It's time for the Chiefs to raid the Blues' outside back stocks
For the past two seasons, it’s no secret that the Chiefs have struggled to field first-class talent on the wings.
The likes of Etene Nanai-Seturo, Jonah Lowe, Shaun Stevenson, Sean Wainui, Emoni Narawa, Chase Tiatia, Bailyn Sullivan, Quinn Tupaea and Alex Nankivell have all been given opportunities in the No 11 and No 14 jerseys, and the results have been a mixed bag to say the least.
While all of the above players have had moments of brilliance out wide, consistency has been a massive issue. Some of that comes down to injuries, which have certainly plagued the likes of Nanai-Seturo, Lowe and Stevenson’s Super Rugby careers to date, but the fact of the matter is that none of the Chiefs’ wing options really hold a candle to the best finishers around the country.
2022’s preferred combination of Nanai-Seturo and Lowe has shown promise over the past three years but you would be hard-pressed to call either player a deadly ball-runner.
Regardless of their merits, it’s not a combination Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan will be able to employ next season with Lowe now heading south to join the Highlanders on a three-year deal. Nanai-Seturo is also off-contract while the situations regarding Tiatia, Narawa and utility back Gideon Wrampling are not public.
As such, Stevenson is the only winger that has officially signed on with the Chiefs for 2023.
There will inevitably be some talent coming through the provincial competition this year that will catch a few eyes but before the NPC even kicks off, McMillan will be casting a glance over the riches stored away by some of the other Super Rugby sides around the country and assessing whether he can lure a few talented individuals to the Waikato.
While the Highlanders suffered a similar fate to the Chiefs this season, struggling to get consistent performances out of their outside backs, the Crusaders certainly have some young talent on their roster that might be interested in switching allegiances.
Men like Chay Fihaki and Kini Naholo have had few chances in the red and black jersey this year thanks to the abundance of All Blacks talent ahead of them in the pecking order while George Bridge is also off-contract following another title-winning season.
With Bridge losing his spot in the Crusaders starting line-up – and his place in the All Blacks wider squad – to Leicester Fainga’anuku, the 27-year-old may look for a change of scenery to reinvigorate his career.
Bridge is certainly not the dangerous ball-runner that the Chiefs are desperate for, but he’s a generally reliable operator either on the wing or at fullback and with some regular rugby under his belt, could well recapture the form that earned him a surprise place on the wing for New Zealand during the last Rugby World Cup.
Further north at the Hurricanes, either of Julian Savea or Salesi Rayais would be good buys for the Chiefs but with Wes Goosen departing overseas, Jason Holland will do everything he can to hold onto his senior wingers who still have one more season left to run on their current contracts.
That leaves the Blues – the side that rivals even the Crusaders for talent in the outside backs.
The abilities of Caleb Clarke and Mark Telea were already well known prior to 2022 but both have stepped up their games even further this season, with Clarke looking back to his best form following a disappointing 2021 and Telea one of Super Rugby Pacific’s deadliest players throughout the Blues’ campaign. At this stage, both players are all but guaranteed starters for their current team but with AJ Lam coming into his own this year, the three will all be vying for opportunities next season.
Head down State Highway 39, however, and any one of the trio would command a starting spot on the wing for the Chiefs.
The Crusaders have more than shown that it’s possible to juggle multiple players in one position and still hand everyone ample minutes and there’s no reason why the Blues can’t do the same – but there are never any guarantees. Clark and Telea are both off-contract following the 2022 season and should both be targets for McMillan – even if the chances of bringing either of them to Hamilton is slim at best. The safer money might be on trying to convince 23-year-old Lam that with two relatively young, relatively experienced wingers ahead of him in the pecking order at the Blues, his opportunity to press for higher honours would be considerably elevated in Chiefs country.
Of course, the other option in Auckland is Taranaki outside back Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, who the Chiefs attempted to recruit ahead of the 2021 season but missed out to their northern rivals.
Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens managed eight appearances for the Blues this year, including four starts, but still sits behind Clarke, Telea and Lam as a wing option, and is also behind Stephen Perofeta and Zarn Sullivan in his preferred fullback role. At just 20 years of age, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens doesn’t need to be regularly starting at Super Rugby level just yet – but with a few seasons of provincial rugby under his belt, it also wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Damian McKenzie’s return to the Chiefs next year will likely coincide with a permanent shift to the No 10 jersey for the All Blacks pocket rocket and with no player stamping their mark at fullback this season, perhaps Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens could see his future in the yellow, red and black of the Chiefs.
A potential Chiefs backline for 2023 boasting players such as Brad Weber, Cortez Ratima, Damian McKenzie, Josh Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Anton Lienert-Brown, Alex Nankivell, Gideon Wrampling, George Bridge, Etene Nanai-Seturo, AJ Lam, Shaun Stevenson and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens is one that could provide the incisiveness needed to make use of all the possession the forwards are currently capable of generating – and one that could help the Chiefs push for Super Rugby glory.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments