Northland vs BOP
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BOP, next stop on the pain-train of the Taniwha fans.
One team hit hard with injuries (heard we have blown our player budget this year due to injuries) and woefully out of form, vs another in great form.
Normally, when Northland & BOP meet, you can throw form books out the window, but I think the way the 2 teams are playing and the basic errors Northland are making, there would need to be a significant form reversal if we are to push them, let alone beat them.
Not heard much more on the injury front, Matich limped off on Friday night, and most of the other starters sitting on the injury bench, it didnt sound like they were close enough to returning to be back for Sunday.
Assuming alot:
Te Whata-Colley, Atkins, Tu'ungafasi
Caird, Maynavanua
McNamara, Matiu, Matich
Levien, Debreczeni
Tua, Cherrington
Rae, Gregory, Roberts-Te NanaThats what I'd like to see, but injury may change a couple and in the absence of Olsen, Nock will start as captain (I will add I do like what Nock CAN bring to the game, but feel he is playing well below what he is capable of)
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Straker will be back from injury, but nobody else unfortunately..
After watching Jonty Rae hobbling around, that will be a miracle recovery ..Matich will be another interesting one to see if he plays. -
While Straker has the physical attributes, he just hasnt stepped up as I had hoped he would.
Yeah as I said, I was assuming alot...Jonty was hobbling from the outset last week, so am just hoping he might get a run if fit.
Yeah Matich didnt look good when I saw him trying to make his way to the sideline, unfortunately there was a couple of defensive rucks and then an attack he was involved in when he looked like he could barely walk, let alone run, cant fault that mans effort!!
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@taniwharugby it’s a real shame we can’t go outside the squad..maybe we have to look at the way we contract players moving forward ..we have played by the rules ,signing as many guys as we can before the season starts..,running HP programs during the season, it must be incredibly frustrating for the coaching management, especially if there is someone in the Dev squad playing well but because we have got to use the squad contracted players, what do you do..?,
At least if you did not have so many guys contracted ,you could either go back to someone in the Dev squad or loan player who is under used from another union..
Be interested to get someone else’s thoughts ...? -
@Steven-Harris when you say we cant go outside the squad and need to look at contracting, arent the rules around going outside the squads named set down by NZR, rather than how players are contracted?
Although I expect the rule template is the similar to that used in Super rugby and to a lesser extent the RWC, whereby you cannot go outside your originally named squad unless the player is ruled out completely?
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You don't fool us for a second !! Northland has always been our boagie side and using the old "You should beat us etc etc" thing won't work.
In the past BOP has been well known for being inconsistent and usually seriously bombs at least once in a season so I wouldn't write off your chances just yet.
Sure...You will be the underdogs but our team would be fools to underestimate you.
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@Snollygoster underestimate us at your leisure.
I'll be happy if we get a BP from this game, even better if we get 2!!
I usually look forward to the Northland - BOP matches, as they are usually good matches, but me, like most Northland fans are a bit down on our team at present, hence the less than optimistic outlook with out injuries and general poor play
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@Snollygoster if we had the 2018 team..I would backs us..but you guys should go into this game as massive favourites ..
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I have never seen this site so quiet. Usually we are angry but this year I sense utter despair. We should be over this crap. We have a much better talent pool than ever before. Yes we have injuries but before the injuries this we were hopeless - the backline that has been inept all season. So inept that the Coach(s) must be wondering if they will make the end of the season. As a fan of Northland rugby (always) you have to wonder where we go from here? Starts at the top....
Have to think that contracted players should have team performance clauses...which allow them to be dropped (retaining payment) and development players brought in.
Every team seems to have its year except for us.
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@Snollygoster said in Northland vs BOP:
You don't fool us for a second !! Northland has always been our boagie side and using the old "You should beat us etc etc" thing won't work.
Yep, the Tainiwha are sneakily laying banana skins across the Brynderwyn's and all the way to Whangarei, and are crossing their fingers that we won't notice in time!
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Unfortunately northland does not have enough class in the key positions that a team can be built around, out of the 7 key positions that i feel really matter, tight head prop, and lock, open side, half back, first five, wing and full back we cover 3 poss 4. We have potential but lack class in the others which then falls back on to the coaches to design the structures etc that will expose the teams full potential and make them competative which i dont feel is happening yet. Good structures wont dismantle under fatgue and pressure as easily as they are at the moment, i dont think fitness is an issue but it does look like some have put on too much mass which has slowed them down abit. Nock has been recieving some slack but he needs to get front foot ball to be affective, he seems to have to back track alot to make the rucks which becomes hard after a while. May still be worth a sneaky bet on them agsinst b.o.p its bound to happen sooner or later.
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@Donsteppa I could spike the Steamers drinks , and they would still run out and do the business..I get off a plane coming back from OZ on Sunday evening...I will be in a serious state of WTF if the Taniwha do the unimaginable....I think you can bank this one..we have no bananas skins
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@Steven-Harris said in Northland vs BOP:
@taniwharugby it’s a real shame we can’t go outside the squad..maybe we have to look at the way we contract players moving forward ..we have played by the rules ,signing as many guys as we can before the season starts..,running HP programs during the season, it must be incredibly frustrating for the coaching management, especially if there is someone in the Dev squad playing well but because we have got to use the squad contracted players, what do you do..?,
At least if you did not have so many guys contracted ,you could either go back to someone in the Dev squad or loan player who is under used from another union..
Be interested to get someone else’s thoughts ...?From the Regulations:
2.2 The Playing 23 of any Premier Competition Union for the Premier Competition and the Ranfurly Shield shall consist only of Players who are: (a) Local Players in accordance with clause 3; (b) Loan Players in accordance with clause 4; (c) Returning New Zealand Players in accordance with clause 5; (d) Overseas Players in accordance with clause 6 provided that the combined number of Loan Players and Overseas Players does not exceed six (or four in a Non-Mandatory Challenge against a Heartland Championship Union). 2.3 A Player must become a party to a Provincial Union Contract or a Provincial Union Development Contract, in order to participate in the Premier Competition. (...)So a player in the match day 23 can be a player with a full or a development contract.
It can be a local player, but also a loan or returning player, as long as certain conditions are met.3 LOCAL PLAYERS 3.1 “Local Player” means a Player who: (a) is Registered with a club competing in a competition conducted under the control and jurisdiction of that Provincial Union; (b) has not been Registered with, or Played for, a club or other rugby organisation affiliated to another Provincial Union or national union after the Premier Competition Cut-Off Date (for the avoidance of doubt this will not include a Player playing only for a national representative team or touring team); (c) is not captured by another Provincial Union pursuant to the NZRU Player Movement Regulations; and (d) has completed a World Rugby Clearance etc etc etcFor Loan players to be eligible to play, a Loan Arrangement must be signed. This must happen in a particular time frame:
(f) the Loan Arrangement is entered into in accordance with the following time frames: (i) for a front row player, the Loan Arrangement is entered into before the Borrowing Provincial Union has played ten games in the current Premier Competition; or (ii) for a player other than a front row player, the Loan Arrangement is entered into before the Borrowing Provincial Union has played five games in the current Premier Competition. 4.2 (a) There is no limit upon the number of Players which a Provincial Union may lend or borrow but the Playing 23 of any Premier Competition Union may not include more than six Loan Players, provided that the combined number of Overseas Players and Loan Players does not exceed six.Exception:
4.3 A Player who is not a party to a Provincial Union Contract or Provincial Union Development Contract may enter into a Provincial Union Contract or Provincial Union Development Contract at any time. -
@Nath-Jac what do you think about changing the contracting structure..?, I would imagine you would still have to offer a full contract to a Super Rugby player..but for the player that your not 100% sure about or the one that wants to come to Northland but your not to sure about...apparently Northland gets a lot of CVs sent to the union ,but it would a big risk to fully contract someone on either or CV or a video..(that worked really well last time we treaded that path)..2 Argie props come to mind..be interested in thoughts as someone who has coached ..
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@Stargazer that’s a lot of red tape..probably explains why they stick with the squad .
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@kev said in Northland vs BOP:
I have never seen this site so quiet. Usually we are angry but this year I sense utter despair. We should be over this crap. We have a much better talent pool than ever before. Yes we have injuries but before the injuries this we were hopeless - the backline that has been inept all season. So inept that the Coach(s) must be wondering if they will make the end of the season. As a fan of Northland rugby (always) you have to wonder where we go from here? Starts at the top....
Have to think that contracted players should have team performance clauses...which allow them to be dropped (retaining payment) and development players brought in.
Every team seems to have its year except for us.
Nailed it.
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@taniwharugby
Every thing you have written there is controlled by the coaches and trainers I think alot of the boys have gone backwards. I too was quite excited by this squad. But I think northland has well underperformed again for the 3rd year in a row.2017 should have done much better maybe won it.
2018 I believe rangers brilliance covered woefully coached backs.
This year has been dire besides set piece. -
Can we play the game already so that you lot can stop wallowing in mid-season misery?
I'm still not convinced by your page of laments that @taniwharugby isn't out there somewhere scurrying around trying to hide a container load of banana skins...
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@Donsteppa are we only mid-season? faaaark!
I am undecided if I tip 17+ again this week....or be optimistic and go 8-16
PLus, you can blame @Duluth for the software update that this appears here and not tucked away in the depths of the Northland forum!!
