We have two golden retrievers and while they can be a little bit naughty they know when I raise my voice. Both will sit and look a bit worried.

I could never hit my dogs, I love them too much and they don’t speak English so wouldn’t really understand if I did.

I have smacked one of their bums real soft when she snatched at food but felt guilty as fuck.

Dogs are amazing loyal and full of love. Let them be as you would treat a family member.

There was a good tweet thread thing recently that said what would you say if you could converse with your dog for 30 seconds. If you find it, it’s quite cool

@no-quarter said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):

@hooroo said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):

@no-quarter said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):

12/15, fucking aced that shit.

So you didn't select Waikato Chiefs or Otago Highlanders? You selected the Auckland Blues?

Took a wild stab in the dark and managed to get it right. Lucky.

My dig is that they are still labelling these teams with the NPC provincial bias (which is OK with me but others will tanty)

@no-quarter said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):

12/15, fucking aced that shit.

So you didn't select Waikato Chiefs or Otago Highlanders? You selected the Auckland Blues?

@jegga Especially likes this.

"Admittedly there were many elements for the referee, Jerome Garces, to look at in an instant, which makes his job very difficult. But there was nothing clear and obvious to deny that try. The ruck, unlike the controversial Owen Farrell tackle the week before, was not 50-50. It was not even 80-20. It was 100 per cent onside."

This is gold

Question 3 for those who love to get up in arms over the obvious

@mn5 said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@hooroo said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@mariner4life said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@hooroo said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@mariner4life said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@hooroo said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@mn5 said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

Ma'a is far and away the best 12 the ABs have had.

He's come a long way since the days of getting on the piss and arrested on Courtney Place!

I think his finest years put him into that echelon but there were years of dross as well.

Have we seen more consistent 12's throughout their AB career, yes

yep, 4 years as good as anyone i have ever seen, including Horan. That's in a 12 year career though.

Who would you call most consistent?

Horan for most consistent?

I'm kind of arguing against myself here as I think when Ma'a was at his best he has no equal as he was immense on attack, defence and distribution. But man o man were there some rusty years too

oh yea world wide it's Horan by the length of the straight. I thought we were talking NZ only.

I was too and then you mentioned Horan so I also went worldwide! ha ha!!

For consistency NZ only, Little? Mauger? But then they are not in realms of GOAT (NZ)

Maugers career was only 6 years. Felt like it was longer and whilst he didn't have Nonus lows he certainly didn't come close to his highs.....

Absolutely and I would never dispute that, but he was the medium of consistency you could rely on, that you certainly couldn't get from Nonu in his first half AB career

@mariner4life said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@hooroo said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@mariner4life said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@hooroo said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@mn5 said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

Ma'a is far and away the best 12 the ABs have had.

He's come a long way since the days of getting on the piss and arrested on Courtney Place!

I think his finest years put him into that echelon but there were years of dross as well.

Have we seen more consistent 12's throughout their AB career, yes

yep, 4 years as good as anyone i have ever seen, including Horan. That's in a 12 year career though.

Who would you call most consistent?

Horan for most consistent?

I'm kind of arguing against myself here as I think when Ma'a was at his best he has no equal as he was immense on attack, defence and distribution. But man o man were there some rusty years too

oh yea world wide it's Horan by the length of the straight. I thought we were talking NZ only.

I was too and then you mentioned Horan so I also went worldwide! ha ha!!

For consistency NZ only, Little? Mauger? But then they are not in realms of GOAT (NZ)

@mariner4life said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@hooroo said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

@mn5 said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

Ma'a is far and away the best 12 the ABs have had.

He's come a long way since the days of getting on the piss and arrested on Courtney Place!

I think his finest years put him into that echelon but there were years of dross as well.

Have we seen more consistent 12's throughout their AB career, yes

yep, 4 years as good as anyone i have ever seen, including Horan. That's in a 12 year career though.

Who would you call most consistent?

Horan for most consistent?

I'm kind of arguing against myself here as I think when Ma'a was at his best he has no equal as he was immense on attack, defence and distribution. But man o man were there some rusty years too

@mn5 said in Ma'a Nonu...RWC or nah?:

Ma'a is far and away the best 12 the ABs have had.

He's come a long way since the days of getting on the piss and arrested on Courtney Place!

I think his finest years put him into that echelon but there were years of dross as well.

Have we seen more consistent 12's throughout their AB career, yes

@kirwan said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):

@rotated said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):

@kirwan said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):

@rotated said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):

Wasn't a massive fan of MacDonald taking over from Tana the last time but I'll give this a chance...

But full credit for the Blues making a move. Tana has been an improvement on SJK and Lam but still ultimately was seemed outmatched and outclassed by other NZ franchise coaches. Still ultimately I would like to see a non-ex-AB coach though after now four on the trot.

In what way was Tana an improvement? He has a worse record than both those coaches, selected terrible squads and presided over some of the worst results in our history. 60fucking points conceded on Eden Park FFS.

To begin with Umaga has a better record than SJK just on pure numbers but it's much of a muchness and both have records between 40-46% as does Lam. They would rank as the three of the four worst coaches of NZ franchises in the 2010s - the argument would just be about order.

Kirwan is the easier one, under his tenure the Blues felt like the Melbourne Rebels. Where to start? The guy fundamentally didn't understand Super Rugby. Genuinely thought Benji Marshall would be able to play 10 at Super level? Personally exiled three future All Blacks and one Welsh international? Mick Byrne as an assistant coach? Captain Ali Williams? This year has proved yet again it must be bloody difficult to have Graham Henry full time on your staff and not be good. SJK achieved this.

Lam is a more debatable one. There were good times with Lam and for a period between 2010-11 I was of the opinion that with a quality 10 the Blues were title contenders. Of course, the solutions Lam came up with were underwhelming and bewildering to say the least. But it is fair to say in 2011 they played at a level that hasn't been reached under Umaga.

Going against him, Lam went 4-12 in 2012 with the best Blues squad since 2003. Allowed things to become so bad at the end that Woodcock felt compelled to leave. Lashing out at anonymous Blues fans for racist comments on talkback that were never located wasn't a high point. His selections were pretty odd at times, he had very little patience for some and blind loyalty to chaps like Brett. Lachie Munro marking up against Ioane on the wing for a semi-final?

Perhaps as a whole Lam was better than Umaga, but the 2012 season immediately preceding Kirwan was the worst of the bunch and the ripple effects from his tenure are still being felt today.

Must be a sweet paycheck. I wouldn't be surprised in a year if he just quietly moves on to stink up some other joint.

I can't really read between the lines here? Are you happy that Umaga is no longer head coach?.........