Hurricanes 2022 Season
Where do we start with the Hurricanes in 2022? A topsy turvy season ultimately ended with a rather large thud on a cold brisk night in Canberra over the weekend and it was a game that summed up their season perfectly.
The story of the year for the Canes has been their inconsistency in performance. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance, but they’ve also shown major frailties in their game that continue to cost them when it matters most.
There are three areas the Hurricanes must improve on if they are going to threaten for the title in 2023.
Set piece and maul defence: once again the Hurricanes really struggled to gain any sort of parity upfront and at line-out time against the stronger sides in 2022, especially when the game was on the line. They weren’t the worst team in the league by any stretch but when it came down to big moments in big games, they failed to deliver. Narrow losses to the Crusaders, Chiefs and most recently the Brumbies on Saturday highlighted a real need to improve in this area for 2023.
Inconsistency in selection: to the bemusement of most fans on social media and plenty of Canes fans on here, I don’t think Holland selected the same XV for more than one game this year, instead choosing to rotate his squad in the hope of keeping them fresh, while navigating a COVID interrupted schedule. Inconsistency in selection ultimately meant inconsistency in performance for this team and it will be something they should be looking to improve on strategically for 2023.
Relying too heavily on the Canes big four: The Hurricanes revolve their game around four players - Jordie Barrett, TJ Perenara, Ardie Savea and Dane Coles and this season was no different. Take two or more of them out of the side and the Canes will usually drop a level or two in performance. Again, this was no more evident than their most recent performance against the Brumbies on Saturday. Going forward they need to figure out how to compete at the highest level without those four players. If they can do that next year, they will be in with a shout.
Stocks on the rise
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Hurricanes in 2022. Besides the big four, Justin Sangster, Aiden Morgan, Josh Moorby, TK Howden, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Brayden Iose and Bailyn Sullivan all made statement performances throughout the year and they will all be looking to take that form into 2023.
Stocks that plummeted in 2023
Asafo Aumua, Peter Umaga-Jensen and Tyrel Lomax probably had campaigns to forget for different reasons. They’ve all spent time in the All Black’s environment but probably didn't enhance their credentials in 2022. Hopefully they can find their form again in the NPC so they can hit the ground running for the Canes in 2023.
Where do we need to recruit for 2023?
Tight five: this was a seriously weak area for the Canes in 2022 so getting both a world-class prop and a world-class lock will be high on the agenda for them during the off-season.
Wings: with the reliable Wes Goosen moving on, the Canes need to find a couple of wingers to add to their arsenal. Whether that’s targeting players from other franchises or looking to the NPC for a couple gold nuggets, they will be on the hunt for a couple classy finishers to add depth to an area that has historically been a strength.
Season grade: 5/10
Hurricanes awards, highlights and lowlights for 2022:
MVP: Ardie Savea
Rookie of the year: Josh Moorby (honourable mentions - Justin Sangster, Aiden Morgan) Most improved: Bailyn Sullivan Magic moment: Ardie Savea’s match winner against the Blues in Dunedin. Best performance: vs Blues Worst performance: vs Moana Pasifika
'The midfield is where I want to end up': Julian Savea wants All Blacks No 12 jersey
Former All Blacks star Julian Savea says he wants to return to the New Zealand national side - but as a second-five rather than a wing.
@Duluth said in Hurricanes 2022:
Does anyone want to write a review of the Canes season, like Southernmann did for the Highlanders? Or a more positive thing looking towards 2023?
Simple:
Shit results, garbage coaching & decent talent emerging
@Mackerzzzz said in Hurricanes 2022:
@Duluth said in Hurricanes 2022:
Does anyone want to write a review of the Canes season, like Southernmann did for the Highlanders? Or a more positive thing looking towards 2023?
Simple:
Shit results, garbage coaching & decent talent emerging
And leaving.
@Canes4life this is making me realise we only got to see the canes clash with the blues once this season.. will the draw in terms of the 3 additional derby games you play be shaken up next season?
@FakatavaFuture said in Hurricanes 2022:
@Canes4life this is making me realise we only got to see the canes clash with the blues once this season.. will the draw in terms of the 3 additional derby games you play be shaken up next season?
The line from SANZAR is it is based on seeding with an emphasis on derbys. Whatever the fuck that means, but you'd imagine they would move the double ups around
There's three losses in a row which killed any momentum this season
The shock loss to Pasifika (19-24) then that was followed by two narrow losses to the Chiefs (29-30) and Crusaders (21-24). The Canes played very well in that Crusaders loss.
A bit more luck in those weeks and the season would've looked a lot better
@Duluth said in Hurricanes 2022:
There's three losses in a row which killed any momentum this season
The shock loss to Pasifika (19-24) then that was followed by two narrow losses to the Chiefs (29-30) and Crusaders (21-24). The Canes played very well in that Crusaders loss.
A bit more luck in those weeks and the season would've looked a lot better
Those results are the manifestations of the underlying issues C4L outlined
@Duluth said in Hurricanes 2022:
On the recruitment, I think you'll probably pick up Plumtree. He's off contract, stuck behind very good players and he would start every week for the Canes
If only Kirifi had an IQ higher than 70 you'd have a very good backrow
Not necessarily, I would pick Howden before Plumtree. Howden looks like the perfect 6 for us going forward but at 20 years old he just needs more time in the saddle to develop that physical edge. I feel Delany also has that lock/6 position in the squad nailed down aswell, he was pretty solid for us this year and is the same age as Plumtree. Plumtree might find more game time at the Highlanders or elsewhere.
@Mackerzzzz that won’t happen aslong as Holland hangs around like a bad smell.
@Mackerzzzz said in Hurricanes 2022:
As long as prinsep and Blackwell dissappear.
They didn't exactly help the Tight five situation.
TBH Blackwell was much improved 2nd half of the season. The ones I want to really see the back of, are Princep, Fat-Bishop, and Kirifi
Kirifi 
@Canes4life
The Canes do not necessarily need a worldclass lock : they just need to combine their best players (Sangster + IWL and Delany on the bench). Parsons also did well in his few outings. Of course, a worldclass lock would be useful. But who ?
@Machpants said in Hurricanes 2022:
@Mackerzzzz said in Hurricanes 2022:
As long as prinsep and Blackwell dissappear.
They didn't exactly help the Tight five situation.
TBH Blackwell was much improved 2nd half of the season. The ones I want to really see the back of, are Princep, Fat-Bishop, and Kirifi
Kirifi
Realy?! He is faaaaaar to small for a lock
@Mackerzzzz said in Hurricanes 2022:
@Machpants said in Hurricanes 2022:
@Mackerzzzz said in Hurricanes 2022:
As long as prinsep and Blackwell dissappear.
They didn't exactly help the Tight five situation.
TBH Blackwell was much improved 2nd half of the season. The ones I want to really see the back of, are Princep, Fat-Bishop, and Kirifi
Kirifi
Realy?! He is faaaaaar to small for a lock
It's the Canes way...
But seriously he worked as hard as normal, but actually seemed far more effective as the season went on
From the club rugby website under 'Oriental Rongotai':
Changes include at halfback where Swayde Brightwell comes in for George Sims and Siale Lauki for PJ Sheck in the front row and Tito Ioane at No. 8 for departing Hurricane Reed Prinsep and Lipa Saveatama returning to the bench.
This means he's leaving the Canes, isn't it; not just leaving Ories? Or is it just about him leaving for Canterbury (NPC)?
Key club rugby clashes tomorrow as first round finish draws closer
@Canes4life It must have been close between Moorby and Sullivan for Rookie of the Year. They should have given the Hunters Award to a player who hasn't played for the senior team, assuming the Hunters award is for development player of the year.
@Stargazer Sullivan has played Super Rugby already so don’t think he qualifies as a rookie. Aiden Morgan could have won rookie of the year aswell.
Would of had Harry Godfrey as Under 20s player of the year aswell, followed closely by Peter Lakai.
You’d think as captain, Ardie could have worn a shirt being an awards night and all.
@Canes4life I think rookie of the year is for first-year Hurricanes, not first-year SR players.
By the way, have you seen my 3 previous posts in this thread? Surprised about the lack of reaction haha.
@Stargazer if it’s for first year being a Hurricane then Sullivan would have a case but Moorby deserves it aswell.
Holy shit, really good news about Dan Cron, now can they please sweep the rest of the coaching staff.
Fidow is a shame but he was never going to be good enough to be a Super level prop going forward. I would have moved him to either hooker or number 8, he could have been hard to handle running off the back of the scrum.
I hope that Prinsep news is true, he’s done his dash IMO, no real reason for him to stay in NZ.
@Crazy-Horse Reading between the lines, I got the idea that he himself doesn't know, yet.
@Stargazer That's the way I read it too. You certainly would not sign him as a prop solely on his propping ability at the top levels in Europe but Japan might be an option.
@Stargazer Hopefully it means he’s leaving and seen the writing on the wall he’s contracted until the end of the 2023 season so hopefully he’s been released early.
As for Fidow it’s a shame he never developed into anything more can be so destructive with the ball but couldn’t scrummage.
@mikey07 Yeah, I'm not sure. It's hard to say with the way they wrote it on the club rugby website. Sometimes players are released early, but it doesn't happen very often in SR.
@Stargazer maybe a Japanese club offered him a lucrative deal and the Canes are happy to release him given the depth they have.
@mikey07 said in Hurricanes 2022:
@Stargazer maybe a Japanese club offered him a lucrative deal and the Canes are happy to release him given the depth they have.
I really hope that’s the case. We’ve got some really good young loose-forwards coming through and we don’t need Reed getting in the way.