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I have him becoming eligible in March of this year. Not sure about a return to New Zealand during Covid, but I don't think he played anywhere over there and he hasn't missed a brumbies season, so there's a good chance any trip back was not long enough to reset that eligibility. That said...

Team of the Week Round 13: Player Team Votes Appearances 1 Harry Hoopert Force 8/9 1 2 Jordan Uelese Rebels 7/9 4 3 Sam Talakai Rebels 6/9 5 4 Jeremy Williams Force 7/9 5 5 Izaack Rodda Force 6/9 1 6 Nick Frost Brumbies 4/9 3 7 Carlo Tizzano Force 6/9 4 8 Rob Valetini...

I back Raiwalui, but a reader poll in the SMH should have absolutely no bearing on who coaches the tahs next.

Looks like it's only a single season, so he could be snapped up for late 2025 for the lions and onwards. That said he sounds pretty happy there so I wouldn't bet on it.

I've only seen bits and pieces but my understanding is they love him there and he's going great in a team that is at the top of the table. So much so that he has re-signed and might not actually be available: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/68445790.amp

For a backrower (if we don't sign a lock instead) Kohan Herbert and Angus Scott-Young look like good options. Depends on where they fit in the squad, particularly if we lose Wright (I hope not).

Assuming we re-sign everyone we want to keep the big changes for me would be a backup hooker, a bigger lock and probably a bit more size in the backline. Putting the Rebels aside for a second, this is where I'd start: Hooker: Feleti Kaitu'u. With the Force signing BPA and Dolly, and Horton...

Makes me pretty excited to see who he brings in for next year now that he's had a season with the team

Great chat with Toomaga-Allen on this weeks Socks Up podcast. I've really enjoyed what he's brought to the team, on and off the field. Was also great to hear how Les won him over and that he actually swooped in to sign him when the Force had been talking to him.

All the reporting friendly or otherwise has quoted $21-30 million. My reckoning is the same as yours - that will only cover that 2 year commitment in the DOCA. I expect they'd need something more like $50 million to get to 2030, around double what they appear to have. So much around any...

This is a big part of it, but the rest is that the consortium doesn't appear to have enough money to support the team through to a period of stability, and if it fails RA will be right back on the hook again with a few more years of losses weighing them down further. Without a solid runway...

He's on the bench for Moana playing against the tahs for this exact game, can't see them doing the old juniors jersey swap to make numbers. Not unless the tahs forfeit first.

I was wrong on both counts but still good re-signings - Nonggorr and Blake, both for 2 years: https://reds.rugby/news/zane-nonggorr-and-george-blake-resign-with-queensland-reds-2024522 Nonggorr in particular is just starting to really come into his own.

I'm hoping Wright and Smirh

Foote looks to have under performed with the squad available to him much more than Wessels ever did I think. Wessels did look to be building something once he finally worked out how to integrate Force players, which he admitted to getting wrong initially. Just couldn't quite get through that...

I expect he's not because the Rebels don't want to risk him ahead of the finals. Probably keen to rotate a bit for their trip to Fiji next week too.

Dire: https://www.rugby.com.au/news/super-rugby-pacific-2024-teams-round-14-announcement-squad-lists-changes-injuries-how-to-watch-2024521 It might be a long time before any team risks loaning the tahs a player again. Oh and:

I'm not sure I'd be in a rush to grab any of them. Parling is probably the one I rate most highly and he's off with the Wallabies. Sampson the next most likely either as an outside chance for head coach or more likely as an assistant.

Toole and Muirhead on the wings may actually blunt Wright's game - he's looked his best this year with Sapsford there to give him a few more options at the back and take some of the pressure off.

Part of the answer for them has to be looking to the sunny coast. There has been a real lift in top class players coming out of Sunshine Coast Grammar recently and there are clearly good things going on up there. There's a lot more to it than that, but if they can establish themselves as the...