NPC 2025

[foobaNZ]

I agree we'll be there or thereabouts, but, we've had a bit of a golden generation recently (a shame we couldn't threepeat tbh) so it'll be harder from here on out.

[mikey07]

@foobaNZ 2/3 is still better then the 22 years we had to wait between titles.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Blues media saying that Jordan Lay will play for Northland next season.

[taniwharugby]

@Daffy-Jaffy yeah Northland rugby posted yesterday congratulating Northland contracted players which included an image of Lay, while I had heard they were in talks with him, it was a 'sneaky player' announcement.

[george33]

Auckland after a new head coach, Craig has committed to the Blues,

[Daffy Jaffy]

@george33 Hopefully that comes with a quality attack coach. The Forwards and defense were ok last two seasons but our attack was woefully clunky under Hickey.
Would Steven Bates have the inside running for head coach? He has been in the system for a while now.

[george33]

@Daffy-Jaffy don't think Bates is keen ,or been told no thanks.

[taniwharugby]

@Daffy-Jaffy he was/is the Auckland U21 coach isnt he, and Blues U21 previously? Would seem he is moving in the wrong direction to go straight upto an NPC HC role?

[Bovidae]

Yeah, Bates has been the coach of the Blues U18s and U20s. Coaching a team to play a handful of games is very different to a full NPC campaign.

[Duluth]

@taniwharugby

He's been the forwards coach for 3 years. The forwards have generally been ok

Hickey must go

It's probably makes sense to have an entirely new group

[Bovidae]

Veteran Taranaki rugby coach Neil Barnes has extended his stay at the helm of the Ranfurly Shield holders for another season.

The Post

[KiwiMurph]

I see Steve Bates is Auckland NPC coach

Feels like jobs for the boys - very much in line with how Auckland Rugby is fun - I.e. Jones Hickey given an Auckland assistant coach job based on nothing

[Daffy Jaffy]

@KiwiMurph Exactly. The only upside is that the Forwards have generally been ok under Bates. Its been the backline/attack that was awful and clunky (Hickeys dept.!) So assistant appointments will be key to any improvements. My hope is that because of his history with age group teams he might trust and select local youthful talent rather than bringing in aging, average journeymen from elsewhere.

[taniwharugby]

@Daffy-Jaffy well I heard he has managed to retain a highly rated young player who had been close to coming up here, so thats a win.

[Steven Harris]

@taniwharugby

No great surprise once Mark Ozich pulled the pin ,I don’t think Wayne Pivac was ever in the running
he’s gonna have a job finding props given that Jordon Lay and Marcel Renata have signed with Northland word Sione Ahio is off to either Counties Manukau or Ta$man
Angus Ta’avao heading into the media world at the end of super rugby

[WoodysRFC]

@Steven-Harris said in NPC 2025:

@taniwharugby

No great surprise once Mark Ozich pulled the pin ,I don’t think Wayne Pivac was ever in the running
he’s gonna have a job finding props given that Jordon Lay and Marcel Renata have signed with Northland word Sione Ahio is off to either Counties Manukau or Ta$man
Angus Ta’avao heading into the media world at the end of super rugby

Probably explains Hamdahn Tuipulotu's departure from the Stags then.

[Bovidae]

Provincial rivalry takes centre stage this August

Fixture list:

Bunnings Warehouse NPC

Bunnings Warehouse NPC Fixtures & Results

[Canes4life]

@Bovidae said in NPC 2025:

Provincial rivalry takes centre stage this August

Fixture list:

Bunnings Warehouse NPC

Bunnings Warehouse NPC Fixtures & Results

So one major change to the provincial fixtures is they've changed the mid-week game day to Thursday instead of Wednesday to make it an extended four-day window of rugby which makes sense.

[Mr Fish]

Could be the last season we see every NPC match broadcast.

[Canes4life]

@Mr-Fish said in NPC 2025:

Could be the last season we see every NPC match broadcast.

Is this an assumption or something they've mentioned?