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Yeh for sure, he isnt going to go from 1.5 down to a point where the force and RA can actually table a competitive offer.

Force would be the most likely target. They are short on outside backs, and the guy who SHOULD be playing fullback, is an import (tiatia)

Suli is still on one They offered Markymark 750 or 800 total, he took a big cut to go to league. I imagine they would have a similar offer for Petaia, especially as they would have likely been expecting to offer both a topup (albeit a smaller one for petaia originally i suppose)

Yes I would have gone Vaihu or Ripley straight into starting @ 13. Leaving Daugunu, Kellaway and Anderson alone. Oh well.

NPC is the big one! Takes ALOT more to become a NZ Super player - not many teenagers in their squads!

Yeh 100% - forwards get closer when you take out ravai and hodgman (didnt included JTA (Jeffery Toomaga-Allen)), but that still reinforces the gulf - bringing in test caps foreigners and still struggling to beat newly promoted NPC players. The gulf is only partly International Rugby: Hurricanes have 5 capped players...

I will point out that I said 'wallaby talks' - not starters but let's give it a go (note that its off wiki, so potentially not up to date) This is just the starting 15s fyi BACKS Test Players: Hurricanes 3 v Reds 5 Test Caps: Hurricanes 1,2,51 = 54 v Reds 1,4,21,29, 31 = 86 FORWARDS Test...

Should be a win for the reds on paper. But if not, it will again highlight the gulf between guys who are in wallaby talks in Australia Vs guys who are just making the NZ Super Rugby teams.

1. Keita Inagaki 2. Adam Freier 3. Greg Somerville 4. Geoff Parling 5. Adam Coleman 6. Scott Higginbotham 7. Sean McMahon 8. Amanaki Mafi 9. Will Genia 10. Quade Cooper 11. Marika Koroibete 12. Matt To'omua 13. Stirling Mortlock 14. Kotaro Matsushima 15. Kurtley Beale 16. Shota Horie 17...

cut the policy of selecting limited foreign based players. Frees up funds for Super Rugby teams - sure they may still struggle v NZ teams, but they are doing that anyway! - Frees up top ends funds locally - allows a greater allocation to contract more younger players/grassroots etc. "but is Super Rugby teams...

Alot of it was paying off a debt that was due. Basically moved from one loan to another. So not that big a deal.

WELL I am looking forward to seeing them play! Looks like the team this weekend is a reasonable indication of their strongest team. Ignoring unavailbility, this is my A team for round 1. Backs bench is harder for me to pick. 1. Gibbon 2. Mafi 3. Tupou 4. Canham 5. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) 6. Kemeny 8. Leota 7...

I'm sure they do, but having a good rep in france may just mean they simply can't come close to matching an offer if RA don't look like 'valuing' Lolesio

Anyone coming off contract in 2024 is a big problem/opportunity Mafi, Talakai, Eloff -- all should be priority targets for australian Super Rugby teams. Especially the props with so many foreigners being brought in. Tualima in the 2nd row and Maiava in the backrow may be tougher to place, but Maiava is...

Well 30% of the salary cap. So 1.7mil a year. Even if they hadn't, this would still be a shitshow.

Might be back in now!

RA will help in the interim to get the team through 2024. They will do everything to avoid being financial tethered in 2025, even though they need the team to see out the television contract. Interesting Rebels brought up that they were keen on the centralisation aspect, but RA are the ones who...

the average of wing weight will undoubtedly increase of course.

Naiyaravoro would be a good shout - the team in skinny on wings, and everyone knows, fit or not, that guy can score a try in the last 20 minutes every week.

Yeh reds have no space for a 12 - with Paisami, Henry, Annan, JOC (James O'Connor), Flook & Petaia all in the 12/13 channel. Force have playmaker 12's + Foliaki, Spink, Cummins & Odonnell Brumbies have Tua, Creighton, Anderson all 12s, plus Ikitau & Sapsford at 13. Tahs have Tuipolotu and Foketi at 12 then...