Hurricanes 2020
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@Winger said in Hurricanes 2020:
NZ rugby has so much money. This won't decrease (it will though if something is not done about this bullshit boring uneven super rugby set up) but needs to be allocated ina way to ensure a more even distribution of players
Super rugby could be great again but not if NZ stacks (and has a structure to almost ensure this) one team with half or more of the top players
So then how do you push players out of the crusaders without reducing what they spend? Does someone at NZRU HQ make decisions about who plays where? Do we have a draft every season and each team picks in reverse order?
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That's what needs to be addressed. something I can almost ensure the NZRU hasn't done. And its not just about the Canes. i want to want to watch the Blues playing the Crusaders again. Or watch a final with the outcome unknown.
And face it. Super rugby is boring and a bit pointless at present. As the winner is known with 99% certainty before the season kicks off. It appalling that NZR has sat back and watch this outcome occur.
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@Stargazer said in Hurricanes 2020:
And while we're at it, some people are full of hypocrisy, too. They are complaining about good players, who are important to a franchise, moving to the Crusaders. But what about Lomax, who's extremely important to the Highlanders, moving to the Hurricanes? I haven't heard a Canes fan saying that that should not be possible because it's damaging the Highlanders (who have by far the smallest player pool). I don't know how Blues fans rate Scrafton, but he's also moving from a weaker performing team to the Canes. Should NZR stop that, too?
Neither of these two are current ABs.
Scrafton got a 4/10 rating in stuff for the Blues season recently. And Lomax was born in the Canes region and is moving back home for family reasons.
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@Winger said in Hurricanes 2020:
That's what needs to be addressed. something I can almost ensure the NZRU hasn't done. And its not just about the Canes. i want to want to watch the Blues playing the Crusaders again. Or watch a final with the outcome unknown.
And face it. Super rugby is boring and a bit pointless at present. As the winner is known with 99% certainty before the season kicks off. It appalling that NZR has sat back and watch this outcome occur.
What needs to be addressed? The NZRU clearly take an interest in ensuring that franchises are competent as they've stepped in to the blues to try and revive the franchise. Likewise they've be involved with the Highlanders in the past.
They already have a salary cap in place as there are spending limits and maximum salaries for players. So it's not possible for a franchise to buy up all the talent. Direct contracting further eases the spread of talent as a team can't hoard players in an NPC team and prevent anyone else from getting them.
The only other options are for the NZRU to further reduce salary caps, taking money out of players pockets, or forcing players to move when a franchise is to good, be it via a regular redraft, an all black cap (no more than ten in a squad or something), or just discretionary decisions from the centre. All are terrible ideas and won't achieve what you want but will be players and teams unhappy.
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The main advantage the Crusaders have is a core group of very very good players who have been there a long time, and form the bulk of the team. That's an advantage that can not be over looked.
Of course, the fact that this group of players follows another group of very very good players who were there a long time should probably indicate they are are doing something right, and the other sides should be looking at it. And you know what, if they haven't after 20 years of sustained success, then more fool them.
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@Jaguares4real said in Hurricanes 2020:
Highlanders are bordering on a development team with a good hooker and halfback combination
Yet still good enough to defeat the Jaguares 32 - 27
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@mariner4life said in Hurricanes 2020:
The main advantage the Crusaders have is a core group of very very good players who have been there a long time, and form the bulk of the team. That's an advantage that can not be over looked.
Of course, the fact that this group of players follows another group of very very good players who were there a long time should probably indicate they are are doing something right, and the other sides should be looking at it. And you know what, if they haven't after 20 years of sustained success, then more fool them.
Yeah, it can't hurt young guys to come in and see the standards being set by the likes of Read, Todd, Whitelock and Crotty and think 'right, this is what it means to play pro rugby.'
I think in was telling that when there was that injury break around the 30 minute mark and the crusaders went into a huddle Read was right there laying down the law. Whitelock is definitely a great leader, but there are plenty of other guys who are immense leaders and command the respect of the whole group.
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@Higgins said in Hurricanes 2020:
@Jaguares4real said in Hurricanes 2020:
Highlanders are bordering on
Yet still good enough to defeat the Jaguares 32 - 27
In 2019 they did
In 2020 the Highlanders will resemble a development team with a good hooker and halfback combination
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@Cyclops said in Hurricanes 2020:
@mariner4life said in Hurricanes 2020:
The main advantage the Crusaders have is a core group of very very good players who have been there a long time, and form the bulk of the team. That's an advantage that can not be over looked.
Of course, the fact that this group of players follows another group of very very good players who were there a long time should probably indicate they are are doing something right, and the other sides should be looking at it. And you know what, if they haven't after 20 years of sustained success, then more fool them.
Yeah, it can't hurt young guys to come in and see the standards being set by the likes of Read, Todd, Whitelock and Crotty and think 'right, this is what it means to play pro rugby.'
I think in was telling that when there was that injury break around the 30 minute mark and the crusaders went into a huddle Read was right there laying down the law. Whitelock is definitely a great leader, but there are plenty of other guys who are immense leaders and command the respect of the whole group.
i made pretty much the same point in the Blues thread i think. Great leaders in the playing group is a huge thing for player development. It also allows mid-level players to raise their performances above what they may otherwise produce.
The Crusaders are benefiting now from really good balance to their list as well. A perfect mix of veterans, mid-career pros, and excited youngsters. Not every team has that right now. The key is retention.
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@Higgins said in Hurricanes 2020:
@Jaguares4real said in Hurricanes 2020:
Highlanders are bordering on a development team with a good hooker and halfback combination
Yet still good enough to defeat the Jaguares 32 - 27
Remember, the Jaguares were probably the better team on the day
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The Hurricanes also need a new assistant coach. Richard Watt has left.
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How long is TJ signed for?
Canes should ask TJ who he wants outside him.
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@sparky said in Hurricanes 2020:
Not as big a loss as when Conrad and Ma'a left IMHO.
FOH
It's alot easier to replace a centre than a 1st five especially in a team that depend on 5-6 star players to be successful & generally lacks quality across their squad
Saying that Canes will have a much better squad in 2020 but they won't sniff beating the Crusaders or Jaguares in all likelihood
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@Jaguares4real lol the only reason the Jaguares made the final was because of the conference system, Crusaders and Hurricanes are clearly the two best teams and have been for the last four years.
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If we lose Jordie I hope we get Thomas Umaga Jensen from the Highlanders. A future centre pairing of him and his twin bro could be fairly menacing.
