Magpies - 2018 Mitre 10 Cup
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Two videos of the preseason game between the Saracens and Manawatu Evergreens.
Unfortunately, they positioned the camera wrong, so you can't see tries scored in the corners.First, long video (42 min), with sound from referee mic:
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Second, highlights video (11 min):
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I know that it was paraded during the 60's Shield era, so at least that old. @Higgins probably knows...
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@stargazer said in Magpies - 2018 Mitre 10 Cup:
Does anyone know how old this bird is? It seems to have been around for ages!
Hawkeye's debut was the unsuccessful 1965 Ranfurly Shield challenge v Taranaki at New Plymouth.
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Apparently, the HBRU have signed another import: Stacey Ily. I'm struggling to get this "my team" feeling with all these non-Bay players in the squad. I get that they want a strong squad and that there may not be enough local players that are up to it, but do they have the balance right?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=12100809
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@stargazer said in Magpies - 2018 Mitre 10 Cup:
Apparently, the HBRU have signed another import: Stacey Ily. I'm struggling to get this "my team" feeling with all these non-Bay players in the squad. I get that they want a strong squad and that there may not be enough local players that are up to it, but do they have the balance right?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=12100809
Ili is the only "import" who has not played club rugby this season in the province. All the others have.
I'm quite okay with "imports" playing club rugby - it's been happening for years. Kel Tremain arrived in 1962 and Ian MacRae arrived in 1963. No one complained, in fact they were most welcomed.
But in all honesty, the coach is charged with producing a winning team by the union. He is not there to strengthen the club competition and identify local upcoming talent - that's what the Academy Manager is there to do. The coachs' job description is to lead a winning team of the best available players not select local players just because they are local. If local players don't have the skill factor required then the coach is quite justified in not picking them and looking outside the province.
If the coach doesn't produce a winning team, then the public criticise him, posters on the Silverfern criticise him, and the Board finds another coach. That's why the coach's actions count and ours don't.
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@number-10 I think you're misinterpreting my previous post. I'm not criticising the selectors for importing so many players from other provinces in the apparent absence of quality local players. I'm just saying that the team doesn't give me as much of the tribal "feels" as it used to with so many imports in the squad. I guess that's because they were not drip-fed over the years, but have been coming by the bucket-loads this year. Playing club rugby doesn't instantly change them into Bay players. We have to get to know them first.
I guess they'll also have to show some pride in the jersey first; something that comes naturally if you play for your "own" province. I want to be convinced that they're not just playing for themselves and their own (legitimate) career purposes, but also for the province. They can only show that on the field & I'll be watching with interest. I'll happily cheer them on in the black & white, but initially I'll do that sitting on the fence.
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@number-10 Actually, if the coaches job description and performance only relate purely to results then the HBRU Board deserve a bullet. There has to be a wholistic (sorry for the wanky buzzword) view that includes the promotion of born and bred talent, and the showing of pathways for local talent.
It's not sustainable to go from year to year buying a team with pathways blocked for homegrown talent. We want the Magpies to be the go to team for young HB talent and not see them drift off (either to other provinces or out of the game).
I've always said I'd rather lose with homegrown players (like Manawatu) than win all the time with imports - hell we're at the stage where we're now behind the Poo even with the imports - that hasn't changed.
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