@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2022:

@Winger said in All Blacks 2022:

Highlander 2
Canes 3
Chiefs 9
Crusaders 10
Blues 11

Too many Canes 😉

Its an issue the Canes have now.

@Hooroo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@dogmeat said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@muddyriver Define vulnerable. Given there are still cases where young people without co-morbidities die. What mortality rate is acceptable?

I suspect playing God with decisions like these is a lot more difficult for politicians than making them from the comfort of a keyboard (not having a go at you BTW).

Evidence to date is that any solution that relies on everyone doing the right thing for the common good is doomed to fail.

Out walking last night almost everyone had slipped straight back into social distancing but with more masks worn but to counter that you have the selfish pricks who fled Auckland ahead of the lockdown because of; ya know the inconvenience of it all.

I hear this.

When you are deciding an acceptable mortality rate, please include a close family member(Wife/Husband or kid) as a death as one of these and still see if that mortality rate is acceptable.

So why not reduce the speed limit to 40 MPH. After all this would save lives. Or ban rugby as this will protect people from injury some serious that will affect a person for life. Or close down all unhealthy food outlets. Let the nanny state go wild. The other option is education or advise and accepting variations in life where our rights and freedoms are maintained. We are all different and especially the young don't want to be treated like children who can't enjoy life.

My view is giving up our right and freedoms to MAYBE buy a little safety is a recipe for disaster. It just won't end. Already the economy has been ruined. And lives with it. I'm older now. Its up to me to protect myself. Not ruin healthy law abiding citizens lives to maybe protect me. I can stay inside and wear a mask and self isolate if I wish

@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2022:

Close games so far this weekend

27-25
22-18
27-24
24-21
26-22

This week was exactly what SRP needed. Keep this up and the crowds should return

Aust badly lack depth. Its an issue for a combined super rugby competition

There are solutions. Like

NZers to vote for a party that respects our right and freedoms (hopefully there is one) in the coming election. For example the right of a healthy law abiding citizen to go about their business without a Govt using any excuse to remove them. But if we collectively applaud as they are all removed. The future will get worse.

@SammyC said in All Black Coach - Ian Foster:

Bunch of idiots, can't see anything but a continuation of the downward slide we are currently on.

Brad Mooar (if confirmed) is not a huge surprise. I've heard that Razor and him don't really get along.

Razor is a long way from ready for this job. Key for him is to leave the safe CRUSADERS / Canterbury environment and to get some overseas experience. And mature a bit

@number9 said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

@Machpants said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

The matchday 23 is as follows (test caps in brackets):

Very safe Team, happy for Clarke, Sotutu and Vaa'i . The only thing out of the ordinary is Reiko at Centre and ALB on the bench.

Reiko is a good selection at center. The odd selection is BB at FB and JB on the wing. I would prefer Clarke starting, JB at FB and BB in the reserves. Either BB starts at 1st or in the reserves. And I'm unsure if Goodhue is the best option at 2nd 5. Maybe ALB is a better option

I feel a bit sorry for Holland after his after match interview. He's so clearly totally out of his depth. But seems like a good enough guy. I just can't see him righting things though as he hasn't a clue

I could point him in the right direction (as many could) but maybe hes too head strong to listen to wiser heads Not me but experienced ex coaches within the Canes region. And that's what he (and Gibbes) must do

Chiefs won the 2nd half 28-3

Canes are just a poorly selected and poorly coached side. If the coaches don't have a complete rethink (and maybe ask for some outside help as they don't seem to have a clue) they will be lucky to win a game this year

@nepia said in Moana Pasifika v Blues:

@tim said in Moana Pasifika v Blues:

The much-anticipated return of former Warrior Solomone Kata

I'm anticipating this so much it's almost making switch my allegiance to the Blues in this match.

Nice of Mauger to reward Toala's last minute try with dropping him out of the squad completely.

Might be resting for a WE start when the A teams meet.

@Nat said in US Politics:

Sad sad news, undermining decades of women's rights. Of course those most affected will likely be poorer women who can't afford to move out-of-state for an abortion - how can they manage? Even though it's been coming, the impact today feels ... shattering

But where should this decision be made. By elected representatives. Or appointed judges. And I'm within reason in favour of abortion. But maybe judges in the past have made a bad decision and this had righted it. Leave it up to the states to decide. Or decide at a national level. But by elected reps. Not a court

@Crucial Test rugby still makes the big money. So hopefully SA don't join the 6 nations and leave us without a key team. That might be a blow we can't recover from.

And maybe NZR didn't think of this outcome when they forced SA to leave. Something that seems to have worked out well for SA. As they had 2 teams in the final.

I just don't think NZ can do it alone. Maybe it could work with say more teams (say 8 ) but can NZ ever come up with a structure to ensure even teams. I doubt it. And could be afford 8 teams. I don't think so. So we need Aust. But Aust don't want to be in a competition that their teams never win.

It seems to be a situation that has no easy solution.

Aust teams did a lot better this year. But are they going to win 2023. Very unlikely. Even in NZ it has become unbalanced now with the Crusaders winning year after boring year. The Blues improving but failing badly in the final. And the Hurricanes and Highlanders slipping back.

The NZ salary model will likley make things worse in the future. Where teams who have the ABs are at a massive advanatage. Good non ABs will just leave. Quality young players will move to the stronger teams. Add in Aust having too many teams My view is SRP will fail unless chnages are made and NZ rugby don't have the quality of leaders necessary to make them.

@nzzp said in Why do the Crusaders win?:

The contracting model has been a boon as well. Holding stacked sides without having to pay their wages is a massive benefit

This helps a lot. And will do more so in the future. Blues have the most ABs at present but this will likley chnage unless they win it next year. Winners usually have more ABs that makes it easier to attract quality young players. And much easier to keep their top players.

@mariner4life 6 isn't it

@Frank said in Why do the Crusaders win?:

Razor is an awesome coach. That's why.

Maybe. But how would he do coaching the Canes. Or even the Chiefs. Likely not as good.

But maybe it does come down to having a very good board who can attract and appoint a great coach and manager. Plus being top dog makes it easier to succeeed as long as a great or VG head coach is found

But I remember Maurice Trapp. Great coach when he took over a strong side but finished 8th when he returned after Auckland's decline. I thought at one stage Auckland would always have a strong side but the decline was sudden. And even a previous great coaches return wasn't enough. But maybe if he had stayed for 5-10 years he would have got them up again

Maurice Walton Trapp (Coach) | New Zealand Rugby History

Im sure books have been written on the rise and fall of great teams. And what changed. ManUnited for example. Thye lost a great manager but also the competitors got stronger. And the ownership seemed to have issues. Add in poor recruitment including poorish Management etc

@FakatavaAllBlack said in Hurricanes 2023:

@Winger chiefs after Brett Cameron? wouldn't imagine so since they have Ioane, Gatland, Reihana, Trask & D Mac

Agree. But sure the article said Chiefs . Maybe it was Highlanders and Canes. That would make more sense

@FakatavaAllBlack read somewhere that canes and chiefs are after him

@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2023:

@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2023:

@FakatavaAllBlack

Fantastic, can we add Prinsep, J Savea, Blackwell, Kirifi and Holland himself to that list? It will be interesting who gets that third hooker spot.

I thought O'Reilly went well when he played

@Dolamite said in Blues 2022:

Has there ever been a worse line out performance from a team than we saw tonight? Blues must have lost 10 line outs at least

According to this they were 9/19

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/300616624/crusaders-player-ratings-ruthless-sam-whitelock-destroys-blues-lineout