TRC squad
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@unite Blake Gibson is the only other 7 about who has currently trained with them isnt he?
Blues 7's; Gibson, Pryor, Taramai
Chiefs: Cane, Karpick, ?
HUrricanes; Ardie,
Crusaders: Todd, ?
Highlanders: Hunt, Lentjes, Pryor (although think he has gone ot Japan already too) -
@taniwharugby said in TRC squad:
@duluth oh for sure, just saying maybe someone in between has let the process fall down, but given it happened numerous times now (remember those times when Henry came out and said someone woulda been picked if they hadnt gone off shore) someone at NZR needs to get over it to ensure it doesnt happen again
For sure they do - but there's an element of self-responsibility that seems to be missing too. A guy keeps coming to training camps. He doesn't get promoted to a series squad. The assumption has to be he is consistently failing to tick the boxes he's been asked to tick. Sounds like any other profession to me, or we happy for players with no apparent self-motivation to be All Blacks?
I genuinely hope he gets there, because he's a beast. But I'm not upset he's been left out this time.
Except it isn't like any other job. Currently Akira's employers are the Blues (and Auckland) and clearly he's ticking all the boxes that his 'main' employer wants him to tick - and his main employer gave him their player of the year award.
If the ABs want him to tick other boxes they need to get him playing for them (not just training with them) in that environment that is set up for him to tick those boxes. Then they'll know where he sits.
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Who comes in if Cane gets a knock with Todd now out of the picture?
In a match day squad they'd probably go without a specialist reserve
Who would be called up as cover? Gibson, Hunt or Lentjes?
Gibson and Hunt were both called up last year and were competing for the 4th best openside ranking. However Lentjes passed Hunt this year at the Highlanders
like being on the bench at the highlanders is a roadblock...
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Except it isn't like any other job. Currently Akira's employers are the Blues (and Auckland) and clearly he's ticking all the boxes that his 'main' employer wants him to tick - and his main employer gave him their player of the year award.
If the ABs want him to tick other boxes they need to get him playing for them (not just training with them) in that environment that is set up for him to tick those boxes. Then they'll know where he sits.the other thing is, the AB coaches may have given him his checklist, but what if that doesnt fit with the Blues game plan (cos surely if they have one, it would be at odds with any normal and sane game plan anyway) and therefore the way the Blues are playing are hindering chances (given right now, playign for the Blues seems to do that anyway)
Am sure there is more to it than all the speculation on here anyway
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@taniwharugby There's a reason the Blues have hired a new forwards coach and a new attack coach. The 'coaching' going on at the Blues this year was rubbish.
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@taniwharugby said in TRC squad:
Except it isn't like any other job. Currently Akira's employers are the Blues (and Auckland) and clearly he's ticking all the boxes that his 'main' employer wants him to tick - and his main employer gave him their player of the year award.
If the ABs want him to tick other boxes they need to get him playing for them (not just training with them) in that environment that is set up for him to tick those boxes. Then they'll know where he sits.the other thing is, the AB coaches may have given him his checklist, but what if that doesnt fit with the Blues game plan (cos surely if they have one, it would be at odds with any normal and sane game plan anyway) and therefore the way the Blues are playing are hindering chances (given right now, playign for the Blues seems to do that anyway)
Am sure there is more to it than all the speculation on here anyway
Yeah, that first sentence was exactly what I was saying - clearly in too convoluted a way though.
There may be more to it, or it may just be a preference - coaches do that sometimes as we all know. Frizell is a prime example. I doubt if you put Hansen under the gun he could justify Frizell's selection on anything other than "I think ... based on his potential ... he'll be awesome one day".
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@kiwimurph said in TRC squad:
e Blues have hired a new forwards coach and a new attack coach. The 'coaching' going on at the Blues this year was rubbish.
or maybe Tana told the AB coaches his game plan, so they could give Akira his work ons based on this, but in reality, Tana had no game plan other than give it to the Ioanes and cross your fingers!
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@taniwharugby said in TRC squad:
@kiwimurph said in TRC squad:
e Blues have hired a new forwards coach and a new attack coach. The 'coaching' going on at the Blues this year was rubbish.
or maybe Tana told the AB coaches his game plan, so they could give Akira his work ons based on this, but in reality, Tana had no game plan other than give it to the Ioanes and cross your fingers!
They would have had a positive win/loss if there was a third Ioane brother.
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@antipodean said in TRC squad:
@crucial Yeah I get that, not having a go at you but just responding to the points you raise. I guess the issue is the gross inconsistency. Why give players caps based on "promise" when the standout performer is clearly miles better as a player?
Without shitting on Luke, he's just a solid Super Rugby player. Akira does what he does and then some. My only complaint about Akira is he often hangs off mauls when his strength could be well used. But that may be a Blues coaching issue - he's playing that way because he's told to.
There’s nothing inconsistent about it at all. The coaches are going to prefer certain players and characteristics against others. It’s highly subjective and whilst we as diehard fans watch the game with a fine tooth comb, use stats and opinion to try and justify such and such, we aren’t privy to the conversations and data that they have. All we really have are our opinions and trying to interpret what the coaches say (which is usually a mix of cliches, generalisations and catch phrases).
I love debating this stuff but it’s all a bit of fun really because what’s done is done. We live in hope that come game day that the ABs will fire and beat whoever else is out there. If it’s Luke Whitelock or Shannon Frizzell it really doesn’t matter.
If we lose we have a bit more fun with our shoulda debates.
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@act-crusader I liked your post, but I disagree that there's nothing inconsistent about it. It is hugely inconsistent but irrelevant, as you note as the coaches prefer who they prefer.
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@act-crusader I liked your post, but I disagree that there's nothing inconsistent about it. It is hugely inconsistent but irrelevant, as you note as the coaches prefer who they prefer.
I think it’s been consistent since the beginning of time that AB coaches have selected who they wanted and fans have agreed and disagreed.
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@act-crusader said in TRC squad:
@act-crusader I liked your post, but I disagree that there's nothing inconsistent about it. It is hugely inconsistent but irrelevant, as you note as the coaches prefer who they prefer.
I think it’s been consistent since the beginning of time that AB coaches have selected who they wanted and fans have agreed and disagreed.
I was more meaning the reasons for selecting players and inconsistency - looks like I misread most of that part of the thread.
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@taniwharugby said in TRC squad:
@kiwimurph said in TRC squad:
e Blues have hired a new forwards coach and a new attack coach. The 'coaching' going on at the Blues this year was rubbish.
or maybe Tana told the AB coaches his game plan, so they could give Akira his work ons based on this, but in reality, Tana had no game plan other than give it to the Ioanes and cross your fingers!
They would have had a positive win/loss if there was a third Ioane brother.
Fark yeah. Let's blame the Ioane seniors for our shit season
I'm down with this -
Surely Todd would have asked Hansen if he was in their plans before he signed in Japan. I was under the impression that Hansen said something to that effect when it was first announced. Could be wrong.
Spoke to friend of mine last week that knows Matt Todd pretty well.
He received an offer from japan that was too big not to consider. He had 2 weeks to make up his mind.
So he contacted Hansen and told him the situation. Essentially wanted to know if he was in the plans for AB selection, if so he’d turn down the offer, was very specific that he only had 2 weeks.
2 weeks passes and Hansen hasn’t made contact so he signs the contract.
2 weeks after that Hansen calls and says we want you in NZ. By this time the contract is signed and it’s too late.
Before I get accused of Canterbury bias or some bulshit. I’m not apportioning blame either way, just reporting what I was told
We all know that Hansen loves a mind game. Perhaps all of the above happened on purpose.
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Surely Todd would have asked Hansen if he was in their plans before he signed in Japan. I was under the impression that Hansen said something to that effect when it was first announced. Could be wrong.
Spoke to friend of mine last week that knows Matt Todd pretty well.
He received an offer from japan that was too big not to consider. He had 2 weeks to make up his mind.
So he contacted Hansen and told him the situation. Essentially wanted to know if he was in the plans for AB selection, if so he’d turn down the offer, was very specific that he only had 2 weeks.
2 weeks passes and Hansen hasn’t made contact so he signs the contract.
2 weeks after that Hansen calls and says we want you in NZ. By this time the contract is signed and it’s too late.
Before I get accused of Canterbury bias or some bulshit. I’m not apportioning blame either way, just reporting what I was told
I suspect the selectors may be smarting from the Bus 'crash'?!
I see some difference between the Todd situation and the Luatua one.
In Todd's case he has the misfortune to be seen as similar to Cane, but less effective in some areas the selectors value, such as dominant tackling. So, like Holah, despite being a superb player, he's never going to get a start and doesn't really fit with the policy of bench adding something different, so loses out there to Savea (A). TWM would, though, very much want to know he was there if Cane broke his arm. Not sure when the Japan sojourn ends (I may have missed it!), but if he is available for EOYT there is not a lot lost on either side from missing TRC.
Regards Luatua, Hansen clearly sees him as exceptional. Not just an excellent player, but showed up well in AB gym tests. Almost certain he was earmarked as the long term replacement for Read, but until then Read is going to play as many minutes as the selectors think they can safely get out of him. So again, almost impossible to give SL any surety that he'd have got much AB game time had he stayed. Irony being Read's back, means he'd have been first choice for Frog tests!
