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The Silver Fern

NZ Rugby Journalists

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NZ Rugby Journalists
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  • DuluthD Offline
    DuluthD Offline
    Duluth
    wrote on last edited by Duluth
    #1

    I'm curious who the fern considers the best (least worst??) rugby journalist in NZ

    There's plenty of comments around about how shit some of these writers are but do any of them deserve some praise? Anybody that provides decent analysis?

    1 Reply Last reply
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  • KiwiMurphK Offline
    KiwiMurphK Offline
    KiwiMurph
    wrote on last edited by KiwiMurph
    #2

    My favourite 3 are

    • Liam Napier (he's now moved to the Herald which means I can pretty much avoid Stuff from now on which is great)

    • Nigel Yalden (he's more radio than journalist but i'll include him)

    • Patrick McKendry

    All 3 I find tend to provide fairly balanced insight, good anaylsis without too much cheerleading whilst also having pretty good inside oil.

    1 Reply Last reply
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  • BovidaeB Offline
    BovidaeB Offline
    Bovidae
    wrote on last edited by
    #3

    Yeah those three aren't too bad but I avoid the Herald now with their new website - it's terrible.

    I enjoy Paul Cully's articles because he is neutral. I also don't mind Marc Hinton either.

    The current generation of rugby journalists pale in comparison to those from previous years.

    DuluthD TimT 2 Replies Last reply
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  • DuluthD Offline
    DuluthD Offline
    Duluth
    replied to Bovidae on last edited by Duluth
    #4

    @Bovidae said in NZ Rugby Journalists:

    I enjoy Paul Cully's articles because he is neutral

    He contributes to the click bait bullshit. Here's his wifes article with his son being used as a prop. Yuck.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/little-kids/88687150/rugby-wont-get-my-boys-until-it-changes

    1 Reply Last reply
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  • RapidoR Online
    RapidoR Online
    Rapido
    wrote on last edited by
    #5

    Toby Robson is no longer a journo. Works for the Hurricanes now.

    Which is a shame.

    jeggaJ 1 Reply Last reply
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  • TimT Offline
    TimT Offline
    Tim
    replied to Bovidae on last edited by
    #6

    @Bovidae Isn't Cully a Chiefs supporter?

    BovidaeB 1 Reply Last reply
    1
  • BovidaeB Offline
    BovidaeB Offline
    Bovidae
    replied to Tim on last edited by
    #7

    @Tim I thought he is an Aussie who lives in NZ.

    Napier is a Canes supporter, and often it shows

    @Duluth I'm not reading his wife's articles. 😉

    DuluthD 1 Reply Last reply
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  • DuluthD Offline
    DuluthD Offline
    Duluth
    replied to Bovidae on last edited by
    #8

    @Bovidae said in NZ Rugby Journalists:

    @Duluth I'm not reading his wife's articles. 😉

    Another sexist Chiefs supporter..

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  • P Online
    P Online
    ploughboy
    wrote on last edited by
    #9

    steve hepburn from the odt. makes the rugby journalists from the press seem sane

    1 Reply Last reply
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  • rotatedR Offline
    rotatedR Offline
    rotated
    wrote on last edited by
    #10

    Seti Afoa posts usually posts press conferences unadulterated on youtube for most tests and squad announcements - this earns him #1 rank. Even the AB's own youtube can't manage this for some reason, very good insights buried in answers to seemingly banal questions.

    Yalden is really good, unfortunately his insight and analysis is spread among his FB, radio sport hits and his live commentary (which face it, we rarely listen to).

    Napier is the best of the press.

    Gifford - when he does delve back into rugby - is usually the only other one that seems worth reading.

    TJ writes a weekly article/blog for Supersport in South Africa which is outstanding providing it isn't Crusader related.

    MilkM Billy TellB SiamS F 4 Replies Last reply
    5
  • taniwharugbyT Offline
    taniwharugbyT Offline
    taniwharugby
    wrote on last edited by
    #11

    Not sure if he still does them, but Marshall did some great analytical pieces (in the Herald I think they were)

    Sumo can write some great pieces too, although the better ones are probably more emotive rugby centric than analytical.

    rotatedR 1 Reply Last reply
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  • MilkM Offline
    MilkM Offline
    Milk
    replied to rotated on last edited by Milk
    #12

    @rotated said in NZ Rugby Journalists:

    Seti Afoa posts usually posts press conferences unadulterated on youtube for most tests and squad announcements - this earns him #1 rank. Even the AB's own youtube can't manage this for some reason, very good insights buried in answers to seemingly banal questions.

    I subscribe to him too. He also seems to get some pretty good interviews for his channel.

    antipodeanA 1 Reply Last reply
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  • rotatedR Offline
    rotatedR Offline
    rotated
    replied to taniwharugby on last edited by
    #13

    @taniwharugby said in NZ Rugby Journalists:

    Not sure if he still does them, but Marshall did some great analytical pieces (in the Herald I think they were)

    Sumo can write some great pieces too, although the better ones are probably more emotive rugby centric than analytical.

    Along those lines John Drake RIP was probably the best NZ Herald ex-player columnist.

    Fox was OK too but a little dry/generic.

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  • antipodeanA Offline
    antipodeanA Offline
    antipodean
    replied to Milk on last edited by
    #14

    @Milk said in NZ Rugby Journalists:

    @rotated said in NZ Rugby Journalists:

    Seti Afoa posts usually posts press conferences unadulterated on youtube for most tests and squad announcements - this earns him #1 rank. Even the AB's own youtube can't manage this for some reason, very good insights buried in answers to seemingly banal questions.

    I subscribe to him too.

    +1 Once I found someone who put up the entire press conference I was very pleased. Makes a nice difference from the selective editing media and PR people engage in.

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  • Billy TellB Offline
    Billy TellB Offline
    Billy Tell
    replied to rotated on last edited by
    #15

    @rotated said in NZ Rugby Journalists:

    Yalden is really good, unfortunately his insight and analysis is spread among his FB, radio sport hits and his live commentary (which face it, we rarely listen to).

    Napier is the best of the press.

    Gifford - when he does delve back into rugby - is usually the only other one that seems worth reading.

    A couple of blokes you probably haven't heard of, but who are seriously quality are Rattue & Reason.

    Being serious, Yalden, Robson, Napier are my favourites. Cully is also good, but he's not a Kiwi.

    I usually like Gifford, but he has been awful this series: a series of whinging articles, unsurprisingly picked up on by the international press (no Phil, the late charge on Barrett after the kick was not red-card worthy...).

    MN5M 1 Reply Last reply
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  • SiamS Offline
    SiamS Offline
    Siam
    replied to rotated on last edited by Siam
    #16

    @rotated said in NZ Rugby Journalists:

    Seti Afoa posts usually posts press conferences unadulterated on youtube for most tests and squad announcements - this earns him #1 rank. Even the AB's own youtube can't manage this for some reason, very good insights buried in answers to seemingly banal questions.

    Yeah I strongly suggest watching the unadulterated press conferences as it'll save you hours of frustration reading those fluffed up reports in popular media. The tone of voice, the questions, the atmosphere are so much more informative and you don't have to read some hack's lurid interpretation of what these guys say

    1 Reply Last reply
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  • jeggaJ Offline
    jeggaJ Offline
    jegga
    replied to Rapido on last edited by
    #17

    @Rapido said in NZ Rugby Journalists:

    Toby Robson is no longer a journo. Works for the Hurricanes now.

    Which is a shame.

    It is a damn shame , it wasn't that long ago he hung up his boots either . His story about playing against Umaga when he was playing for the first time for Petone was bloody good.

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  • R Offline
    R Offline
    Rugger Quizzes
    wrote on last edited by
    #18

    I was always a massive fan of Toby Robson.

    Must say though I've read a bit of what Gordon D'Arcy has written and I wish we had an ex player here who could write as well and as incisively as he can. Really breaks play down and pulls it apart.

    1 Reply Last reply
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  • CrucialC Offline
    CrucialC Offline
    Crucial
    wrote on last edited by
    #19

    There are two main problems with rugby writing in places like the Herald and Stuff.
    One is that the writers are expected as part of their day jobs to fill out the days content. Readers want to read things and they want to provide that but what happens is they seem to be expected to either fill the role (sometimes gleefully) of clickbaiter or just write basically nothing with the odd little new fact thrown in.
    Secondly they are rarely given scope to write at the length and depth that decent insight/analysis requires. The only times they are given that scope it is to write something 'investigative' like the head injury series of articles.
    What is starting to develop though (with a few false starts) are avenues for the same writers/journalists to have a crack at freelance content of a little more depth or of a different angle.
    I checkplaces like https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@sportsroom every few days and am usually surpirised to read quite good stuff from writers whose work I don't usually rate.
    Here is a good example by Steve Deane https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@rugby/2017/07/02/37013/benchmarking-sbws-act-of-thuggery
    and surprisingly another from Jim Kayes (even though he can be a dick) https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@rugby/2017/07/04/37325/captain-reads-biggest-test-is-upon-him
    I do think a lot of our rugby hacks are only hacking because that's their job requirement. Many have the capability to be much better given the right avenue.

    Billy TellB 1 Reply Last reply
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  • ACT CrusaderA Offline
    ACT CrusaderA Offline
    ACT Crusader
    wrote on last edited by
    #20

    Our very own... @His-Bobness @Smudge @Mullet Barnya

    SmudgeS 1 Reply Last reply
    1

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