Blues v Highlanders
-
@african-monkey thanks
-
@african-monkey,not one of the smartest moves from Anscombe,I remember at the time his wife being blamed for sending the text message after having too many Vinos at a party.
I had an interesting conversation with former Blues Assistant Bryce Woodward, just before he departed he pleaded a case with the board to keep Gareth Anscombe, during the final season Anscombe had started as the first five but there were game situations on specific parts of the field he had called a move which they had trained for only to be overruled by Nonu,from what Bryce was saying the relationship between the first five and the All Black midfielder was deteriorating and no better once the season had ended.
Woodward could see while Nonu was a current All Black,he also a very disruptive personality and moving forward it was better to cut him loose,gives an insight to why Hammett had cut some senior guys when in charge at the Canes so the better idea was to keep the younger guy moving forward and given his age,after all he was a high percentage goal kicker,could take the ball to the line and manage a team around the paddock adequately, not to mention a lot more improvement to come.
These are many of the points Woodward attempted to sell the board with.Nonu had also approached the board and told them ,if you keep Anscombe, I am on the move,remembering there was in coming coach,the board backed Nonu..and when selection time was about to roll around,Anscombe was told he would put back in the wider training squad..The Chiefs caught wind of what was happening and signed him accordling
After Anscombe had signed with the chiefs,Nonu after committing to the Blues even on hand shake deal with several board members bailed from the Blues and left them with egg on their faces.
I respect Nonu as probably one of our best ever All Black 2nd fives,but as person I have absolutely no time for him.
-
@steven-harris Yup I remember all that, I remember a family member of Kirwan who I used to work with telling me basically all of what you said at the time. It was a no win situation for JK and Nonu was always a problem at Super Rugby to the point where we were forced to take him back by the NZRU in 2014, but still the right decision made by JK in my opinion as there is simply no place for racism and the bullshit excuses that came from the Anscombe family and Nonu to his credit played very well for us in is 2nd season with no Anscombe there but yes he did fuck us around badly in early 2013.
-
@african-monkey interesting enough you might be able to confirm this as well,
I know a lot of people jump on some stories,why the Blues did not keep a certain player,Malakai Feketoa comes to mind,he was’nt getting a lot of game time but I believe talking to a few people in the know some of the things he was getting up to off the field may have had more to do with his leaving the Auckland franchise ,some of the no good I believe involved a member of Kirwins family.
I can clearly remember an article in a women’s magazine where just around the time he and his partner split up he admitted he had anger management issues..from what I understand if the Blues had been resentful his whole career could have been up in the air.Mils Muliaina leaving the Blues at the end of 2005 had more to do with his partner at the time who was also an employee of the Blues..
There have been some very legitimate stuff ups when it has come to recruitment at the Blues,but there has also been some players let go that go that I suspect they have had no choice but to see off.
-
@steven-harris said in Blues v Highlanders:
Mils Muliaina leaving the Blues at the end of 2005 had more to do with his partner at the time who was also an employee of the Blues..
Yeah, that was a real bummer.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10351382
When his move was announced in early August, there were reports that fraud allegations involving girlfriend Hayley Armstrong, a former Auckland Rugby Union employee, were a major reason.
Ms Armstrong was investigated by police but the union withdrew its complaint after a sum of money was repaid.
-
@steven-harris said in Blues v Highlanders:
Mils Muliaina leaving the Blues at the end of 2005 had more to do with his partner at the time who was also an employee of the Blues..
She was at the ARU. The fraud was reported in the press at the time. Auckland seemed to handle that about as well as they could.. they withdrew the police complaint etc but there was no way Mils could stay
-
@duluth sorry my bad,I meant Auckland.
Just shows there are at times other circumstances when players do leave and all is not what it seems. -
@steven-harris said in Blues v Highlanders:
Just shows there are at times other circumstances when players do leave and all is not what it seems.
Yeah, the language used in some articles is interesting. Anyone that decides to move to the Blues is 'let go' by the other franchise. People leaving have always rejected the Blues.
You're right, it's more nuanced than that. There so many real things to complain about, there's no need to exaggerate
-
@steven-harris I didn't hear anything involving the Kirwan family in regards to Fekitoa, but I did hear and a lot of others probably have as well that he was a constant no show at trainings. I think Fekitoa himself said that he had to leave and start fresh somewhere else.
@Duluth Yeah, that's just the media being their usual lazy self and the usual sheep in the general public buying their crap stories.
-
I seem to recall an article where Fekitoa said that.
But how had that situation been allowed to develop in the first place? Would a more professional team have sorted it out before he had to leave?
Likewise the Anscombe/Nonu thing. Would better management never have allowed that situation to develop?
I know these things happen, and at even the very best employers. But that they continue to happen at the Blues is not a good sign. It suggests that the workers (players) don't respect and trust their employer, so do things that they might not elsewhere.
Fekitoa and Anscombe seem to go from strength to strength on leaving.
-
The Nonu v Anscombe thing is interesting in that you'd expect an experienced test player to overrule the inexperienced number 10 if he thought the 10 was making the wrong play.
I wonder if it would have been an issue if it was a Conrad Smith overruling the 10?
Anyway, Anscombe's few performances at 10 for the Chiefs didn't suggest he'd have been any better than all the other 10s tried at the Blues since Carlos.
-
@nepia I think persisting with Anscombe would have been a hell of lot better than signing Benji Marshall.
-
@steven-harris said in Blues v Highlanders:
@nepia I think persisting with Anscombe would have been a hell of lot better than signing Benji Marshall.
Anscombe had been gone a year before Benji came hadn't he? I remember Benji coming in 2014, wasn't Anscombe already a Chief by then?
-
@steven-harris said in Blues v Highlanders:
@nepia I think persisting with Anscombe would have been a hell of lot better than signing Benji Marshall.
Who we played at fullback...
-
@chester-draws Nonu has history,Canes ,Blues,Highlanders and his first season at Toulon was not memorable,but wait there’s more..!,Eddie Jones when he’s was coaching up Japan called Nonu out for his lack of professionalism for time at Rioch 2011-2012
So I guess how much time do you want to put into someone that can’t help themselves..?
In the All Black environment it was case of sticking to patterns and game plans,there’s always enough senior players around for the individual to know there place.. -
@kirwan in the 2014 squad,Charles Piatau & Lolagi Visinia we’re listed as outside backs,so I guess it would have either of these 2.
The first fives were Baden Kerr and Chris Noakes..and even Benji was listed as an outside back..still would have taken Anscombe over all of those guys. -
@steven-harris said in Blues v Highlanders:
@kirwan in the 2014 squad,Charles Piatau & Lolagi Visinia we’re listed as outside backs,so I guess it would have either of these 2.
The first fives were Baden Kerr and Chris Noakes..and even Benji was listed as an outside back..still would have taken Anscombe over all of those guys.Yep, was just confused why Benji was being discussed in context of shit tens we've had. He was a shit fullback for us.
-
@kirwan I have looked back over the squads in the last several years,I am sure you will agree some players were very fortunate to get contracts..however it does highlight to me,very good coaches are usually also very good selectors..and on both counts I think the B,he’s have well and truly missed the boat.
-
@chester-draws Well I feel as I said earlier if his father wasn't sending racist texts to Pat Lam with Anscombe supporting them, then maybe Nonu's attitude towards him would have been different (I'm not supporting Nonu btw as he did end up screwing us over).
Fekitoa wasn't starting with us and had a sulk about it. The Highlanders promised him the centre spot and he took it with both hands. It happens. If he wasn't starting at the Highlanders he may have done the same as what he did at the Blues which we'll never know.
