All Blacks 2024
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@Chester-Draws said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Foster refused to pick anyone young and he got criticised for his excessively cautious selection policy.
Quinn Tupaea, Fainga'anuku, Vaaai, Roigard, De Groot, Newell, Roigard, Sami T were all under 23 or thereabouts when Foster picked them -there's probably others I've forgotten.
Razor picks a couple of youngsters -- and gets it in the neck for not picking the most experienced in every position.
The main criticism (at least on here) has been he didn't pick on form (Sotutu), picked a 28 yr-old in poor form (Perofeta) and Christie and BB on experience rather than Hotham/Funaki and Harry Plummer.
Since I feel Foster was wrong -- and one reason we are having this argument about these picks is precisely because the second-string players didn't get enough AB time
I can't see that changing much under Robertson - certainly not in his first season. Hope I'm wrong.
Once you start picking youngsters, you are bound to upset
someone.True. See my points on Foster's & Robertson's choices and people's reactions
If we don't start picking the likes of SItiti and Bell, who have lots of time to come right -- Asafo Aumua took ages to grow into his potential, for example -- then we will find that our situation with lacking experienced youngsters gets worse and worse.
Robertson has plenty of time and access to the best talent in NZ, so there's really no excuse for players not growing under his reign.
My concern is that we desperately need locks, and that is where the current selection has conspicuously failed to take a punt.
Absolutely agree. But it's going to take time to develop locks and Robertson has picked what he thinks are his best current options at 4 and 5 while looking to the future. Vaa'i has 25 caps and is only 24. Lord, if not injured, is a prospect and Darry is the next cab off the rank. I can't see what else he could do.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Oh, get a grip. So Sotutu is now the finest player not to get selected and everyone else is a journeyman. I find it funny how by attacking another player from a rival team who doesn't even get selected as a No.8 is the main focus of the argument. Just so friggen stupid.
you are talking about EB?
Where would you rank him on his 2024 season against the other 6s and 7s?One of the most effective loose forwards in the comp in a dysfunctional team when playing. Hence pretty much every pundit outside this echo chamber putting his name in the mix.
Being made of glass and a lack of a body of work is a reasonable argument though... -
Razor was an AB loose forward
He knows what he wants from his loose forwards for his gameplan, lets just give the guy a chance to impress.
If we suck then bring out the daggers, but for now there is so much stupid speculation.
But I guess why are we here if not for the speculation, so carry on. -
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
I am most disappointed about Plummer missing out. Surely with DMac and BB in the squad and likely in the starting 15 Perofeta's ability to play 15 and 10 is not as vital. With the dearth of quality 10s in NZ it seems important to start developing now. Plummer to me has more upside as a 10 than Perofeta.
Perofeta has been picked as a 15... one of the coaches (Holland on the radio?) said this, so it is a moot point. Plummer was effectively competing with McKenzie, and maybe McKenzie only.
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@frugby for me its the everyone covering every position thing
so in the case plummer has missed out to BB really as he is the 10 cover....but hes also probably first choice at 15
i dont know why one of the wings wasnt dropped....BB considered an outside back (which he is) and then Plummer comes in as an actual 10 cover
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For me,
its too early to be making judgements, im going in with an open mind and going to judge the current group on results
it is interesting though that the contensious selections that we argue over, are usually the last 5 or so selections that dont see alot of gametime usually anyway.
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@kiwiinmelb thats fair and as ive said before....i hope we smash everyone....i just think i'll be less forgiving if we dont and some of the decisions are the reason
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
For me,
its too early to be making judgements, im going in with an open mind and going to judge the current group on results
Which is what everyone should be doing of course.
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@Kiwiwomble yep we are a tough crowd to please but it’s that high expectation that has made us successful, long may it continue.
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@Frank said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
For me,
its too early to be making judgements, im going in with an open mind and going to judge the current group on results
Which is what everyone should be doing of course.
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I've come around on the Bell selection. The optics aren't great but if they see Bell as a future long term test hooker then I can see why they went for him over Riccitelli
With all the Sotutu talk what gets lost is how good of a prospect Sititi is. Really excited to see how he develops. With his ability to cover 7 he could really push for a bench impact spot later in the season if he impresses behind the scenes
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@george33 said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@foobaNZ don't no, he hasn't played for weeks, injury wise were is he at ?
you're confused...you normally tell us
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@foobaNZ said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Maybe it's the one eyed Canes fan in me but I feel like Lakai has been doing for 2 years what Sititi did for 2 months.
Not saying Sititi doesn't deserve it, far from it. But wonder why they went that way over Lakai.
I don't think Sititi was competing with Lakai. Lakai has been playing 7 so was competing with Dalton and Jacobson.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@frugby for me its the everyone covering every position thing
so in the case plummer has missed out to BB really as he is the 10 cover....but hes also probably first choice at 15
i dont know why one of the wings wasnt dropped....BB considered an outside back (which he is) and then Plummer comes in as an actual 10 cover
Picking all four wingers felt like a cop out, but it will be interesting to see whether Narawa or Perofeta drops out when Jordan returns.
I also think in a lot of positions, the selections basically scream of we don't rate what else is available, so we will pick someone in another position...
Props are the props, they've picked the best available.
Hookers, Taukei'aho is injured, they rate Bell as a potential option so have picked him
Locks, Lord is injured, Holland is unavailable, they don't rate the other options so therefore only picked three. Darry is there as cover, but only as the next best option because they have to have someone. If they rated him, he'd have been picked in the squad, because picking three locks is absolutely braindead.
Loose forwards, Cane is injured, so one of Blackadder of Jacobson is in there as cover for him (suppose it could be Sititi, but seems unlikely). Not much to debate here.
Halfbacks, Roigard is injured, but loads of good options so they've picked the next best three.
First Fives, McKenzie and Barrett viewed as the only legitimate options, in my mind they don't rate Plummer, Cameron etc. as viable options right now, and don't view Millar etc. to have done enough to yet show they are worth having in the squad like they have done with Bell.
Midfielders, again a cop out selection. They've picked three centres, because they either don't rate, or more likely don't rate the form of McLeod or Tupaea, who are quite clearly the closest in archetype to Barrett. Therefore, easy thing to do is kick the can down the road by picking Procter and ALB, who are both centres
Outside backs, they've picked four wingers, which I reckon you'd be hard-pressed to find an All Blacks squad of the past with four specialist wings. Narawa in theory used to play fullback, but I doubt the ABs would ever play him there. In my mind, if they rated Love, Stevenson, JRK etc. they'd have been there over Narawa, but they don't at this stage so have kicked the can down the road.
I think Love is probably the most unfortunate to have missed the squad, as to me Barrett/Perofeta will play 15, so either you need an extra fullback or an extra 10, and using BB at 10 with Love in the squad as the other 15 makes more sense.
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@foobaNZ he makes a 36 man squad. Razor has picked a team for 3 games. He needs experience against England. Lakai is in the future plans. Just not for this series.
Did Sotutu do what the coaches asked him to work on 3-4 months ago. Fitness and defence. We all know he’s great with ball in hand.
Caleb Clarke was told you’re too big and need to lose weight. He’s worked hard and done it. Look at him now, he’s playing amazing. -
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
I've come around on the Bell selection. The optics aren't great but if they see Bell as a future long term test hooker then I can see why they went for him over Riccitelli
This season is the first time I have noticed Bell having the throwing yips and I didn't think his game around the park was too bad. It makes me wonder if there was more going on at the Saders that contributed to him not being able to hit a barn door.
