Hurricanes 2026
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So do Canes fans reckon Jason Holland coming back is a good move or not?
I'd be interested to know if he was actually rated by the players between 2016-2023 or if was just a middling coach but nice guy who players wouldn't have a bad word to say about, which like Foster is the overriding vibe I got from him.
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@restofit Hard to say, there were some tough years while he was in fully charge, but hard to blame squarely on Holland as we were fielding some absolute battlers through those years, which could be put down to poor squad management and losing a tonne of guys through 2019-20-21
In a way, the guys that have hit their straps in the last few years (Love, Proctor, Lakai, Kirifi, Flanders, etc) probably started their time and development under Holland, so some credit due there potentially.
I rate Laidlaw, he seems like hes a bit of a hard ass and thats likely what a lot of these guys need sometimes, and as a sevens man probably drills them hard for conditioning etc, while being slightly removed from the All Blacks/NZR silo. If Holland can influence some more progressive selections in the backline that would be a good outcome. Overall i think its surely likely to be a net benefit to have him helping manage a large squad, but hard to say it will be the deciding factor in any success we have (or not)
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@Boourns said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Darren said in Hurricanes 2026:
If he is that good, give him a Billy Proctor contract.
From what I've seen of him, he has all the talent in the world, a big boot (bigger than most pro players), size, and he's not afraid of barking orders to older players in his team. If I had to compare his playing style to anyone that we've seen over the last twenty years, he'd be the most similar to Larkham.
I think he's a very good Basketball player as well, so let's hope he chooses rugby and the Canes secure his talents long term.
He was in the NZ u15s basketball team last year but is seemingly concentrating fully on rugby. Imagine getting asked "so what are you doing over the holidays bro?" "just training with Canes, and you?"
Another good prospect his year at Stream is Thomas the Tank Engine's son who is a winger, just ran 10.7 and came third at the nationals in the 100, 200m at the NZSS meet, he is in yr 11 as well, so that's pretty quick.
Maybe the re-financed Canes are getting a bit more serious about player development to ward off the emegering threat from the NRL.
Thanks for the info mate, sounds like you're pretty close to the St Pats Stream setup. I'm glad the Canes have got Cooper in the environment already, it's very obvious from the few matches I've watched that he's class. Haven't really seen a 10 this promising at college level rugby in Wellington for a long time, so great to see.
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@restofit said in Hurricanes 2026:
So do Canes fans reckon Jason Holland coming back is a good move or not?
I'd be interested to know if he was actually rated by the players between 2016-2023 or if was just a middling coach but nice guy who players wouldn't have a bad word to say about, which like Foster is the overriding vibe I got from him.
The biggest thing I didn't like about Holland was his selections, he was very conservative (a bit like Laidlaw), so with both of them involved I hope it doesn't prevent them from playing Love at 10 next year.
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Kirifi back at the Canes a month early. Legend
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@Canes4life I used to really dislike him as a player, thought he was a bit dirty and didn't have much going on, but I'm a convert now. He's got a great attitude: a great super season meant he got a taste of the top level where he didn't set the world on fire, and his response is to come back early and get training.
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@reprobate said in Hurricanes 2026:
@Canes4life I used to really dislike him as a player, thought he was a bit dirty and didn't have much going on, but I'm a convert now. He's got a great attitude: a great super season meant he got a taste of the top level where he didn't set the world on fire, and his response is to come back early and get training.
Yeah he’s turned into one of the best leaders in Nz rugby. I think he even admitted himself he was a bit of a ratbag when he first came onto the scene, but he’s really flourishing. Unfortunately his size means his international experience will be limited but you can’t knock his character and willingness to give everything for the teams he plays for.
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I can remember Jordie saying a few years ago that Holland was one of his best /favourite coaches. If the senior players didn’t like him he wouldn’t have been contracted back in!
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@Canes4life the What a Lad podcast with Dupes was exceptional … well worth a listen about chasing dreams and achieving them.
