The NRL Season of 2016
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Godder" data-cid="581712" data-time="1463943950"><p>Someone on talkback made the point that the U20s are NZers only, which means they don't get experience of working with Aussies, so are unprepared at top level. Also said that they select and coach based on being bigger, stronger, faster, which also makes them struggle in first grade as that doesn't hold any more.</p></blockquote><br>I don't think the professionalism in sport administration or coaching, particularly rugby (union or league) is significantly worse in New Zealand than Australia. In fact in a number of examples you could make the case it's measurably better.<br><br>Given league selects on athletic ability these days, opting for the 'bigger, stronger, faster' makes sense.<br><br>But your point about the playing list itself I think goes to the heart of why the Warriors always underperform. It must be the culture.
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<p>Manu Vatuvei on the way out....</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/80298465/manu-vatuvei-and-the-warriors-are-set-to-part-ways '>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/80298465/manu-vatuvei-and-the-warriors-are-set-to-part-ways </a></p>
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<p>Makes sense to me since David Fusitua (and to a lesser extent Ken Maumalo) is the better option going forward.</p> -
Prob end up in England ? <br><br>
Can't imagine a Aus based club wanting to spend too much on him at this stage of his career -
<p>was only a couple of seasons ago he was being talked about as a 1 club player wasn't he?</p>
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<p>Surely this points to there being a bit more to this whole energy drink and sick leave saga than we will know?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="581981" data-time="1464033038">
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<p>Gutted. Never got into the Wariors but I did like that guy. Always seemed so professional when others looked less so</p>
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<p>not very professional for a senior player to be out with a bunch of youngsters taking pills etc.</p>
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<p>good riddance in my opinion, there's been a rotten core at the warriors for years and Manu is a big part of that.</p> -
<p>Nearly three tries every four games, that's a hell of a strike rate.</p>
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<p>He's still young enough to give union a decent crack if he feels like it too. I'm a fair weathered Warriors fan but this guy is DEFINITELY one of the greats of the club. Sad to see him go out on this note.</p> -
<p>SammyC to be fair I don't think we've had any bloody defensive plans!! spot on about how he tends to play but that just indicates these guys don't trust each other on D.</p>
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<p>Sad way to finish - I always thought Manu was one of the shinning lights of the club alongside Mannering- guys that would give their all etc... But it sounds like there was more going on than I'd ever imagined - the rot must run pretty deep aye. Hope someone has the balls to swing the axe and try and make a go of the club. Otherwise we'll just continue to stagger between mediocrity and gutless performances.</p> -
<p>From what I heard it sounds like he's had some personal issues the past couple of years and he hasn't been doing to well mentally. Overall he's been a fantastic player to watch though.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="582009" data-time="1464040970">
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<p>not very professional for a senior player to be out with a bunch of youngsters taking pills etc.</p>
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<p>good riddance in my opinion, there's been a rotten core at the warriors for years and Manu is a big part of that.</p>
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<p>That's just dumb, he's been one of the most loyal Warriors ever, Hooroos right, he's always come across as a professional and team man pre Cappy.</p>
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<p>Not surprising this Warriors regime is taking down players and reputations, the guy in charge isn't up to it - just like Bluey (as Sneak will tell you), but unlike Bluey this guy is collecting a pay check every week and the players are expected to turn up and play for him. </p>
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<p>The Warriors are too scared to punt him because they always fire coaches early (again check Bluey, also see Kemp, Elliott etc) but the reality is he's not a first grade coach and this turmoil is just going to continue as long as he's in charge. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="582202" data-time="1464074037">
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<p>That's just dumb, he's been one of the most loyal Warriors ever, Hooroos right, he's always come across as a professional and team man pre Cappy.</p>
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<p>Not surprising this Warriors regime is taking down players and reputations, the guy in charge isn't up to it - just like Bluey (as Sneak will tell you), but unlike Bluey this guy is collecting a pay check every week and the players are expected to turn up and play for him. </p>
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<p>The Warriors are too scared to punt him because they always fire coaches early (again check Bluey, also see Kemp, Elliott etc) but the reality is he's not a first grade coach and <strong>this turmoil is just going to continue as long as he's in charge. </strong></p>
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<p>and if they boot him it will too...as I said above, there is obviously a fair amount more to this than we are being told. </p>
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<p>I doubt it is the case, but maybe Manu has had issues before but a blind eye was turned because of his prodigious talent and marketing value? I know of an AB who did things outside the box, more so at Super level and it was ignored because of what he could do on the park.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="582210" data-time="1464075120">
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<p><strong>and if they boot him it will too.</strong>..as I said above, there is obviously a fair amount more to this than we are being told. </p>
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<p>I doubt it is the case, but maybe Manu has had issues before but a blind eye was turned because of his prodigious talent and marketing value? I know of an AB who did things outside the box, more so at Super level and it was ignored because of what he could do on the park.</p>
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<p>It might do, but that's no reason to keep someone around who has failed in his job the entire time he's been doing it. McFadden has been given a longer time in the job than Bluey and Elliott and he's less equiped to do the job than either of them.</p>
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<p>You can give a new coach time to embed himself in the job but he's been at the Warriors for a number of years as an assistant and then nearly two years as a head coach and the Warriors are lurching from worse to worse. </p> -
<p>and maybe they need to do something different from firing the coaches whenever things arent going well...it is just things have gone from bad to worse since the energy drink fiasco it is highlighting things even further.</p>
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<p>Not saying they should keep him for the sake of it, just saying kicking the coach has never worked before, why would it now. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="582216" data-time="1464075977">
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<p>and maybe they need to do something different from firing the coaches whenever things arent going well...it is just things have gone from bad to worse since the energy drink fiasco it is highlighting things even further.</p>
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<p>Not saying they should keep him for the sake of it, just saying kicking the coach has never worked before, <strong>why would it now. </strong></p>
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<p>Damage control. The clubs imploding. Plus, keeping him isn't working, he was kept this year after having a Bluey season last year so arguably they already did something different and this is what it's led to.</p>
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<p>I wonder how good a manager/lawyer Luke has got because he's surely trying to get out of the club because it's pretty easy to see he thinks the coach is a donkey. Interesting comments from Faitala-Mariner too saying he didn't get any one on one coaching and he's been trying to leave for a year now to go to Hasler.</p>
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<p>Meh, he should have been punted at the end of last season like I said ... if Doyle had me on speed dial the Warriors wouldn't be in this mess.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="582219" data-time="1464076930">
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<p>Meh, he should have been punted at the end of last season like I said ... <strong>if Doyle had me on speed dial the Warriors wouldn't be in this mess.</strong></p>
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<p>Tui Billboard right there! ;)</p>
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<p>Gonna take more than a seaosn to dig out of whatever mess the club is in.</p> -
<p>because they have 4 other teams in NZ to share the headlines with, and they are not in Auckland.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="582224" data-time="1464077917">
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<p>because they have 4 other teams in NZ to share the headlines with, and they are not in Auckland.</p>
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<p>I guess, but the parallels are a bit eerie.......I suppose the All Blacks being rather decent papers over the Canes issues too.</p>
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<p>Definite Rugby vs League stereotype doesn't help either.</p>
