Super Rugby News
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A run through the Super squads shows over 50 contracted players who did not appear at all in the recently completed National Provincial Championships and 11 who appeared once, and perhaps 13 who played two or three times (often released by ABs for match-play). So, I make it at least 75 players 'rested' from NPC.
It annoys me to see a lot of form NPC players missing out on Super contracts, while so many others are given a 'free pass'. How do TSF folks feel about this? Is the NPC brand being harmed? Or, is it all perfectly acceptable in the name of player welfare? I think our national rugby product is being diluted, and the trends are alarming. The contracting system, the draft system and the relativity of earnings for domestic and overseas contracts are all complicating factors. Have we got it right for the long-term good of NZ Rugby?
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@arhs said in Super Rugby News:
A run through the Super squads shows over 50 contracted players who did not appear at all in the recently completed National Provincial Championships and 11 who appeared once, and perhaps 13 who played two or three times (often released by ABs for match-play). So, I make it at least 75 players 'rested' from NPC.
It annoys me to see a lot of form NPC players missing out on Super contracts, while so many others are given a 'free pass'. How do TSF folks feel about this? Is the NPC brand being harmed? Or, is it all perfectly acceptable in the name of player welfare? I think our national rugby product is being diluted, and the trends are alarming. The contracting system, the draft system and the relativity of earnings for domestic and overseas contracts are all complicating factors. Have we got it right for the long-term good of NZ Rugby?
results say yes, absolutely. ABs are dominant. Super sides are dominant. It looks suspiciously like the system works.
I think if we let go of the idea that the NPC is the cornerstone of the game in NZ, as it was in the past, and embrace it for what it really is, a third-tier, semi-pro comp for the lesser Super players and the best club players, then we would see our system is as perfect as it can be given the realities of the situation.
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@arhs said in Super Rugby News:
A run through the Super squads shows over 50 contracted players who did not appear at all in the recently completed National Provincial Championships and 11 who appeared once, and perhaps 13 who played two or three times (often released by ABs for match-play). So, I make it at least 75 players 'rested' from NPC.
It annoys me to see a lot of form NPC players missing out on Super contracts, while so many others are given a 'free pass'. How do TSF folks feel about this? Is the NPC brand being harmed? Or, is it all perfectly acceptable in the name of player welfare? I think our national rugby product is being diluted, and the trends are alarming. The contracting system, the draft system and the relativity of earnings for domestic and overseas contracts are all complicating factors. Have we got it right for the long-term good of NZ Rugby?
Is that counting ABs? Because if you are then the rest of your argument is nonsense because those guys aren't getting a 'free pass', they're performing at a higher level.
Who are these form NPC players missing out on Super contracts? Off the top of my head the only two I can think of are Sevu Reece and Evan Olmstead. Olmstead presumably has missed out because his an international player in an area of depth (and also because the blues recruitment is a bit useless) while Reece has had off field issues that have likely impacted on his availability.
As @mariner4life has said until our super rugby and international sides start to perform poorly and there are a heap of talented guys missing out on contracts and going overseas, or our non-international super rugby players are all skipping the NPC then there just isn't an issue.
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Without checking the squad lists, I can only think of two players where you can question their selection: Marty Banks and James Marshall. Both come from overseas clubs, haven't played NPC and - I think - won't play NPC next season.
Of the signed SR players who haven't played NPC - or not more than one or two games - are:
All Blacks on Rugby Championship duty;
Signed SR players on short-term stints in Japan after years of loyal service;
Injured players;
and the two guys I mentioned. -
@stargazer said in Super Rugby News:
Sunwolves' signings for the 2019 season:
Dan Pryor
Craig Millar
Hencus van Wyk
Jason Emery
Michael LittleSurely this hybrid team of everyone else’s off-casts could be based somewhere closer to the rest of the teams to cut down on travel fatigue?
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Damm 8 min in 4 seasons! Suppose it's an easy paycheck if he is in the team the entire time, but feel bad for him.
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@darren-nicholson Hopefully he can kick on for the Canes, we will be desperate for him to perform this year and can't afford to have him sitting on the sidelines again.
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@darren-nicholson How is it an easy paycheck if you're going from injury to injury and are rehabbing all the time? He's an incredible hard worker. I can't find the article, but the coaches said explicitly in an interview last year, how much he impressed them with his positive attitude and workrate, training on his own day in, day out, while the rest of the team was training together.
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I'm hopeful for big things from Walker-Leawere and if Lousi can can back into form we should be ok for lock.
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Yeah he deserves a good run and looks like a tremendous athlete. The Canes locks might lack experience but they are big and mobile which will suit our style of footy.
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@darren-nicholson Yeah that man of the match performance by Walker-Leawere for the Maoris was very impressive. If Liam Mitchell can bulk up then he could be a good prospect aswell.
Props are our biggest weakness by far.
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Fuck.
Can we play them at home home please? Why give up that huge advantage against that team?
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