TRC squad
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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
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!
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@mariner4life This is actually infuriating enough for me to posit it in words (something I rarely do now).
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@mariner4life This is actually infuriating enough for me to posit it in words (something I rarely do now).
look, I'm keen to get in on the outrage, but which bit are we raging against?
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Hansen stated Hemopo is not being considered as a replacement lock but as (another) 6.
This is what has amused me post the squad announcement. Hansen and the SR coaches of both Hemopo and Fifita clearly disagree on what is their best position. Hemopo is undersized for an international lock but does perfectly well in SR, and isn't much shorter than Barrett. Fifita has played the majority of his rugby for the Canes at lock but Hansen says he's being played out of position. WFT?
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@tim Really? We haven't learnt about paying wingers enormous sums on long term contracts..?
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@antipodean said in TRC squad:
@tim Really? We haven't learnt about paying wingers enormous sums on long term contracts..?
Rieko has the ability to shift to 13 later in his career (not 12!)... a wee bit different to Savea.
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@antipodean said in TRC squad:
@tim Really? We haven't learnt about paying wingers enormous sums on long term contracts..?
Five years at twenty one is a bit different to Savea.
Still, good luck to him. Could finish towards the top of the try scorers list of he stays fit
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@mariner4life All of it, I'm afraid
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Coaches can pick who they want and Fifita understood why Hansen left him out of this squad, given the whole playing lock thing. "He told me that. But when I saw he got interviewed and he said he signed Hemopo to six, not lock, I kind of feel like he's not telling me the truth. But that's life," Fifita said on Tuesday. -
@kiwimurph well, he's hardly going to say "you're a bit shit son"
