which team will win super14 in 2008?

[Hamster]

As much I'd love to see it I don't think any Aussie teams will win but you never know. The reds boast a squad you would think they have a good chance but really never do that well.. plz plz plz win some games next year!! Hopefully Mooney can unleash something good.. and doesn't quit at the end of the year. If we stay away from injuries (unlike this year where all our props where getting injured) we should push the opposition.

Lineup
1.Holmes
2.Moore
3.Blake (Thats the Australian front row your looking at, well it should be)
4.Horwill
5.Mcmenimen
6.Gilbert/Houston
7.Croft (should be playing for the Wallabies)
8.Roe
9.Cordinly
10.Barnes
11.Ioane
12.Turinui/Cooper
13.Johanson/Turinui
14.Hynes/Walker/Brown
15.Latham/Schifcofske


Add to that young talent Will Genia at scrumhalf, exciting flyhalf Ben Lucas who I rate more than Quade Cooper, Chris Siale, Rod Simmons whos a lock, and a few others. Should be interesting next season. cant wait.

Force have a pretty good lineup too, rate them the best Aussie team. Waratahs will continue to lose if Dunning and Baxter are playing!!

Force.. solid front row, Matt Hardy is a good bloke and they have Sharpey and young emerging backrower David Pocock whos got a lot of potential. Of course they have a very good backline that can do a lot of damage but I feel they will lack a bit of Ioane on the wing.

Crusaders again look the goods and I reckon they'll win again.. sigh.

Dont know much about the South African teams but they did awesome last year which I didn't expect, with a lot of there players going North and the NZ teams going full strength they wont do as well.

Cant wait for next year!!!

 

[Brodizzle]

Hamster: Also for the Force I think they have added the big islander forward that was tearing it up during the ARC for the Spirit, don't remember his name but some of his runs were outstanding, Palu eat your heart out

As for the loss of Ioane, no biggie, he didn't play much last year, he is an exciting player but can be known to suspect in his handling.....I think because he played so little this year and he had improved his handling a little that he seemed alot more accomplished then he probably would have been shown if more of a regular....

Even so, watch out for Cummins, that boy has a future, I believe Mark Ella said that he is the best piece of young talent he has seen since Matt Giteau.....

Man I am so pumped for the start of the season!

 

[Fushitsusha]

7.Croft (should be playing for the Wallabies)
[/b]

Who's he going to replace in the Wallabies?

He did have an excellent ARC, but he's regularly outplayed by George Smith, Phil Waugh AND Stephen Hoiles. I actually do see Hoiles as a possible future openside flanker for the Wallabies. Especially if they're not going to play him at no. 8.

 

[Brodizzle]

News is that Owen Finegan will be taking up a coaching role at the Brumbies, the Brumby forwards, with his help, should be right mongrels this season....Fear the Finegan!

 

[Fushitsusha]

News is that Owen Finegan will be taking up a coaching role at the Brumbies, the Brumby forwards, with his help, should be right mongrels this season....Fear the Finegan!
[/b]

Australian rugby needs more guys like Finegan.

Eddie Jones is still a twit for not including him in the 2003 World Cup Squad.

Cockbain was useless.

I think this is about the 1000th time I've mentiioned this though.

 

[scuubasteve]

Regarding coaching, I wonder how long the Crusaders and Hurricanes will continue to be coached by Deans and Cooper.

Aussie McLean (Wellington NPC Coach and Canes Assistant Coach) has just stepped down from the NPC role and ex All Black Jamie Joseph has taken over.

And now Henry, Hansen and Smith have to re-apply for their jobs basically meaning that they won't get back in (as this has never happened before).

So Deans will become AB's head coach, with Colin Cooper as AB's Forwards coach. Aussie McLean will then take over the Hurricanes job.

Just a theory, but one that has a growing amount of factual merit.

It's amazing how much the WC shakes rugby to its core.

Even if you do well then everything changes. Goodbye Piere Bebezier from Italy, Brian Ashton (most likely) from England, Bernard Lapasatt from France, Gareth Jenkins from Wales, John Connolly from Australia, Jake White from South Africa, Graeme Henry from New Zealand.

Only Frank Hadden and Eddie O'Sullivan have stuck around. Madness!!

Let alone the upheaval thats about to occur when new coaches are appointed for the Boks, AB's and Wallabies from the S14 coaching ranks.

 

[Caledfwlch]

COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



But in all seriousness, I think the Blues are going to have a **** year this year. With all their top players leaving for greener and muddier pastures. But fingers crossed the younger talents shine!

 

[Fushitsusha]

COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



But in all seriousness, I think the Blues are going to have a **** year this year. With all their top players leaving for greener and muddier pastures. But fingers crossed the younger talents shine!
[/b]

If Nucifora gets the Wallabies' job I wonder what effect it would have on the Blues?

 

[redunderthebed]

News is that Owen Finegan will be taking up a coaching role at the Brumbies, the Brumby forwards, with his help, should be right mongrels this season....Fear the Finegan! [/b]

Hahaha should be good we need all the help we can get this season.

<div class='quotemain'>
News is that Owen Finegan will be taking up a coaching role at the Brumbies, the Brumby forwards, with his help, should be right mongrels this season....Fear the Finegan!
[/b]

Australian rugby needs more guys like Finegan.

Eddie Jones is still a twit for not including him in the 2003 World Cup Squad.

Cockbain was useless.

I think this is about the 1000th time I've mentiioned this though. [/b][/quote]


Eddie Jones is a twit full stop and a traitor too.

I think that the talent is out there to make a good wallabies side but the selection decisions have being crap.

*ducks*

 

[Caledfwlch]

Not much effect on the Blues considering the near **** state they already are in. But if the Nuce gets the Wallay job, I think the Wallabies will go down. And that means joy for the ABs and the Boks!

 

[mimic]

Yeah, I was gutted at losing players like Ali, Howlett and McAlister.
Just when I thought we were gonna have a superstar team, we have players leaving.

Now we've gone from ***le contenders, to top 4 hopefuls.
I won't be surprised if we finish in the middle of the pack, but I'll be very disappointed if we don't continue the good work of this year, in the Super14 and ANZC.

 

[Fushitsusha]

Not much effect on the Blues considering the near **** state they already are in. But if the Nuce gets the Wallay job, I think the Wallabies will go down. And that means joy for the ABs and the Boks!
[/b]

I think Nucifora is a great coach and I doubt he's to blame for the state of the Blues considering he was so successful at the Brumbies despite problems with players there.

The Blues were going excellent last year until their stars came back... there's something to look at...

 

[mimic]

Nah, it was the loss of McAlister that hurt them the most I believe.

Even when the stars did come back, not like they got much game time.

 

[Bull]

I think I'll go with the Sharks.

 

[oliv6613]

Golden Lions !!!

 

[HarryPeters]

Blues probley have the best chance. Looking forward to a great season though.

 

[TyphoonsRugby]

Blues

 

[ballackahn]

blues!!

 

[KZNSharksFan]

Who knows, the front runners are only ever found about five weeks in

 

[quirkealiss]

The Huricanes will be in the final, 100% confident however we have a the common NZ bug of choking, let us not forget all the times we have made the final only to fall short although sometimes it was marginal such as in the fog of Jade. Should be a great competition with loads of talented players, be it missing a few old heads. As for the other finalist, heart says Waikato and head says Canterbury. Canterbury will be stinging after last years shock loss in the semi and will be out for blood. You can forget the ausies and the bok boys, this years ***le is goin to be fought out among the boys of the long white cloud.