Fan favourite Chiefs lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi has re-signed with the Super Rugby Pacific juggernauts for another season, confirming the contract update on social media this week ahead of the Grand Final showdown with the Crusaders.
Ah Kuoi has enjoyed another stellar season with the Chiefs, starting nine of 15 appearances for the table-toppers ahead of the big dance in Christchurch. Coach Clayton McMillan has named Ah Kuoi to start in the Grand Final, joining in-form Tupou Vaa’i in the second row.
It’s no secret that Ah Kuoi is one of the elite locks in the country, playing under coach McMillan for the All Blacks XV against Georgia last November – starting that fixture alongside Hurricanes enforcer Isaia Walker-Leawere.
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After returning to clubland with the Chiefs, Ah Kuoi has since set a new personal best by starting more games in a single season than any campaign before. In pack that also includes Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson and Wallace Sititi, Ah Kuoi is an integral part of the Chiefs.
Ah Kuoi took to Instagram this week to announce he had re-signed with the Chiefs for another season, which comes an exciting update for the club ahead of the Grand Final. While coach McMillan is moving on, most frontline stars at the Chiefs are staying put.
“Super excited and blessed to announce that I’ll be sticking around next year with the Mana,” Ah Kuoi wrote on social media.
“The @chiefsrugby has been a place I’ve called home for the last couple years and an organisation and fan base that has showed love to both me and my family.
“The journey continues.”
Unlike Ah Kuoi, not everyone is staying with the Chiefs beyond Saturday’s Grand Final, with long-serving fullback Shaun Stevenson heading to Japan and former All Black Aidan Ross signing a deal with the Queensland Reds.
Ross has been named on the bench for the big one at Apollo Projects Stadium, while Stevenson will start opposite Crusaders flyer Will Jordan at fullback. It’s a stacked lineup, with Ak Kuoi set to play a big part in what will be a fierce set-piece battle.
Ollie Norris joins Samisoni Taukei’aho and George Dyer in the front row, while Ah Kuoi and Vaa’i round out the tight five. The previously mentioned backrow of Finau, Jacobson and Sititi complete the starting pack, with Kaylum Boshier among those named on the bench.
Cortez Ratima and Damian McKenzie will link up in the halves, with Quinn Tupaea and Daniel Rona in the midfield. Leroy Carter and Emoni Narawa are the two wings – having impressed in the semi-final win over the Brumbies – with Stevenson at fullback.
“We’ve built real continuity across the season, and that will serve us well in Christchurch. The Crusaders have proven time and again that they know how to lift in finals footy. They’re clinical, composed, and proud of their home record. We’re ready for a good final fight,” coach McMillan said
“We know there’ll be a loyal crew backing us in the stands at Apollo Projects Stadium, and thousands more watching from home. Our fans bring something special, and we feel that no matter where we are.”
