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The Chiefs chase third Super Rugby title with squad for 2024
The Chiefs will head into the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season as heavy favourites after a stellar 2023 season ended in a devastating loss to perennial winners the Crusaders.
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The club have named a squad more than capable of going all the way, with young guns ready to inherit the jerseys vacated by veteran All Blacks Brodie Retallick and Brad Weber. Sam Cane is also absent for the 2024 season, spending the Kiwi summer in Japan with Suntory.
New faces in the squad include props Kauvaka Kaivelata and Sione Ahio, loose forwards Malachi Wrampling-Alec, Tom Florence and Wallace Sititi, utility forward Jimmy Tupou, midfielder Daniel Rona, and utility back Liam Coombes-Fabling secure their first full-time contracts in 2024.
“These guys have been knocking on our door for a while now and we are excited to offer them a place this year. They have been impressive throughout NPC and during their time in our environment, so rightly earn their spot within our squad,” said Gallagher Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan.
“It’s a new look squad for us but despite the changes, there remains a lot of continuity within this group. They are familiar with our environment, know how we do things, and bring a lot to the table.”
Quinn Tupaea will make his long-awaited return from ACL injury, likely to rejoin Anton Lienert-Brown – both of whom have re-signed through to 2025 and 2026 respectively – in a backline that will not feature Alex Nankivell, as the All Blacks XV and Maori All Black talent has joined Munster on a two-year deal.
The superstar rise of Shaun Stevenson will continue in 2024 after the one-time All Black put pen to paper in October to extend his stay at the club for another two years, putting to rest rumours of a potential NRL deal for that period.
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“Despite losing some experienced players, we have spent the last couple of years building the depth of our squad in anticipation for these departures. We have a lot of belief in the men we have selected and are looking forward with anticipation to seeing them take their opportunity in the new year.
“We’ll be putting in the work over summer and can’t wait to kick off the season at home in front of our loyal fans,” said McMillan.
Leading the battle for starting roles given the departures of Retallick and Weber will be Josh Lord and Cortez Ratima, but both will face stiff competition from the likes of 2023 All Blacks XV standout Naitoa Ah Kuoi and Xavier Roe.
Cane’s absence at openside as well as the departure of fan favourite Pita Gus Sowakula will make for plenty of opportunity in the loose forward stocks. Last week’s re-signing of All Black Luke Jacobson trough to 2025 provides a huge boost for the Waikato club.
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Chiefs squad for Super Rugby Pacific 2024
Sione Ahio (Auckland, 0)
Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Bay of Plenty, 49)
Kaylum Boshier (Taranaki, 17)
Liam Coombes-Fabling (Waikato, 4)
George Dyer (Waikato, 21)
Samipeni Finau (Waikato, 32)
Tom Florence (Taranaki, 3)
Josh Ioane (Waikato, 17)
Luke Jacobson (Waikato, 63)
Kauvaka Kaivelata (Counties Manukau, 0)
Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato, 106)
Josh Lord (Taranaki, 19)
Peniasi Malimali (Counties Manukau, 3)
Damian McKenzie (Waikato, 111)
Etene Nanai-Seturo (Counties Manukau, 44)
Emoni Narawa (Bay of Plenty, 29)
Ollie Norris (Waikato, 45)
Reuben O’Neill (Taranaki, 15)
Simon Parker (Waikato, 8)
Rameka Poihipi (Canterbury, 30)
Jared Proffit (Taranaki, 4)
Cortez Ratima (Waikato, 26)
Xavier Roe (Waikato, 17)
Daniel Rona (Taranaki, 9)
Aidan Ross (Bay of Plenty, 74)
Manaaki Selby-Rickit (Bay of Plenty, 5)
Wallace Sititi (North Harbour, 0)
Bradley Slater (Taranaki, 49)
Shaun Stevenson (North Harbour, 84)
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (Bay of Plenty, 50)
Samisoni Taukei’aho (Waikato, 78)
Tyrone Thompson (Hawkes Bay, 15)
Kaleb Trask (Bay of Plenty, 23)
Quinn Tupaea (Waikato, 34)
Jimmy Tupou (Counties Manukau, 0)
Tupou Vaa’i (Taranaki, 44)
Gideon Wrampling (Waikato, 2)
Malachi Wrampling-Alec (Waikato, 0)
Comments on RugbyPass
“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
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