Nonu to move to the Chiefs next year

[Shaggy]

The New Zealand website Stuff are reporting that Ma'a Nonu may move from the Hurricanes to the Chiefs next year - this could be on the cards given that Hurricanes coach, Mark Hammett has indicated that he wants a player clean out.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/5101764/Chiefs-making-eyes-at-Hurricane-Ma-a-Nonu

Chiefs making eyes at Hurricane Ma'a Nonu
DAVID LONG Last updated 05:00 05/06/2011

All Blacks midfielder Ma'a Nonu looks set to play for the Chiefs next season.

The Hurricanes midfielder has been offered a two-year deal by the NZRU which he is close to accepting and once he does that he'll transfer his rugby base from Wellington to Hamilton.

It will be a dramatic move for Nonu, who has been with the Hurricanes since he made his debut against the Crusaders in 2003.

As was reported by the Sunday Star-Times last week, Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett is planning a clear out for next year. Nonu's departure seems to be the first clear indication of that.

Hosea Gear, Nonu, Piri Weepu, Andrew Hore and Cory Jane are all of contract at the end of the season.

Hore, the current skipper, has already been told he won't be wanted, while Nonu, a passionate Hurricanes player with 108 appearances for the franchise to his name appears to have been pushed rather than wanting to go.

Nonu's midfield partnership with Conrad Smith has been successful at Super Rugby and All Blacks level, but playing inside Richard Kahui at the Chiefs could be equally as productive.

Incoming Chiefs coach Dave Rennie knows Nonu and gave him his first break in rugby, picking him in 2002 when he was coach of the Wellington Lions.

The Chiefs have a high need for a No 12 next season with Dwayne Sweeney moving to Japan and Tana Umaga recently celebrating his 38th birthday.

At the Hurricanes Jayden Hayward would be able to slot into second five. The Taranaki midfielder has had a strong season for the Hurricanes after two frustrating years at the Highlanders where he struggled to get game time.

Hammett appears to have young All Blacks loose forward Victor Vito in his sights as the next Hurricanes captain.

Meanwhile, it's possible Chiefs prop Ben May could be going in the other direction â€" down State Highway 1 from Hamilton to the capital.

May is wanted by Rennie and Hammett next season and are in a tug of war for his services. Hammett wants to sign two experienced props to replace the departing Neemia Tialata and John Schwalger.

- Sunday Star Times

 

[nickdnz]

If this turns out to be true, and there is a player clean out, I will not longer support the Hurricanes. Hammet should be given the boot rather than the senior players, and this is pretty shocking by the franchise. With no Weepu, Gear, Hore, Tialata, Schwalger, Jane or Nonu the Hurricanes will become the worst franchise in the entire competiton, especially considering it's the backs who are winning the games. I hope this is all just speculation, but if not I will be pretty mad.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Sounds promising to see Nonu repping our beautiful Chiefs colors. Hopefully Gear tags alone.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Jeesh, Weepu, Nonu, Smith and Gear are probably the premier players in their positions in NZ. How could you not want them to play for your team? Hore has been struggling with injuries of late but he is a clever footballer and the type of player that you want to captain a side. Interesting times. I expect most of the S15 teams will look a lot different after the WRC... but mostly because of senior players moving on, not a drain imposed by the staff.

Who would eb likely replacements? I know Elliot is a shoe-in for Hore but who would fill the shoes of those backs? I'd say keep the backs and invest in a quality tight 5 and the Hurricanes would be in a position to really push for a ***le. Might this be based on money IE those players becoming too expensive for the 'Canes to retain (I know that is the biggest problem with the Cheetahs)?

 

[lance2010]

If this turns out to be true, and there is a player clean out, I will not longer support the Hurricanes. Hammet should be given the boot rather than the senior players, and this is pretty shocking by the franchise. With no Weepu, Gear, Hore, Tialata, Schwalger, Jane or Nonu the Hurricanes will become the worst franchise in the entire competiton, especially considering it's the backs who are winning the games. I hope this is all just speculation, but if not I will be pretty mad.

Im with you on this i be supporting the Chiefs if it happens,Hammet trying to turn the Canes into a Crusaders team,i hope the Chiefs get Nonu and Jane or Gear too.Dave Rennie coaching the Chiefs next year so its all good Nonu/Kahui mid field that's just as good as Nonu/Smith.Waikato Chiefs to win it next year if Nonu and Gear or Jane jump on board.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Im with you on this i be supporting the Chiefs if it happens,Hammet trying to turn the Canes into a Crusaders team,i hope the Chiefs get Nonu and Jane or Gear too.Dave Rennie coaching the Chiefs next year so its all good Nonu/Kahui mid field that's just as good as Nonu/Smith.Waikato Chiefs to win it next year if Nonu and Gear or Jane jump on board.

Not if they don't have a first five

 

[lance2010]

Not if they don't have a first five

Hopefully they pick someone up in the draft,any good 1st fives going around???

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Hopefully they pick someone up in the draft,any good 1st fives going around???

There are rumours that Cruden will go to the Chiefs, dunno how much truth there is to them.

Otherwise the Chiefs may have to use Renata, or possibly someone like Baden Kerr if he comes along well in the ITM Cup.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Already looking forward to next season, the next game is against the Canes so should be good to see which canes are doing well

 

[BjR]

Quite an exciting prospect. Then again, Rennie's also likely to have a clean-out.

 

[Sneaki]

I really hope it's not true, generally people can be too quick to criticize coaches when their team has a bad season but Hammett has just been awful. The way he's handled Hore especially has been shocking and what have Jane, Nonu, Gear and Weepu done wrong exactly? Besides being injured which is bound to happen once in a while.

I'm also not sure who I'd support if some of my favourite players are just told to bugger off. I couldn't bring myself to support the Crusaders or Highlanders, I guess I'd be boring Blues fan with an eye on the Chiefs as well...

 

[Amobokoboko]

I see your point but the Chiefs aren't boring, they are so unpredictable.
I think the Canes will have lots of new talent coming thru next season.

 

[cyRil]

Why are the Hurricanes fans all shouting off that they're gonna ditch their team?!
As an Ospreys fan, I've had to live with sub-standard management for the better part of 5 years, as well as an exodus of our best players leaving this summer - James Hook, Lee Byrne, Mike Phillips, Jerry Collins, Marty Holah.
There's just rumours of your guys going and you can't jump ship quick enough! What's the deal?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Why are the Hurricanes fans all shouting off that they're gonna ditch their team?!
As an Ospreys fan, I've had to live with sub-standard management for the better part of 5 years, as well as an exodus of our best players leaving this summer - James Hook, Lee Byrne, Mike Phillips, Jerry Collins, Marty Holah.
There's just rumours of your guys going and you can't jump ship quick enough! What's the deal?

Ah, tell me about it
Sale went from topping the league/winning the playoffs to just-about-avoiding-relegation-repeatedly, and I haven't thought about not supporting

 

[nickdnz]

Well it hasn't happened yet but if a majority of the team you support get shafted by a new coach, it's not really your team is it. It's one thing for a club to say "well, we can't afford so-and-so, so we have to let them go and recruit from the academies, however Super Rugby franchises are not independantly funded, their funded by the NZRU, so there is no excuse to let the top players in the team go, especially to a new franchise and when your team is sitting second to the bottom of the table. It's mistreatment of players and it's not acceptable for a new coach to do. In the Osprays, the loss of talent has come from the players not wishing to remain at the club for the amount they are getting paid. Hook, Philips and Byrne are all going to get a better pay and Holah and Collins are both ageing with better options becoming avalible. The top players in the Hurricanes are arguably in the best form of their lives and they're not being offered a chance to re-sign.

These could all be rumors in which case there's no reason to riot.

 

[lance2010]

Well it hasn't happened yet but if a majority of the team you support get shafted by a new coach, it's not really your team is it. It's one thing for a club to say "well, we can't afford so-and-so, so we have to let them go and recruit from the academies, however Super Rugby franchises are not independantly funded, their funded by the NZRU, so there is no excuse to let the top players in the team go, especially to a new franchise and when your team is sitting second to the bottom of the table. It's mistreatment of players and it's not acceptable for a new coach to do. In the Osprays, the loss of talent has come from the players not wishing to remain at the club for the amount they are getting paid. Hook, Philips and Byrne are all going to get a better pay and Holah and Collins are both ageing with better options becoming avalible. The top players in the Hurricanes are arguably in the best form of their lives and they're not being offered a chance to re-sign.

These could all be rumors in which case there's no reason to riot.

Well said bro...Check this out
http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&so...sg=AFQjCNElC0qnfWtQHs-wSKQJjyxCwi_9Xg&cad=rja

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Well it hasn't happened yet but if a majority of the team you support get shafted by a new coach, it's not really your team is it. It's one thing for a club to say "well, we can't afford so-and-so, so we have to let them go and recruit from the academies, however Super Rugby franchises are not independantly funded, their funded by the NZRU, so there is no excuse to let the top players in the team go, especially to a new franchise and when your team is sitting second to the bottom of the table. It's mistreatment of players and it's not acceptable for a new coach to do. In the Osprays, the loss of talent has come from the players not wishing to remain at the club for the amount they are getting paid. Hook, Philips and Byrne are all going to get a better pay and Holah and Collins are both ageing with better options becoming avalible. The top players in the Hurricanes are arguably in the best form of their lives and they're not being offered a chance to re-sign.

These could all be rumors in which case there's no reason to riot.

Not simply the case, a new coaching set up failed to really deliver at the Ospreys. Lets get this straight, Phillips was transfers listed for his attitude and performance, Hook was offered a good deal but did not wish to remain, Byrne similar to Hook. As for Collins Ospreys declined to offer him a deal and not that other options were open to him at the time and Holah you could argue that an offer to end his career in Waikato was to juicy to miss. Ospreys have fallen from grace because of the setup that has been put in place and the fall out has begun two years on.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Well it hasn't happened yet but if a majority of the team you support get shafted by a new coach, it's not really your team is it. It's one thing for a club to say "well, we can't afford so-and-so, so we have to let them go and recruit from the academies, however Super Rugby franchises are not independantly funded, their funded by the NZRU, so there is no excuse to let the top players in the team go, especially to a new franchise and when your team is sitting second to the bottom of the table. It's mistreatment of players and it's not acceptable for a new coach to do. In the Osprays, the loss of talent has come from the players not wishing to remain at the club for the amount they are getting paid. Hook, Philips and Byrne are all going to get a better pay and Holah and Collins are both ageing with better options becoming avalible. The top players in the Hurricanes are arguably in the best form of their lives and they're not being offered a chance to re-sign.

These could all be rumors in which case there's no reason to riot.

Not simply the case, a new coaching set up failed to really deliver at the Ospreys. Lets get this straight, Phillips was transfers listed for his attitude and performance, Hook was offered a good deal but did not wish to remain, Byrne similar to Hook. As for Collins Ospreys declined to offer him a deal and not that other options were open to him at the time and Holah you could argue that an offer to end his career in Waikato was to juicy to miss. Ospreys have fallen from grace because of the setup that has been put in place and the fall out has begun two years on.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Well it hasn't happened yet but if a majority of the team you support get shafted by a new coach, it's not really your team is it. It's one thing for a club to say "well, we can't afford so-and-so, so we have to let them go and recruit from the academies, however Super Rugby franchises are not independantly funded, their funded by the NZRU, so there is no excuse to let the top players in the team go, especially to a new franchise and when your team is sitting second to the bottom of the table. It's mistreatment of players and it's not acceptable for a new coach to do. In the Osprays, the loss of talent has come from the players not wishing to remain at the club for the amount they are getting paid. Hook, Philips and Byrne are all going to get a better pay and Holah and Collins are both ageing with better options becoming avalible. The top players in the Hurricanes are arguably in the best form of their lives and they're not being offered a chance to re-sign.

These could all be rumors in which case there's no reason to riot.

Well it does work both ways. I have been supporting the Chiefs since 2000 with personal highlights in 2007,2008,2009 when I was in NZ and was able to see some live games. And if you look at their history it hasn't been the most exciting team to follow but they keep on pushing things and I love the atmosphere. Having had Tana in the squad this year was just awesome as he's my fav. AB.

But I don't want to see the Chiefs turn into a satellite club where other franchises store their top players. It's true that we don't have the depth like other teams but we use the means we have. Having Ma'a as a replacement for Sweeney/ Tana is fine but a merge of the Canes/ Chiefs will feel quiet odd. Just as you say that the entire team will be restyled.

 

[04perryo]

shud move to worcester lol