The Silver Fern

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:

@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:

@Tim said in All Blacks 2025:

Best performance of last year was against Ireland. Maybe focus on that 23.

Or just give guys in form an opportunity. There's an idea.

Can I just jump into the debate on the 13 jersey?

If the incumbent wasn't doing exactly what the coach wanted him to do he'd be out on his arse. "Form" is our feels about how well a player is playing. "Form" may not suit the pattern, tactics, strategy.

I want to see a change in tactics that make better use of our centres. If Jordie can go over to the HN and play the house down, we may have identified the problem our midfield is having. Same issue is asking our fastest player to simply smash the ball up in close and everyone's complaining that he's "not distributing".

I also stashed some sickbags from my last flight for when Ethan invariably gets selected for the first Test.

100%

its a sad entitlement when suggesting changing the gameplan to suit the strengths of our best players is revolutionary

@Nevorian said in Ireland v Wallabies:

Thought if they had scored off the TT intercept that might have taken the game, unfortunately support didn’t quite get there

Shit option from Tupou - should have given it to Williams once through the line, and then followed him. They should have both drifted left a little and called Sua'ali'i and Jorgensen into the middle of the field.

Passing late and badly is never a good option. See it all the time with the leaguies at my club: they think the offload-in-contact is a hero move, rather than staying alive to support.

@sparky said in 12. 2024 TOTY SECOND FIVE-EIGHTH:

Not a great year for 2nd 5s.

I'm nominating Jordie Barrett. There a still lots of rough edges to his game, but what a skill set! When he played well, the All Blacks looked at their best.

What skill set does he have that no one else does ?

Not taking the piss, genuine question.

All I can recall him doing is cart the ball up, not as effectively as other 12s mentioned above.

@mariner4life said in All Blacks MOTM v Italy:

that poll is telling. We played Italy and two of the top 3 are the props and the other is our baby blindside.

@mariner4life said in All Blacks MOTM v Italy:

that poll is telling. We played Italy and two of the top 3 are the props and the other is our baby blindside.

I get your point but conversely I'd like to think that's where we should expect our best performers to be: front row and the tight-loosie.

Finally for the season, a review of the history of NPC Tipping. The winners have been

2006 Brakdov
2008 Donsteppa/KP/Higgins
2009 TR
2010 Bay Imports
2011 TR
2012 Winger
2013 Propsicle
2014 Cactus Jack
2015 Higgins
2016 Joan and Mary
2018 Langakali
2019 Bay Imports/Winger
2020 Dice
2021 Higgins/Plastered Peni
2022 Crucial
2023 Bay Imports
2024 Winger

3 titles each for Winger, Higgins and Bay Imports. 2 for TR.

2006 Valley
2008 Northland
2009 Waikato
2010 Hawke's Bay
2011 Hawke's Bay
2012 BOP
2013 Hawke's Bay
2014 Wellington
2015 Wairarapa Bush
2016 Wairarapa Bush
2018 Northland
2019 Wairarapa Bush
2020 Northland
2021 Counties-Waikato
2022 Harbour-Auckland
2023 Hawke's Bay
2024 Hawke's Bay

5 titles for Hawke's Bay, 3 for Wairarapa Bush and Northland.

Had issues loading the site this morning and a little bit of slowness persists after e.g. when I hit the button to post, for 5ish seconds the toolbar will still show a draft pending then everything updates.

Also getting "lost connection" orange text pop-up a couple of times posting this