@rapido said in Chiefs 2019: @cgrant said in Chiefs 2019: Lomax is another THP who must be watched with attention next year. He has improved a lot lately after being rather "meh" in the early rounds. Has he improved a lot lately? Genuine question. I haven't taken notice of him since the Maori ABs tour last November where he and the Maori scrum were getting minced. He was almost single handedly keeping alive the French scrummaging myth ..... "Lately" means the second half of the 2018 SR. Before that, I agree with you, he was really soft. But the Landers scrum fared very well with him on the TH. They had the Tahs scrum back pedaling in the quarter final but this game will be remembered for the Naholo's YC.

The French should feel mortified they lost to a team that had that as a first five-eighth. Exactly the sort of game that gives me All Black RWC nightmares.

@stargazer said in Chiefs v Hurricanes: @crucial Yep. Blackadder signed him; he hardly got game time for the Crusaders because others were considered better; and Robbertson led him go. The few times he did play for us I actually thought he went okay. Provided some impact off the bench.

@taniwharugby said in Chiefs vs Brumbies: Rasta has an interesting interpretation on the game... Very diplomatic of you.

@bones said in Highlanders vs Chiefs: Not a lot being said about DMac. Thought he was the pick of the 10s this weekend. Led his team brilliantly. Not surprising. DMac is usually only mentioned in a positive light, just so the writer can then point out the other reasons why they don't like him and don't want him near the AB's.

@gt12 I concur. I've always said DMac is way better at FB than as a 10. I can see why Shag may want him at half back also. But there is a world of difference between BB, Mo'unga and daylight - then DMac. If we could get (and keep) Black fit and somehow get JGB's and Perofeta's confidence levels up we would be humming.

P.S. Expect Chefs forwards will be gunning for Canes pack in last pool game.

Chiefs put up a decent account for themselves all things considered.

@pakman said in Stormers vs Chiefs: @crucial said in Stormers vs Chiefs: @rebound said in Stormers vs Chiefs: @shadowtrooper TMO didn't want to embarras the referee there. Referee rules no try knock on. TMO answers no clear evidence of knock on, stay with on filed decision (which he then makes up) forward pass. Could he just not have said, no knock on but a forward pass. But clearly there neither was clear evidence of that as well. Just a f up and worrying trend. I was pissed off at that one. Basically the ref said 'on field decision try' then changed to 'on field is no try' because the AR was insistent that there was an obvious knock on by Ngatai. As the pictures showed it wasn't clear and obvious at all. There was no proof of any knock on or forward pass and the grounding was clean, yet no try awarded. Ref appeared to me to go with 'on field decision no try' purely out of solidarity with AR. Based on TMO AR was wrong, so no reason why try couldn't be awarded, which ought to have been the question. Problem is that the TMO can only change on field decision if he has proof of difference. If the on-field was 'try unless you can prove a knock on' then the try would have been awarded as the TMO had no proof of a k.o. Instead it was 'No Try unless you can prove there wasn't a k.o.'. TMO can't prove there was no k.o. therefore no try. I kind of get why Fraser sided with his AR yet is seems inconsistent with how they deal with 'foot in touch'. Usually if the AR says there was a f.i.t they check the replay for that unless the AR says it was clear and obvious. There is no way that potential touch by Ngatai was C and O. And yet the Stormers are the ones crying about the ref and laying a complaint to SANZAAR. Go figure.

Sharks in 2014 might be the last time a team won its regular season games in NZ? They beat the Crusaders and Blues (they lost a playoff game in NZ later that year) Reds did it in 2013 too

Taumalolo Elliott Afeaki Robinson Retallick Gibbes Cane / Holah Messam Kelleher Cruden Sivivatu Little Bunce Kahui Muliana Toby Smith (he was very good before he left for Australia) De Malmanche White (I don't rate Tameifuna a lot) Jones Lauaki TKB Beaver Reihana

Cane, DMac and ALB all need to be rested once. Obviously all their ABs will miss the Sharks game. BBBR didn't play in the first Blues game so is sorted. Harris missed this game.

@mn5 said in Hurricanes v Chiefs: @gt12 said in Hurricanes v Chiefs: @mn5 said in Hurricanes v Chiefs: @bones said in Hurricanes v Chiefs: @mn5 something about penetrating from the back and blokes getting something up so that it goes straight down your throat. Good God man. Do you actually think before you post? Stones and glass houses right here. Guilty as charged As am I, during any Chiefs game.

@chester-draws said in Chiefs v Blues: @pakman said in Chiefs v Blues: @crucial Fairly old now, but disappointing that he doesn't APPEAR to be providing much leadership either. Possibly his little domestic troubles may have lowered his mana somewhat. I know that is off-field, but I doubt he wanted to put his head up for a long while. Or maybe he overdid it at his 35th birthday celebrations on Thursday?!

Being at the ground last week you can see why the hype is there for JB. He is huge, skillful, has a good rugby brain and as mentioned his defense has really improved. However, some of the media around him is bordering on ridiculous. Just let the kid play and develop.

@shadowtrooper when Caucau tried to make a come back a few years ago he did the same thing, oddly, the ball did go backwards out of his hand as he handed it 'back' to a guy almost an arms length in front of him, but the TMO called it back as a forward pass.

@mariner4life said in Chiefs vs Bulls: @sammyc said in Chiefs vs Bulls: @crucial said in Chiefs vs Bulls: @magpie_in_aus said in Chiefs vs Bulls: Can I just chuck my vote for MOTM for each June series for BBBR now to save myself some time. Born on plains in Canterbury Flattest state in the land of the free Raised on the field so's he knew all to see He cleared out a ruck when he was only three Brodie, Brodie Retallick, king of the wild frontier! Fought single-handed through the Chieftan War Till the Bulls was whipped an' peace was in store An' while he was a-handlin' this risky chore Made hisself a legend for evermore Brodie, Brodie Retallick, the man who don't know fear! I like Retallick, but this is one of the gayest posts I’ve read on this forum. And that's a tough field to lead @MN5 still well in front, cumulatively.

@number9 said in Blues v Chiefs: Our problems are in our midfield, Moala needs to be replaced you have the #1v Winger in the world and he gets no ball because Moala does not pass. Teams know that all they need to do is rush him because he aint passing the pill. This is where Tana needs to make a big call and replace Moala or move Rieko to the Centres and play Nanai on the Wing, drop Collins to full back have Moala coming off the bench. Your problems are way more than your midfield. If that is all the problem is and it is so bad then the rest of the team did pretty well to overcome it and get within a score of winning. When SBW is back then Moala becomes reserve. Your suggestion may well be the way they go as a stopgap though.

Looking at the penalty try last night, it reminded me of a similar one in the 2015 semi-final, where Jacques Potgieter got sinbinned, as the Highlanders were awarded a penalty try.

The online article is more comprehensive than what I had read in the newspaper. @WillieTheWaiter What has Waikato spent on player salaries in recent years compared to other provinces? I remember reading that it was well below the salary cap, largely due to the historical debt owed by the WRU. As mentioned it is hard to keep players (and develop them) if there are better offers in Europe/Japan and they are not getting a SR contract.