‘It does suck’: Chiefs ready for new season after two Grand Final defeats

It’s tough enough losing one Grand Final, let alone two back-to-back. With the likes of Damian McKenzie, Shaun Stevenson and Wallace Sititi leading the way, the Chiefs charged into the big dance last season but were ultimately undone by the Blues in a one-sided fixture.

After upsetting the number-one seed Hurricanes at Wellington’s Sky Stadium the week before, the Chiefs were outplayed from start to finish, losing 41-10 at Eden Park. For coach Clayton McMillan’s men, the hurt from pulling up just short of glory was all too familiar.

About 12 months earlier at FMG Stadium Waikato, Stevenson and Emoni Narawa scored a try each as the hosts took the lead during the second term. But Codie Taylor and Richie Mo’unga orchestrated a memorable comeback as the Crusaders won yet another title.

With those results, the Chiefs’ title drought continues. They haven’t delivered a championship back to the city of Hamilton since Liam Messam was lining up in the backrow during the team’s famous back-to-back Grand Final wins in 2012 and 2013.

But there are reasons for Chiefs fans to be optimistic in 2025. McKenzie, Stevenson and Narawa will all play this season, and then there are youngsters like Malachi Wrampling and Josh Jacomb who have the ability to make their mark on the back of a gruelling pre-season.

“Pre-season has been awesome. It’s definitely been one of the tougher ones I reckon in my time,” Prop Aidan Ross told RugbyPass at the season launch in Sydney. “Just working really hard for one another and hopefully that will pay dividends in the back end of the season.

“Like I said before, I guess you’d rather be in a final and lose it than not being in a final but it does suck coming off second best twice.

“We’ve got another chance. Fresh year, fresh season to stake another claim and get it right.

“We haven’t watched the final back,” he added. “I guess it was one of those ones where we just got outplayed. There was no question about it, the Blues were far better on the day and rightly so they deserve that title.

“It’s just about how we can get better and the changes we need to change to go one further.”

While the Chiefs side will be raring to go ahead of the new campaign, their title hopes have already taken a bit of a hit with All Black Wallace Sititi set to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season with a knee injury.

Sititi, 22, was last year named World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year after an unforgettable rookie season in the black jersey. The backrower starred against the world champion Springboks in Cape Town and continued to soar to even greater heights from there.

Filling the hole that Sititi’s leaves would be tough for any team, with the Chiefs also without Sam Cane who has left New Zealand rugby behind after signing a multi-year deal in Japan Rugby League One with Suntory Sungoliath.

Sititi was especially impressive for the Chiefs during their semi-final upset win over the Hurricanes last season, which saw the loose forward carry the ball 17 times for more than 145 metres and make 12 tackles as well.

“It’ll be huge. He was huge for us last year,” Ross explained when asked about Sititi’s absence.

“If you only sit here and dwell on it, it’s not going to achieve much.

“Whoever fills his boots is gonna have to take it in their best stride and stake their claim.”