I am prone to exaggeration but I firmly believe the Highlanders have just signed the best winger in the world – Hosea Gear.
Gear visited our beautiful city (Dunedin) late last season to see if his new family structure would fit, and by all accounts it does – result!
Jamie Joseph and co. deserve a hearty pat on the back for a huge coup.
”Despite missing out on the All Blacks for the World Cup, he is committed to wanting to get back into the All Blacks and is excited about bringing his family down here and playing for the team,” Joseph told the Otago Daily Times in confirming the signing.
When Gear missed All Black selection the chance of seeing him in New Zealand let alone Dunedin looked next to impossible.
But, Gear has signed and with it another nail is hammered into the Hurricanes chances for 2012.
Gear, 27, follows Ma’a Nonu (Blues), Andrew Hore (Highlanders), Piri Weepu (Blues) and Aaron Cruden (Chiefs) out of the 2011 Hurricanes.
Coach Mark Hammett’s decision not to re-sign Nonu and Hore is now starting to look like it has back-fired.
On a positive note however for Wellingtonians was the news last week when All Black Cory Jane confirmed he was staying with the Hurricanes next year.
Gear is a marquee signing for the Highlanders, providing an outside back that fans could only have dreamed about in years gone by.
If the Highlanders can find a centre then all of a sudden they finally will have a side.
The southern forwards have always held their own and have often wondered in the past what was the point of giving it to their backs as they always seemed to lack direction and fire-power.
Now however, with the likes of Jimmy Cowan, Colin Slade, Hosea Gear and Ben Smith in their back division things could be on the improve.
Roll on the Super 15 – whoops let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.
Great signing for them.
@JarsonX (Comment 1) :
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 2) : So how’s the ITM going?
@JarsonX (Comment 3) : Got 2 from 2 including 2 margin points this weekend.
@JarsonX (Comment 3) :
Thank goodness it finished yesterday – What a nightmare trying to pick those results, couldn’t even get them right in the Finals.
The Highlanders are rubbish!
@wpw (Comment 6) : You have your spoon out early this morning.
If Gear had more of an all round game like the wingers picked for the AB’s he would have been a shoe in.
I hear a European Centre is on the way as well
- an ex-kiwi returning home, I wonder who it is?
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 9) : an ex-kiwi??? Flip!?!?!? Do you guys take away citizenship when a player goes overseas?
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 9) : could be riki flutey, discarded by johnson for tuilagi, tindall & hape.
just guessing
@Megatron (Comment 11) :
That was my initial guess to!
I have been racking my brain all day ….. i’m led to believe he is good – which narrows it down.
Who else is there up there that is any good in the mid field?
Mapasua – London Irish … too old
Ace Nacewa …. not a mid fielder along with Nic Evans
Won’t obviously be Luke McAlister at Toulouse
I’m struggling
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 12) : I’ve always liked Casey Laulala
@beet (Comment 13) : hhhmm that’s a good name to throw in the hat…tuituvake plays wing, so i’m not sure if he’s ever played midfield.
@Megatron (Comment 14) : Yes Tuituvake has played plenty of games at 13. He was another player I loved to watch when he was given a bit of room to step and go.
@Megatron (Comment 14) : Has Tuituvake had had a couple of hit outs at 13? My initial memory of him is as a centre.
@beet (Comment 15) : Jeez dude you answered my question before I asked it.
Haha definitely an exaggeration. He’s a great finisher, but he’d have been lucky to make the AB squad if he did, because simply he’s not a creator. He’s just that… a finisher. Average under high ball. No boot.
I’d have picked Rene Ranger, Sivivatu or Joe ahead of him personally.
Good wing, not the best by a long way.