http://www.netballnz.co.nz/news/detail/netball-new-zealand-announces-review-findings
Here's the link to the summary of the review.
It's only four pages and quite interesting - especially the paragraph (6) describing the culture Southby tried to implement, which sounds good in theory; the broader observations about high performance culture; and what NNZ proposes to do to address the shortcomings.
Seem to recall that he didn't get any enjoyment out of playing that Australian series and decided if you're not enjoying it, why do it.
Bruce Edgar was another who retired before his time.
Some older guys who retired from rugby very young - along with already mentioned Ron Jarden...
Graeme Thorne, I think he got a girl pregnant in South Africa and was only in his early 20s when he went to live there.
Bob Burgess - outstanding first five...left to study in France, also in his early 20s.
Joe Karam - a league traitor in his early 20s.
Kit Fawcett - on the scrapheap at 21 after a pretty disastrous tour of South Africa. Left NZ to play overseas.
Bevan Wilson - gone by 23 though mainly as a result of injuries.
Other constraining factor for Sky is that while Dumoulin is right on Froome's coat tails, they can't afford to have Thomas ease back - so in a strange way, Tom is Geraint's ally and GT has an interest in not cracking him!
@shark said in School / College Representation in Super Rugby 2018:
@chris-b said in School / College Representation in Super Rugby 2018:
Nelson College has six, I think. All Crusaders!
Wyatt Crockett
Quinten Strange
Ethan Blackadder
Mitchell Drummond
Mitchell Hunt
David HaviliLast year James Lowe was on the list - next year James Marshall will be back.
So the complaint a few years back that all the Tasman players were going to the Chiefs and Highlanders now isn't relevant? And the ones that aren't playing for the Crusaders aren't Tasman originals anyway? Thnking Squire, Frizzell. What about Ainley?
Franks, Romano and Crotty were all born in Nelson - add in Perry, Samu, Makalio, Taufua - we're carrying you Canterbury fuckers! 
Not sure where Alex Ainley went to school and a quick google doesn't tell me. Plays club rugby for Wanderers so Waimea College is a reasonable guess.
@chris said in Crusaders v Sharks - QF:
@cgrant Franks nearing the End of his career.
Owen's showing a few battle scars this season, but despite that he's been around forever he's only 30. If he turned out to have Wyatt Crockett or Tony Woodcock-like durability, there's a prospect that he could play at four World Cups. Sam Whitelock's only 29 and is the other of the current crop who could possibly make that. Both still have live tickets to four winners medals - and that's all I've got to say about that.
Lomax has just turned 22 so heaps of room for development. He's an unusual story, born in Oz, grew up in NZ playing league I believe, and switched to rugby when his family shifted back to Oz. I wouldn't really regard him as a poach, but Alaalatoa is pretty Australian.
However, the rules are set and everyone is using them!
Nelson College has six, I think. All Crusaders!
Wyatt Crockett
Quinten Strange
Ethan Blackadder
Mitchell Drummond
Mitchell Hunt
David Havili
Edit - seven...Ben May.
Last year James Lowe was on the list - next year James Marshall will be back.
Question - are the Jaguares the first "expansion" team to make the play-offs or did someone like the Cheetahs do it one year?
Pretty sure they'll at least be the first expansion team to win a play-off game if they happen to tip over the Lions. I don't think they will, though.
To counter ACT I'm going to go: Chiefs, Crusaders, Waratahs, Lions.
I reckon the home teams will be hard to beat, but the Canes will be worried!
@chester-draws True - though if Froome gives out the most likely beneficiary will be his team mate Thomas. Only guy within real spitting distance of Froome is Dumoulin who, of course, also rode the Giro. A spectator has taken out Nibali overnight.
I foolishly got sucked into watching how Kruijswijk would get on with his bold break last night. For a while it looked like he had a chance of surviving, with Sky having used up a couple of their men and Poels and Castroviejo looking to be struggling, but a couple of the other teams annoyingly helped them chase for a while. Kruiswijk got to the bottom of Alpe d'Huez with about 20 seconds per kilometre to give up, but it soon became evident that he was giving up more than that and they caught him with 4kms to ride.
Things are interestingly poised in Team Sky - Thomas is now 1.39 ahead of Froome and, although he was clearly setting the pace for Froome up the latter part of the climb, he currently looks as strong. Still three mountain stages to go, but I wonder whether, he would - at some point - get ordered to let Froome win. Or whether they'd be left to fight it out in the final time trial.
Other big thing that happened overnight was the withdrawal of several more big sprinters. Sagan miles ahead in the green jersey now.
@act-crusader said in Crusaders v Sharks - QF:
Other than if Moody was available to start (and Perry not being in the 23) that is the strongest starting XV we have put out all season.
Exactly the team I would have picked for this week - and would only switch in Moody to start if he was available (with Wyatt retaining the bench spot).
Other than that, we're probably only missing Funnell and a fully firing Dagg from our best team.