Chiefs 2024

Here's the current situation based on official media releases.

Leaving
Brodie Retallick
Pita Gus Sowakula
Brad Weber
Bryn Gatland
Alex Nankivell

Signed
Samisoni Taukei’aho (until 2027)

Aidan Ross (until 2025)

Tupou Vaa’i (until 2025)

Manaaki Selby-Rickit (until 2024)
Sam Cane (until 2025)

Samipeni Finau (until 2024)

Damian McKenzie (until 2025)

Kaleb Trask (until 2025)
Anton Lienert-Brown (until 2026)
Daniel Rona (until 2026)

Off-contract
Luke Jacobson
Naitoa Ah Kuoi

Kaylum Boshier
Quinn Tupaea
Etene Nanai-Seturo
Shaun Stevenson

Unknown
Bradley Slater

Tyrone Thompson
Ollie Norris

Angus Ta’avao
Atunaisa Moli
George Dyer
Jared Proffit
Josh Lord

Laghlan McWhannell
Simon Parker
Xavier Roe
Cortez Ratima
Rivez Reihana

Josh Ioane
Rameka Poihipi
Gideon Wrampling
Emoni Narawa

Peniasi Malimali
Ngantungane Punivai

Obviously many in the "off-contract" and "unknown" group will have re-signed but there has been no official announcement made. Some players were off-contract last year only to be named in the 2023 squad (e.g., Roe, Ioane). Profitt, Malimali and Punivai might have only been on one year contracts. All speculation at this point.

I hope the roigard rumuor is true he will make us much more dangerous, I feel our midfield needs a big ball carrier though tupaea will be back

@Bovidae the Chiefs would have to be favourites next year if they can re-sign most of that list. Depth across the board looks to be healthy in most positions. Hopefully Tupaea makes a strong return after what was a pretty disturbing injury.

What would a top Chiefs 15/23 look like?

@Canes4life said in Chiefs 2024:

What would a top Chiefs 15/23 look like?

The starting XV could be:

Ross
Taukei’aho
Dyer/Ta’avao
Lord
Vaa'i
Finau
Cane
Jacobson
Ratima
McKenzie
Nanai-Seturo
Tupaea
Lienert-Brown
Narawa
Stevenson

I still believe that they need to sign a specialist 7 to put on the bench, rather than use Jacobson as Cane's backup. Otherwise either Boshier or Parker in the no.20 jersey.

i believewe will put out a better team than this year.injury dependant ofcourse.
agree a openside and another winger . vai or norstrum?

@cliff said in Chiefs 2024:

I hope the roigard rumuor is true he will make us much more dangerous, I feel our midfield needs a big ball carrier though tupaea will be back

I hope he stays at the Canes myself....

What a shock. Rival fans both want best young halfback in the country to play for their teams.

@SouthernMann said in Chiefs 2024:

What a shock. Rival fans both want best young halfback in the country to play for their teams.

He's already starting for us though..... (for now)

@canefan said in Chiefs 2024:

@SouthernMann said in Chiefs 2024:

What a shock. Rival fans both want best young halfback in the country to play for their teams.

He's already starting for us though..... (for now)

Let me fix that sentence. He started for us (Hurricanes) during the now completed 2023 season. He is now off contract. We are hoping he stays. This means we will continue to have a top quality halfback in 2024.

@ploughboy said in Chiefs 2024:

agree a openside and another winger . vai or norstrum?

Neither Vai or Nordstrom have played NPC yet so you would think they'd need to perform at that level first. Nordstrom is closer to being ready, and I expect Vai to be one of the NDC players for 2024 (depending on sevens commitments).

any ideas about a openside

@ploughboy said in Chiefs 2024:

any ideas about a openside

Florence, M Jacobson or J Norris would be the three that I can think of from within the region, but haven't been wanted previously. Wallace Sititi was used as a 7 in the preseason/Dev games.

Cane has a sabbatical option for next year so he will almost certainly be unavailable (most likely will take time off, as opposed to doing an offshore stint).

I wouldn't be massively surprised if the Chiefs bring in someone from offshore for a season, a la Pablo Matera, to fill Cane's void on the openside flank, and then bring in a young gun as a backup option. Kaylum Boshier and Luke Jacobson can both cover No 7 (and Simon Parker had one game there this year too).

A big opening game.

2024 Gallagher Chiefs Super Rugby Pacific Draw (round, opposition, date, kick-off time, location):
Round 1: v Crusaders, Friday 23 February, 7.05pm, FMG Stadium Waikato
Round 2: v Brumbies, Sunday 3 March, 4pm, AAMI Park, Melbourne
Round 3: v Queensland Reds, Saturday 9 March, 9.35pm, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Round 4: v Fijian Drua, Saturday 16 March, 7.05pm, FMG Stadium Waikato
Round 5: v Highlanders, Saturday 23 March, 4.35pm, FMG Stadium Waikato
Round 6: v Crusaders, Friday 29 March, 7.05pm, Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch
Round 7: v Moana Pasifika, Saturday 6 April, 7.05pm, FMG Stadium Waikato
Round 8: v Hurricanes, Saturday 13 April, 7.05pm, Sky Stadium, Wellington
Round 9: BYE
Round 10: v Waratahs, Friday 26 April, 9.35pm, Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Round 11: v Western Force, Saturday 4 May, 7.05pm, FMG Stadium Waikato
Round 12: v Moana Pasifika, Friday 10 May, 7.05pm, TBC
Round 13: v Melbourne Rebels, Friday 17 May, 9.35pm, AAMI Park, Melbourne
Round 14: v Hurricanes, Friday 24 May, 7.05pm, FMG Stadium Waikato
Round 15: v Blues, Saturday 1 June, 7.05pm, TBC

Home games are denoted in bold. Times in NZT.

We had the Saders early this year too right? It looks like they don’t make any effort to vary things up. Us playing them twice and the Blues (and other teams) only once is starting to really piss me off.

@gt12 Yep, the opening game in Chch.

The draw lacks any imagination as the Chiefs play the Crusaders twice before even playing the Hurricanes. They are meant to rotate which teams play once or twice each season but it's only one game against the Blues again.

@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2024:

@gt12 Yep, the opening game in Chch.

The draw lacks any imagination as the Chiefs play the Crusaders twice before even playing the Hurricanes. They are meant to rotate which teams once or twice each season but it's only one game against the Blues again.

It’s this sort of shit that turns off the fans too. We play the two (likely) strongest teams in the first two weeks, then the strongest team again before we see others in our conference. It’s just shit.

@ploughboy said:

yeah was wondering what the chiefs were going to do with him. will be interesting to see who they replace him with. would imagine AT will get join dyer so would leave room for one more

Ta'avao is negotiating a contract extension at the moment.

This season the props were:
LH - Aidan Ross, Ollie Norris, Jared Proffit
TH - 
Angus Ta’avao, Atunaisa Moli, George Dyer

The other prop used was Solomone Tukuafu but I don't think he's a SR-quality TH.

The young props in the region are all LHs (Kauvaka Kaivelata, Josh Bartlett, Mason Tupaea), in that order of readiness. Kaivelata can play TH though.

Maybe Reuben O’Neill
 gets picked up again?

a backup openside to sam cane would be handy anyone seen any potentials?

@ploughboy said in Chiefs 2024:

a backup openside to sam cane would be handy anyone seen any potentials?

I would still be looking at Tom Florence. Boshier has shown he is a better 6/8. Using Parker as a 7 isn't ideal either.

Roger Randle and Carl Hoeft were at the Waikato-Taranaki game. I wonder if the latter will be involved in 2024 or just being asked for input on the props?