Chiefs 2020
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Hamish Bidwell calls it irrelevant.Tell that to the 42,000 at Eden ParkThey are hard fought close games and are a credit to the NZ franchises.Usually it’s the Blues copping it,because one team has to be last and we Blues don’t need his call of sorrow.
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@KiwiMurph Always has been. A turd of a journalist.
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@Hooroo said in Chiefs 2020:
@mofitzy_ said in Chiefs 2020:
Can someone explain how this team beat the Crusaders and Blues pre-lockdown?
Gatlands influence was less pronounced
I think it is more his lack of influence. I can't see one thing that he has brought to the franchise to be honest.
For a revered international coach you would think at bare minimum he would be able to get the players to take as many chances that come their way as possible.
If that was a focus we wouldn't see dumb shit like TTT taking a tap close to the line instead of another scrum against a team of 14 at a pivotal point in the game.
Gatland should be drilling that 'stop and think' stuff into their heads. -
Unfortunately for the Chiefs the world's best lock has his feet up amidst injury crisis
Chiefs fans will be cursing these accursed sabbaticals while their team, 4-2 by mid-March, and still well in the mix to win its third Super Rugby crown.
Ardron left the franchise last week to take up a contract in France, despite having another year to run on his Chiefs’ deal.
Ardron left early? Yikes.
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@Snowy said in Chiefs 2020:
@Yeetyaah said in Chiefs 2020:
Tyler gets a Chiefs farewell.
A hooker?
One that can throw straight?
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The recent articles about the Blues resurgence have confirmed just what a difference it makes at the margins if you have full certainty in the overall organisation. Having front and backroom teams all pulling in the same direction and providing certainty and consistency as a platform.
Where NZR did well in appointing people to fix that aspect at the Blues, they have seemingly screwed the Chiefs in the short term with the desire to grab Gatland.
How do you get full buy in and support of players as a coach when they know you are just filling in time to shoot off again leaving them under another temporary arrangement.
I'm not doubting Gatland's abilities but there is no way he can lay claim to being fully dedicated to the franchise while he has other responsibilities that pay more. Not in the back of the minds of the players anyway. Players are doing all the silly things that Blues players used to do by ignoring percentage plays after fighting hard to get into the game. Throwing away opportunities with individual thinking.
Gatland should have been an advisor only until his Lions stuff is finished. -
@Crucial not aimed at you, more of a general comment, but...
I have never understood this sort of thinking. To me it reeks of excuse making.
When shit goes wrong, players are always handed an excuse that they are "distracted" by some shit around someone leaving next year. Are our professional players so weak mentally that they cannot focus on this season because they are distracted by the next? Oh, the coach isn't here next year, no wonder they don't listen to him this year. What sort of shit is that?
It's always used in the NRL when a player signs for another club. It was used yesterday for St George because Tyson Frizell is playing somewhere else next year, and how that would affect the players' focus. Incidentally it was used about 4 hours before St George smashed Manly by 30 points. Guess they must have been able to put that distraction to one side for a day aye?
The Chiefs aren't battling because Gatland is doing the Lions next year, the Chiefs are battling because for the coaches seem unable to impose any sort of coherent plan on the playing group.
At the start of the year, before the world imploded, the Chiefs had beaten the Crusaders and the Blues and were being spoken of as competition favourites (not that i agreed, the Brumbies dismantled them) How was the distraction there? Fuck knows what happened over the break though.
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Having observed a Chiefs training, it is the assistant coaches who take on a more hands-on role. These are the same assistant coaches that were there before Gatland joined. I certainly don't think the coaches have been asking for the high-risk plays inside their 22 m. In fact, Gatland has commented on being more pragmatic and kicking for territory when required.
One of the biggest problems to me is that some key players are not playing anywhere near as well as last year, Weber being the obvious example.
