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Chiefs sign Muliaina and Fruean

Started by Monkey D Luffy8 REPLIES206 VIEWS· 18 Oct 2013, 19:31
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Monkey D Luffy
Pro6,277 posts
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Monkey D LuffyPro6,277 posts
18 Oct 2013, 19:31
#1
18 Oct 2013, 19:31#1

Chiefs sign Muliaina and Fruean


The Investec Super Rugby back-to-back Champions, the Chiefs have signed Mils Muliaina and Robbie Fruean to complete the Chiefs main squad for the 2014 Investec Super Rugby season.



Super Rugby and All Blacks centurion, Muliaina returns to the Chiefs after two years playing in Japan for NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes. The 33 year-old is keen to return to top level rugby in New Zealand and his versatility covering the back three and midfield will enhance the Chiefs depth and experience.

Mils Muliaina said "I have really enjoyed my time in Japan playing for a great company, NTT DoCoMo but I am grateful for the opportunity to play Super Rugby again in New Zealand for another team that I am passionate about."

Robbie Fruean returns to Super Rugby after undergoing successful heart valve surgery. The 25 year-olds’ rehabilitation is progressing well with Fruean having returned to full exercise training and is on track to return to contact training and playing in early 2014.

“I am thankful for the chance to return to rugby at this level and am really looking forward to the Chiefs environment and the beginning of a new and important chapter for me,” said Fruean.

Chiefs coach Dave Rennie is happy with the final additions to his side. “Mils and Robbie are both proven talents and top men. We know the value they will add to our side. Robbie is big and powerful and Mils is one of the most experienced players in New Zealand rugby so both are great additions to our squad.”

Mils Muliaina is 1.84m and 93kg. He has played 100 All Blacks tests and 104 Super Rugby matches for the Chiefs and Blues. Muliaina won a Commonwealth Gold medal at the Manchester games with the New Zealand Sevens team and played his ITM Cup for Waikato and Auckland.

Robbie Fruean is 1.90m and 110kg. He has played his Super Rugby for the Crusaders and Hurricanes and represented Canterbury and Wellington in the ITM Cup.

Muliaina will join the Chiefs in February at the conclusion of his Japanese season and Fruean will assemble with the Chiefs for pre-season at the end of November.
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Monkey D Luffy
Pro6,277 posts
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Monkey D LuffyPro6,277 posts
18 Oct 2013, 19:33
#2
18 Oct 2013, 19:33#2

ok lets face it, chiefs have won the 2014 spXV, dont know what the odds are, but im willing to put a grand on it right now.

its not really mills signature which has me OMG, even though his inclusion is a huge huge bonus, but losing out on SBW and getting fruean instead is a pretty freaking amazing consolation prize and a double whammy considering the chiefs biggest threat is the crusaders and theyve just taken an important weapon out of their arsenal and added it to theirs.

looking at the chiefs possible team with only the players who have been confirmed, * = All Blacks cap, (*) = international cap,,,
1 jamie mackintosh *
2 hika elliot *
3 ben afeaki *
4 mike fitzgerald
5 brodie retallick *
6 liam messam *
7 taniera latimer *
8 kane thompson
9 tarewa kerr barlow *
10 aaron cruden *
11 asaeli tikrotuma
12 robbie fruean
13 tim nanai williams
14 tom marshall
15 gareth anscombe

16 rhys marshall
17 ben taumafuina
18 olecruz (*)
19 sam cane *
20 agustine pulu
21 robbie robinson
22 mils muliaina *

and they still have the likes of
bundee aki
charles ngati
andrew horrel
matt van leven
mahroni schwalger (*)
ross filipo
nick croswell

its ridiculous depth, ive never seen any team in all of super rugby with depth this good, not even the crusaders in any year was this unbelievably strong,
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clevermike
Coach57,555 posts
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clevermikeCoach57,555 posts
18 Oct 2013, 20:03
#3
18 Oct 2013, 20:03#3
 Sasue They could not get SBW and are really dredging the pits now. LMAO. Muliaina is way past his best and Fruean is a defensive disaster. LMAO again.
BA
black adder
Club Pro196 posts
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black adderClub Pro196 posts
18 Oct 2013, 20:39
#4
18 Oct 2013, 20:39#4

 SBW who????

They did'nt need him last year did they?

.... and now they've got two classy players to bolster their centres SBW may get quite a bit of bench time if he comes back to the Chiefs.

 

Amazing recovery from Freuan though to come back from major heart surgery like that - that takes real ticker...

  Chiefs certainly a force to be reckoned with next year but so are Blues if you're to believe the hype not to mention the Canes.

 Look at the demo job Wellington Lions did on Counties last night. 

 

Of course the Crusaders will be their usual competitive self as well so bring on Super 15 2015...

 

What South African Super XV teams should we be looking out for next year Clever mike?

Share some more of your pearls of wizdumb with us why don't you.

BE
Beeno1
Captain40,032 posts
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Beeno1Captain40,032 posts
18 Oct 2013, 21:55
#5
18 Oct 2013, 21:55#5
ou maaaikie it got too obvious when they were loading the crusties year after year via central contracting so they switched now to the chiefies.However will the wee chiefies be able to handle the top SA sides. Last year an injury depleted Stormers side whipped them.
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black adder
Club Pro196 posts
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black adderClub Pro196 posts
18 Oct 2013, 23:30
#6
18 Oct 2013, 23:30#6

Beanob as mentioned previously, the All Blacks are distributed fairly evenly through the Super Rugby franchises as shown. Would you like a hand to count the players ?

Looks like biggest no of ABs emanates from the Hurricanes .

 

All Blacks wider training squad:

Blues: Frank Halai, Steven Luatua, Keven Mealamu, Charles Piutau, Rene Ranger, Francis Saili, Piri Weepu and Charlie Faumuina.

 

Chiefs: Ben Afeaki, Sam Cane, Aaron Cruden, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Liam Messam ,Brodie Retallick and Tanerau Latimer.

 

Hurricanes: Beauden Barrett, Dane Coles, Ben Franks, TJ Perenara, Julian Savea, Brad Shields, Conrad Smith, Jeff Toomaga-Allen , Victor Vito, Jeremy Thrush and Corey Jane.

 

Crusaders: Dominic Bird, Daniel Carter, Wyatt Crockett, Israel Dagg, Owen Franks, Kieran Read, Luke Romano, Tom Taylor and Sam Whitelock.

 

Highlanders: Hosea Gear, Andrew Hore, Ma'a Nonu, Aaron Smith, Ben Smith and Tony Woodcock

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clevermike
Coach57,555 posts
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clevermikeCoach57,555 posts
18 Oct 2013, 23:43
#7
18 Oct 2013, 23:43#7

Black Adder

 

 

Watch out for the Sharks and Stormers next year   while the Cheetahs at home is very dangerous.   Problem with the Chiefs is - they just have not got the tight five - but a very good backline.   They are going to suffer badly as a result.

 

The pronelm is that Freuan is a strong guy with ball in hand - but useless in defence.   He will leave a great gap to be covered by other defenders as a result.

BA
black adder
Club Pro196 posts
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black adderClub Pro196 posts
19 Oct 2013, 00:15
#8
19 Oct 2013, 00:15#8

 Clever Mike From memory the Chiefs scored the most points last year with the least amount of ball.

They seem to get by with the forwards they have as only Cane and Messam were reps anyway with Latimer covering in SA but not playing for the ABs.

 

You seem to put far too much emphasis on the forwards but it's their backs that makes your teams look like amateurs. Running rugby is NZ style and watchout for their counter attacks.

 

Not discounting the fact the Chiefs have some of the best loose forwards on the world stage representing NZ. Front row forwards Hika Reid and Afeaki also ABs though aren't they?

 

And the Chiefs locks are new to the team so you can't really comment without even seeing them play can you?

 

The Stormers and Sharks will be found wanting i think mate.

 

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Monkey D Luffy
Pro6,277 posts
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Monkey D LuffyPro6,277 posts
19 Oct 2013, 13:09
#9
19 Oct 2013, 13:09#9
@beeno1 aka storminged,

"However will the wee chiefies be able to handle the top SA sides. Last year an injury depleted Stormers side whipped them."
proving u wrong is like fishing with dynamite.
chiefs never played the stormers last year, every team misses out on one team from another conference and in 2012 the chiefs and stormers never faced each other.

BTW chiefs have won the spXV title twice, how many times have the stormers won it???

@mikey,
are u in needling mode??? cos ur LMAO feels very fake and forced, bawahahahaha,

i disgaree with ur freuan assessment, its not his defense which is a worry, its his lack of work, a big part of why he will prob never be an All Black.
is it because of his bad ticker??? hmmmmmm
i dont think it is, cos his defense and attack has been of the highest order every single time.
freuan would have made every national team in the world including the Boks, but hes still not good enough to be an All Black, cos that level requires more then what fruean has produced.

under the chiefs, fruean is going to be a killer, cos he will be coached by reenie and smith instead of blackadder who IMO is very overrated.
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