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Hadleigh Parkes back in New Zealand, named on weekend NPC bench
By Liam Heagney
Former Wales midfielder Hadleigh Parkes is poised for NPC action this weekend in New Zealand after being confirmed as a new Manawatu Turbos signing and being named on their bench as 23rd man to take on Hawke’s Bay on Sunday. The soon to be 37-year-old finished up finished a four-season stint earlier this year in Japan League One, spending two years with Saitama Wild Knights after joining from Scarlets and then two more campaigns with Black Rams Tokyo.
It was last May when he most recently featured for the Rams, playing off their bench in a 45-18 loss to Toyota Verblitz which left them finishing the 2023/24 season in 10th place.
Having since holidayed post-season in Turkey and Greece, Parkes has now been unveiled as a Manawatu player for the remainder of an NPC campaign where the club are currently bottom of the 14-team tournament’s standings after losing their opening three matches.
A club post to social media said: “Look who's back. 29-Test Welsh international Hadleigh Parkes has returned home and is a Turbo again.”
It was 2010 when Parkes previously represented the province at NPC level, making 13 appearances before switching to Auckland. He then went on to play Super Rugby for the Blues, Southern Kings and the Hurricanes before moving to the Scarlets in 2014/15.
After qualifying for the Welsh national team in 2017 on serving a three-year residency period, he won 29 caps, including a 2019 Six Nations title win and featuring in their run to that year’s Rugby World Cup semi-final.
Now back home in New Zealand, Parkes has been named in a Turbos team where George Blake and Liam O'Connor are set to get their first starts.
Mosese Bason, a recent Baby Blacks pick at the World Rugby U20 Champions, could also make his debut off a bench that also includes Vernon Bason, who skippered Jono Gibbes team to a third-place finish at the age-grade tournament in South Africa.
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Latest Comments
Nah hes a journeyman. Right call
Go to commentsAgreed for the most part. And perhaps Dmac needed a period were he is the 'Hobson's choice' too.
Yes and no, they main concern I had from the situation is Razor didn't really explain why they had developed differing opinions, had he? I've seen too many things happen in life to jump the gun. Fall all we know it was a locked in choice before they found the difference last year and played out this year to see if they were recoverable. I can certainly see where it would be a valid criticism to suggest he spent too much time reviewing his players tripping overseas and not enough work with his team at that time. But things like Tony Brown not even being contacted in the lead up to the naming of the squad are endemic in the union, and for much just as much blame should be laid on someone like Wayne Smith. Some like Mitch would have been aval at the same time too I'd think.
Ultimately I see MacDs time at the Blues much as I saw Ian Fosters time at the Chiefs. Heavily overshadowed by their successors but you could find something good in there if you wanted. Same here. This will play out.
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