS to be starting for the chiefs next year, just injury kept him from making the ab's this year.

And playing ability. He plays a far too loose game to be considered a starter of the Chiefs in my opinion, nevermind the All Blacks. He's one of those guys that looks to be playing brilliantly while he kicks and takes runs, but you have to ignore the fact that his pack is playing with one less forward. I'd think Fritz Lee, Latimer/Waldrom and Messam will be the starting lineup.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Colin Bourke is all black material and HAS to be starting for the chiefs next year, just injury kept him from making the ab's this year.

Haha come on mate.. I'f put my life savings on him never playing for the AB's, and not starting for the chiefs next year. NickD_nz summed it all up for me.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Any news on the Sonny Bill Williams sign, as he said he wanted to sorted out his stuff before the RWC.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I heard he wasn't sorting anything until after the WC?

 

[Amobokoboko]

ow, I read the opposite so he could focus on his RWC campaign.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

He changed his mind and has now said that he'll decide after the WC.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Both Mahonri Schwalger and Andrew Horrell have been signed by Rennie, and Taumalolo and Leonard have extended their contracts by one and two years respectively.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Good stuff

 

[Larksea]

will he or wont he? bout fricken time we found out IMO.

 

[T-Rex]

All Blacks midfield back Sonny Bill Williams has re-signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) for one year, and he will play Investec Super Rugby with the Chiefs franchise in 2012.

Full article here: http://www.allblacks.com/news/17923/Sonny-Bill-Williams-re-signs-with-NZRU-and-Chiefs