Blues v Brumbies
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Rikki Swannell got the same entertainment credit card clause in her contract as Ian Smith?
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@sparky said in Blues v Brumbies:
Lots to like about the Blues tonight, but let's start with Dalton Papalii who is surely going to be the All Blacks' first choice Openside flanker this year.
Perhaps you haven't heard of this Crusaders player, Blackadder?
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@antipodean Not nearly as good.
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@antipodean said in Blues v Brumbies:
@ruggabee said in Blues v Brumbies:
@antipodean said in Blues v Brumbies:
I constantly criticised his coaching and selections. I think some people were just pleased it wasn't Tana or JK bad.
Maybe so, but he had the tied most talented squad in Super Rugby for his last 3 seasons (2021-2023) and still had an overwelmingly poor record against the Crusaders and Chiefs overall. Couldn't win the title in those seasons and only made the final once - the year Schmidt was orchestrating their training sessions and was the coach in all but name.
I don't know what point you're making here. I'm not disagreeing - hence why I question his involvement in the ABs.
I strongly disagreed with the sentiment that just because he's not JK or Tana level bad that fans should be content, clearly they were poor but many forget those coaches didn't have the quality of wider management staff compared to McDonald - they were not afforded the equivalent support and resources from a barely functional Blues organization at the time. Pat Lam had two assistant coaches for his entire tenure and did a pretty reasonable job.
The point is that McDonald was given a long rope compared to previous coaches and ultimately oversaw five seasons of unfulfilled potential.
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@ruggabee said in Blues v Brumbies:
@antipodean said in Blues v Brumbies:
@ruggabee said in Blues v Brumbies:
@antipodean said in Blues v Brumbies:
I constantly criticised his coaching and selections. I think some people were just pleased it wasn't Tana or JK bad.
Maybe so, but he had the tied most talented squad in Super Rugby for his last 3 seasons (2021-2023) and still had an overwelmingly poor record against the Crusaders and Chiefs overall. Couldn't win the title in those seasons and only made the final once - the year Schmidt was orchestrating their training sessions and was the coach in all but name.
I don't know what point you're making here. I'm not disagreeing - hence why I question his involvement in the ABs.
I strongly disagreed with the sentiment that just because he's not JK or Tana level bad that fans should be content, clearly they were poor but many forget those coaches didn't have the quality of wider management staff compared to McDonald - they were not afforded the equivalent support and resources from a barely functional Blues organization at the time. Pat Lam had two assistant coaches for his entire tenure and did a pretty reasonable job.
The point is that McDonald was given a long rope compared to previous coaches and ultimately oversaw five seasons of unfulfilled potential.
Ahhhh, you're @kiwi_expat lol
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A superb performance but the team on the paddock. But I'm afraid they were let down by the Blues fans. The only Super game in New Zealand this weekend and Eden Park was at least 80% empty.
It must be an enormous worry for NZR that their game day revenues for provincial rugby at the moment are so much lower than Northern Hemisphere club/provincial.
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@sparky school holidays, and foreign opposition isn't a good combination.
Pretty sure Blues attendance is the biggest in the country consistently. And that's in a city where there's proper NRL competition, and another Super team got created. Attendance issues are huge and run deeper than this game
