Chiefs 2020

@Yeetyaah said in Chiefs 2020:

@Stargazer I liked what I saw from Falcon. Trask would be a good pick up for development. Assuming DMac gets used at fullback and Gats sees that MMac is shit. Could be Debs, Falcon, and Trask for five-eigths next year. I also liked Matty Lansdown, but he's probably more of a fullback.

how about Fletcher Smith - he was on fire for waikato.. if he has another good NPC. Not sure how long he's signed with the Canees

@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2020:

Seu needs to playing at lock not no.8. I still have high hopes for McWhannell if he gets an opportunity.

yep poor bugger getting broken in club footy just when he would have got an extended run!

I'm looking forward to seeing how Seu looks compared to Jordan Manihera in npc.. i reckon Manihera has plenty of raw talent and a stint in a super side he'd come on leaps and bounds.

and just finishing of with complete waikato eye patch on - if James Tuckers stays injury free he needs to come back into the chiefs too

@WillieTheWaiter said in Chiefs 2020:

and just finishing of with complete waikato eye patch on - if James Tuckers stays injury free he needs to come back into the chiefs too

Tucker should have been picked ahead of Parete as an injury replacement. Playing the latter as a lock was a selection fuckup.

Gatland will obviously have different ideas on what type of player he wants so I expect some new players.

@Bovidae Wasn't James Tucker injured? His knee?

@Stargazer said in Chiefs 2020:

@Bovidae Wasn't James Tucker injured? His knee?

Yes, but I saw his name listed in a Blues preseason match-day squad and he has been playing club rugby. I am assuming his injury wasn't as serious as first thought. Not 100% sure when he returned.

@WillieTheWaiter Yeah I liked Fletch, he was bloody good. I think someone on the fern said he was signed for 2 years at the canes though.

@Yeetyaah yeah he is with the Canes next year.

@Tim said in Chiefs 2019:

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Ha ha! I keep forgetting we now have Gats as coach

Not that happy with this decision, and the article suggests it might not have been Gatland's choice anyway.

And more importantly, who is overseeing the recruitment of the 2020 squad?

@Bovidae What's wrong with Matson? Our attack looked good throughout the year, once DMac got moved on -- and it would be hard to blame that on Matson.

Our handling coach might need sacking. And our defence structures took half a season to come right. But attack never seemed to be a concern.

@Chester-Draws Matson's backline attack usually consists of too much lateral movement without testing the opposition's defence. We need to be more direct. I'm sure there are some Cantabs who weren't happy when he was in charge of the backs under Blackadder.

I'm not sure who decided to change job responsibilities of the coaches but the Chiefs' forwards were good under Barnes in previous seasons and less so when White took over. And as you say, Barnes took most of the season to get the defensive structures working. Gatland favours the rush defence so there will be another change next season.

And I might be in the minority here, but I want DMac to be starting at 1st 5, or at least spending a significant number of games there. Sure, he may be more dangerous from fullback but the Chiefs have many more options in that position (Alaimalo, Stevenson, Nanai-Seturo). Most of the problems at the start of the season were because the forwards weren't doing their job.

Well, we'll disagree then.

I thought Matson's attack was direct enough. And I'm totally against DMac at 1st 5.

Falcon must be signed for at least 2020.

@Bovidae Dudes talented but I was hoping for someone new like Reihana or Trask. Maybe he's re-signed.

@Yeetyaah Falcon is 22, Trask is 20 and Reihana only 19 so plenty of time for the latter two. I'm sure both are signed and will be part of the Chiefs system. Falcon needs to stay injury-free in 2020 because he's hardly played in the last 2 seasons.

Gallagher Chiefs Squad Update
Rugby World Cup cycles are synonymous with a large number of player movements, and 2019 is no exception. The offshore player market power dynamic, has shifted. Japan has replaced England and France as the destination of choice for New Zealand Rugby players. Several factors have influenced this including; the shorter competition window in the Japanese Top League (compared to the English and French competitions), higher comparative salary and benefits such as accommodation supplements, and no formal salary cap model.
Additionally, the Japan Rugby Union (JRU) relaxed the player eligibility criteria. This has increased the number of foreign players that Japanese Clubs can recruit. Clubs are now allowed up to five foreign players on the field at one time (two capped players and three non-caped players). This has increased from three players previously. It is our understanding that the JRU will revert back to the three foreign player eligibility rule from 2021 onwards. This will stem the flow of playing talent currently leaving New Zealand.
Compounding the eligibility rules, the JRU, due to the 2019 RWC schedule, shifted the Japanese Top League competition window to run concurrently with the Investec Super Rugby competition in 2020 and 2021. Previously, players have had the ability to play Super Rugby and then opt to play in Japan during the Mitre 10 Cup window. Provincial Unions and Super Rugby Clubs have been hit hard, none more so that the Highlanders who have lost eight players to the Japanese Top League.
The Gallagher Chiefs have lost the services of the following players in 2020:  Brodie Retallick  Taleni Seu  Jack Debreczeni
These players have all signed with Japanese Top League clubs. Retallick has agreed to return to the Gallagher Chiefs in 2022 competition. There is some scope that he may be available towards the end of the 2021 competition and I am working with NZR and his Japanese Top League team on the logistics around this. It was our preference to retain all three Chiefs players.

The following players have confirmed that they will not be returning to the Gallagher Chiefs next season:
 Kane Hames (injury)
 Jonathon Taumateine (Hurricanes)

Market forces that include the RWC and the international player market have created unprecedented player demand in New Zealand. All Super Rugby Clubs have been targeted in their recruitment of existing Super Rugby players from other New Zealand Super Rugby Clubs. The Gallagher Chiefs have fought hard to retain the following players who all received contract offers from multiple other New Zealand Super Rugby Clubs:
 Nepo Laulala
 Atu Moli
 Angus Ta’avao
 Samisoni Taukei’aho
 Mitchell Brown
 Lachlan Boshier
 Mitchell Karpik

The Gallagher Chiefs Squad is at an advanced stage in the player contracting cycle. This is due to proactive contracting of players and some forecasting of potential challenges six to nine months ago. The 2020 Gallagher Chiefs squad still requires to contract a further six players to complete the playing roster. Rugby staff will turn their attention to the Mitre 10 Cup competition to contract these individuals

@WillieTheWaiter No Debreczeni next year, fuck. Hames I thought would leave, as with Taumateine. Good bunch of players we've managed to keep.

Also no mention of no MMac. Means he'll stay on? As with the contracting, said it so many times before, as long as we have Tupaea on the books, I'll be happy with the recruiting.

@WillieTheWaiter Is this from a media release? Do you have a link?