Hurricanes vs Moana takes: Super Rugby's most undervalued, Warner Dearns verdict

The Hurricanes have blown Moana Pasifika off the park with a 52-10 victory in Wellington with five tries between the starting wingers Josh Moorby, three, and Fehi Fineanganofo.

Despite, Moana getting on the board first via left winger Tuna Tuitama, the Hurricanes clicked into gear with slick back play doing the damage. Captain Jordie Barrett was in the thick of orchestrating the tries with lead-up touches, while Callum Harkin also impressed in pulling the strings.

Here are quick takes from the Hurricanes opening game of the season.

Moana Pasifika torn apart on the edge
Despite some early gains with a solid power game through their big ball carriers, Moana were undone out wide with quick strikes the method of dissection for the Hurricanes. The first was a top draw set-piece play with a fine line & offload from fullback Callum Harkin and a second touch from Jordie Barrett to unleash Fineanganofo down the left edge. The second was an audacious planned bridge pass from Jordie Barrett right to Moorby in the right corner. The third was another set-piece launch that saw Fineaganofo go over, only to pass to Moorby in the in-goal. By half-time the Hurricanes had a big cushion and never looked like surrendering.

Super Rugby Promo 2026 | RP

Super Rugby Promo 2026 | RP

There will be lots of learnings to take for Moana, who fielded eight debutants in their 23, and were just outgunned by a side with more class out wide.

Harkin is Super Rugby’s most undervalued player
There were many standouts across the Hurricanes’ backline, but their No.15 continues to shine as one of the most undervalued players in the competition. A train-on player in 2025, Harkin earned his way to a full-time contract last season. While there are some unforced errors in his game, there is no denying his smarts and explosive running that often sparks something.

From set-piece play he knows how to run the perfect line, which was apparent on the Canes’ first try. He didn’t completely break through, but found an offload to Jordie Barrett which kept the play alive. On the next strike try, he did break through with a dummy before finding the assist for Fineanganofo with a wide pass. Five defenders beaten, three line breaks and three try assists is not bad for a player playing club rugby just two seasons ago.

After Brett Cameron went down with what looked like a serious knee injury in the first half, Harkin played very well as a fill-in No.10 and with Ruben Love also out, will now be crucial for the Hurricanes.

Braydon Iose makes big statement
Two seasons ago Iose had a breakout year where there were genuine considerations for All Black selection. To start 2026, Iose had one of his best games to once again put rivals on notice that he is one of the best No.8s in the country.

He showed incredible open-field pace late in the second half to score his second try, from over 40 metres out, but it was the work rate in the first half that was noticeable. In defence he made a lot of tackles looking to combat Moana’s physicality while challenging frequently at the breakdown to slow ball. It was a double-double for Iose with 13 tackles and 12 carries, while he clocked up 88 running metres after his big runaway try. He added a turnover to boot in what was an impressive performance for all the right reasons, not just the flashy highlights.

Iose’s dynamism is sure to boost his All Black chances should he tick the rest of the boxes. Tonight, he did just that.

Happy homecoming for two Canes

The opening games for 2026 saw two Hurricanes return in fairytale fashion in the capital. Jordie Barrett, fresh off a URC title on sabbatical with Leinster, imposed his class on the game with a hand in all three of the Hurricanes opening tries. Barrett’s touches on attack, short or long, proved to be the sauce that made the meal. The timing on the ball gave the Canes their flow and everything hinges on Barrett at 12 in their set-piece launches. The Hurricanes are simply a different machine with Barrett back.

The other returning Cane is under-appreciated winger Josh Moorby, who returned to Super Rugby with a hat-trick after his stint at Montpeiller. Moorby had an acrobatic finish on his first try from the Barrett long ball, had a gift for his second as Fineanganofo turned down his own hat-trick. The third was a nice runaway and he nearly had a fourth, if not for a knock-on as he was pulled down a metre from the line.

Shaky start for Warner turned good
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. For the Hurricanes big recruit Warner Dearns, that was certainly the case in his Super Rugby debut. His first two lineout targets resulted in mis-timed turnovers, indicating some nerves for the hometown product on his return to New Zealand.

But the big man got into his work up front, making a team high 14 tackles on defence and adding two turnovers won. The lineout found some rhythm and he finished with a team-high eight takes. Even more impressive was some power carries where he pushed through contact for some gain line dominance. He was hard to put down at times, requiring three or more defenders.

For the Hurricanes franchise, they will be chuffed that they finally have a second rower of this calibre. Dearns looks the real deal and worth every penny.