All Blacks 2024
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there.
I suppose you enjoy the ABs losing then?
Yeah, in my deluded state I keep thinking the reason we're not winning is some unproven bloke called Proctor who can unlock every defence, win every lineout, scrum, ruck and maul.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there. Bring Numia in for Ofa, he dismantled Canterbury's scrum yesterday and once again showed why he should be an AB after being the form prop in Super. Guys like Sititi, Lakai etc aswell are players that will propel the ABs and allow us to play the expansive game that many of us desire.
A big issue atm is when we've got Blackadder on the park with Cane/Papali'i we have F all go forward on attack and this is severely inhibiting our ability to get to the edges and release our attacking weapons.
I'd love to see the below 23 get a run on the end of year tour. I'm done with the 'hard hitting 7', we need someone that has the ability to be effective on both sides of the ball. Oh the irony.
- Wiliams
- Taylor
- Lomax
- S Barrett
- Darry
- Blackadder
- Lakai
- Savea
- Roigard
- McKenzie
- Clarke
- J Barrett
- Proctor
- Jordan
- Love
- Aumua
- Numia
- Newell
- Va'ai
- Sititi
- Ratima
- B Barrett
- Ioane
I agree with the premise. We have gone fairly stale.
We got an instant uptick when EDG and Lomax were thrown in, along with Fletch and Tamaiti when Fosters back was to the wall.
We similarly need to inject some effervescence into the backs now too. Some youthful enthusiasm.
Be it Ratima, Proctor, Love or otherwise.
Rassie is throwing Sasha and Fassi in at the deep end among others.
So not only are we losing in the here and now, we are also behind in the development stakes.
We have become shrinking violets at the selection table.
And now Razor is in the same pickle that Foster was in. He has lost a couple of games early doors and it ups the ante in every subsequent test. It becomes self preservation instead of innovation.
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There's nothing wrong with our midfield, and the more time Jordie and Rieko play together the better. It's no fluke that Clarke and Jordan had space to work with in this test, despite being up against one of the best defenses in world rugby. Both Jordie and Rieko were very direct with their attack early on which sucked defenders in, particularly Rieko who is lethal if you give him any space at all. They did their job well and were two of our best on the park, calling for either to be dropped after that is madness.
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I'd be happier to swap in Love at fullback and Ratima to start at halfback than almost any other change in this squad.
Which brings to me my concern that there's not much they can do because the squad itself is heavily compromised. Finau is finding his feet at Test level and learning it's a big step up. Blackadder is busy but doesn't dominate and Ardie is well out of form - basically all the good parts of his game have evaporated and the criticisms remain.
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@No-Quarter I am 50/50 on this. Reiko has been light years better since he was dropped I will say. But a classical distributing centre has it's appeal too. For me it's either Reiko or Proctor.
Jordie is the 12 in any case.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there.
I suppose you enjoy the ABs losing then?
Yeah, in my deluded state I keep thinking the reason we're not winning is some unproven bloke called Proctor who can unlock every defence, win every lineout, scrum, ruck and maul.
Yeah, because doing the same shit is really working for us aye. Maybe let's throw in guys that were actually showing form in Super rugby instead of the continued selection of players that don't get us results. If you want to keep getting mediocre results then by all means, keep picking the same players that simply don't perform on a consistent basis and at the level that we expect being AB fans.
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@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones Even more ironic that Narawa has been playing center the entirety of the NPC since being out of All Blacks camp (I'd say EXTREMELY likely at the request of Razor).
Would be hilarious if he usurps Rieko as starting center.
I think Narawa can be a future great All Black, reminds me a lot of Sivivatu, very high spatial awareness and game IQ. Game looks slow motion for him.
Just watched BOP vs Ta$man highlights there.
Narawa had some lovely touches at centre. Scored one from 50 meters, set up another from 60 meters, and set up another that was chalked off incorrectly with a lovely one handed offload.
Admittedly not test level, but he looked dangerous. He didnt look like a winger at centre.
He looked like a centre.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there.
I suppose you enjoy the ABs losing then?
Yeah, in my deluded state I keep thinking the reason we're not winning is some unproven bloke called Proctor who can unlock every defence, win every lineout, scrum, ruck and maul.
Yeah, because doing the same shit is really working for us aye. Maybe let's throw in guys that were actually showing form in Super rugby instead of the continued selection of players that don't get us results. If you want to keep getting mediocre results then by all means, keep picking the same players that simply don't perform on a consistent basis and at the level that we expect being AB fans.
There is a cadre of players in the 23 and beyond who have had way too many chances now.
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@foobaNZ said in All Blacks 2024:
@No-Quarter I am 50/50 on this. Reiko has been light years better since he was dropped I will say. But a classical distributing centre has it's appeal too. For me it's either Reiko or Proctor.
Jordie is the 12 in any case.
SA in SA isn't necessarily the place to blood a greenhorn. A look at the Ellis Park game would show that our less experienced players wilted a bit under pressure (along with some of our old heads...). I'd like to see Proctor get a decent run against Australia to see what he can do
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@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones Even more ironic that Narawa has been playing center the entirety of the NPC since being out of All Blacks camp (I'd say EXTREMELY likely at the request of Razor).
Would be hilarious if he usurps Rieko as starting center.
I think Narawa can be a future great All Black, reminds me a lot of Sivivatu, very high spatial awareness and game IQ. Game looks slow motion for him.
Just watched BOP vs Ta$man highlights there.
Narawa had some lovely touches at centre. Scored one from 50 meters, set up another from 60 meters, and set up another that was chalked off incorrectly with a lovely one handed offload.
Admittedly not test level, but he looked dangerous. He didnt look like a winger at centre.
He looked like a centre.
At NPC level ffs.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones Even more ironic that Narawa has been playing center the entirety of the NPC since being out of All Blacks camp (I'd say EXTREMELY likely at the request of Razor).
Would be hilarious if he usurps Rieko as starting center.
I think Narawa can be a future great All Black, reminds me a lot of Sivivatu, very high spatial awareness and game IQ. Game looks slow motion for him.
Just watched BOP vs Ta$man highlights there.
Narawa had some lovely touches at centre. Scored one from 50 meters, set up another from 60 meters, and set up another that was chalked off incorrectly with a lovely one handed offload.
Admittedly not test level, but he looked dangerous. He didnt look like a winger at centre.
He looked like a centre.
At NPC level ffs.
I know, I know.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones Even more ironic that Narawa has been playing center the entirety of the NPC since being out of All Blacks camp (I'd say EXTREMELY likely at the request of Razor).
Would be hilarious if he usurps Rieko as starting center.
I think Narawa can be a future great All Black, reminds me a lot of Sivivatu, very high spatial awareness and game IQ. Game looks slow motion for him.
Just watched BOP vs Ta$man highlights there.
Narawa had some lovely touches at centre. Scored one from 50 meters, set up another from 60 meters, and set up another that was chalked off incorrectly with a lovely one handed offload.
Admittedly not test level, but he looked dangerous. He didnt look like a winger at centre.
He looked like a centre.
At NPC level ffs.
It's club 'plus' right now. Needs serious attention - NZR should have alarm bells going off big time in HQ. Our structures need a proper refresh. You're not going to get that with all external board members necessarily - honestly, the urgency should be off the charts right now.
Revenue and success follows a nosedive in quality
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2024:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2024:
SA in SA isn't necessarily the place to blood a greenhorn
Lima Sopoaga has entered teh conversation
His performance was the exception rather than the rule. Our young bench weren't great on Saturday. Razor obviously worried about it because he left his starters on as long as he felt he could to try and win the game
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones Even more ironic that Narawa has been playing center the entirety of the NPC since being out of All Blacks camp (I'd say EXTREMELY likely at the request of Razor).
Would be hilarious if he usurps Rieko as starting center.
I think Narawa can be a future great All Black, reminds me a lot of Sivivatu, very high spatial awareness and game IQ. Game looks slow motion for him.
Just watched BOP vs Ta$man highlights there.
Narawa had some lovely touches at centre. Scored one from 50 meters, set up another from 60 meters, and set up another that was chalked off incorrectly with a lovely one handed offload.
Admittedly not test level, but he looked dangerous. He didnt look like a winger at centre.
He looked like a centre.
At NPC level ffs.
Yeah agreed, but it is all we've got right now. It was at least against Ta$man, who are not the worst side.
For all its problems, it's also still a high enough level that our lost saviour at 6 is able to stink it up now that he's captain couldn't give a shit. -
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
I'd be happier to swap in Love at fullback and Ratima to start at halfback than almost any other change in this squad.
Which brings to me my concern that there's not much they can do because the squad itself is heavily compromised. Finau is finding his feet at Test level and learning it's a big step up. Blackadder is busy but doesn't dominate and Ardie is well out of form - basically all the good parts of his game have evaporated and the criticisms remain.
100% this.
Here's an example.
One guy that strikes me as someone that would be a great option to debut would be Numia as a bench loosehead. Would offer serious bench impact
But no...they chose Bower to replace EDG...
Just on another note - ALB makes no sense as a bench player when he is only good at 12 now.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
I'd be happier to swap in Love at fullback and Ratima to start at halfback than almost any other change in this squad.
Which brings to me my concern that there's not much they can do because the squad itself is heavily compromised. Finau is finding his feet at Test level and learning it's a big step up. Blackadder is busy but doesn't dominate and Ardie is well out of form - basically all the good parts of his game have evaporated and the criticisms remain.
100% this.
Here's an example.
One guy that strikes me as someone that would be a great option to debut would be Numia as a bench loosehead. Would offer serious bench impact
But no...they chose Bower to replace EDG...
Just on another note - ALB makes no sense as a bench player when he is only good at 12 now.
Yep. Razor has backed himself into a hole with his selections in certain areas.
