AB EOYT 2018
-
-
Fox was reluctant to publicly pinpoint the aspects of Ioane's game that should improve when the squad was named at the Prebbleton club rooms near Christchurch on Monday, but indicated he was making satisfactory gains. "He's getting better at the areas he's been asked to improve at, and I'm not going to drill down into those," Fox said. "If he comes with us, he's not necessarily going to get a lot of game time. "He knows what he needs to do and we think he's better off with the New Zealand Maori team and playing, being a number one for them, playing footy, and working on the areas that he needs to work on." "We're still very much interested in what he can offer, and Super Rugby next year is going to be quite defining," Fox added. "He's going to have a new forwards coach and hopefully we're going to see that little upward curb continue, we're seeing it now in the areas that he has to continue on. Hopefully we see it in Super Rugby next year."
-
@tim I think those in the main squad will miss out as the final Bledisloe is next week. So the likes of Dalton might miss Saturday's match against Wellington.
Those players named in the Japan squad will probably play the NPC final and then fly out afterwards.
Can someone confirm?
-
@canes4life Exactly my read on it too. Given Hansen's comments a few days ago that's exactly what it sounds like.
-
@canes4life The Australia game is on the 27th, so two weekends away.
-
@tim So Dalton will miss the final if Auckland make it, but play this week?
-
@canes4life He'll miss the semi this weekend i'd say (as will Fifita for Wellington).
-
No Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen. Other props with much less experience picked ahead of him. Is he injured or was he one of Akira's drinking buddies?
-
@kiwimurph yeah I think so aswell. I wonder if they will fly someone like Coles out late just to give him some more minutes.
-
@kiwimurph Really emphasises what little respect the NPC is accorded.
-
@sparky As a Wellington fan I'm glad he's missed out on the All Blacks. Not because we have him for the finals but because I frankly can't see him getting any better. He is too nice, too soft and for a prop at International standard you are going to be taken to the cleaners.
-
@tim I think Ta$man has probably come off best from the latest All Blacks announcement. Their favouritism for the title would have gone up a few notches, especially if they can get Frizzell back.
-
@canes4life Check the Mitre 10 Cup thread.
-
No Will Jordan, but I suspect it's a case of not yet and George Bridge having a more rounded game at the moment.
-
@tim even more daft when you look at Manawatu who had 3 ABs released for thier must win clash with Southland, while no other ABs released, all odd and clearly above my pay grade!
-
@sparky Yeah Will Jordan will 100% be an All Black. Looks like a very natural Fullback.
-
@williethewaiter What competition was these stats from? Because his other (avaialble) stats in Super rugby weren't that mud (especially compared with a similar player who made the ABs like Taufua).
-
@taniwharugby said in AB EOYT 2018:
@tim even more daft when you look at Manawatu who had 3 ABs released for thier must win clash with Southland, while no other ABs released, all odd and clearly above my pay grade!
Those released players, Hemopo, Laumape and NMS are not in the main squad though. Only in the extras.
-
I'm hoping they have better stats than we get, including breakdown attendance, cleanouts, metres run, dominant tackles etc.
I've written about my observations of him in Mitre 10 threads and had the Auckland mafia come down hard on me, but I think itis simply about workrate off the ball. He's a monster with it, and does some great things on defence (e.g., holding up players in the tackle), but is still not always making the effort of others. In the games I watched, he made star plays, but Papali'i always looked like the player who was at a level above in all facets.
NB: To be clear, I'd have picked him. I personally believe that the AB coaches should be good enough coaches to get the best out of him. Of course, it could be that they had a look at him during the French series and he didn't perform, in which case he has a very long road back. If so, he'll be on the Luatua track - off at the end of next year.
-
@gt12 yeah we know they have access to a host of other stats, one assumes GPS data as well, but still, just watching how a player plays doesnt seem too far off in most cases; Akira, Brett Cameron, Reuben O'Neill excepted
-
Is Brett Cameron signed to play for the Crusaders for next year? Or is he still without a contract for next year?
I wonder what Reuben O'Neill's Super Rugby future is looking like too?
-
Interesting re: the drinking in Dunedin, and how the selectors have explained subsequent omissions.
Laumape was needing to work on his communication.
Akira needing to work on his whatever.I'm taking form this that the current management aren't prepared to publicly crucify social behaviour if it isn't already outed in the media, and will come up with rugby explanations for ommisions. Although to be fair, Akira really, really does have some raw parts to his game.
-
@southernmann said in AB EOYT 2018:
Reuben O'Neill
Did someone post that the Blues were looking at him, or was it just a "the Blues should look at him" post?
Doesn't seem a standout, but most of the Auckland and Harbour looseheads are very young.
-
@frank said in AB EOYT 2018:
51 players.
Unlucky Akira, you were the 52nd.
Honest mate.Fuck, I was taking the piss Steve.
-
@southernmann said in AB EOYT 2018:
Is Brett Cameron signed to play for the Crusaders for next year? Or is he still without a contract for next year?
I wonder what Reuben O'Neill's Super Rugby future is looking like too?
I haven't seen any information about him being signed (including information about contract duration) for 2018, but doesn't mean much. Sometimes franchises don't announce signings.
-
@stargazer said in AB EOYT 2018:
haven't seen any information about him being signed (including information about contract duration) for 2018, but doesn't mean much. Sometimes franchises don't announce signings.
especially if no one knows who the guy is they signed
-
@rapido said in AB EOYT 2018:
Interesting re: the drinking in Dunedin, and how the selectors have explained subsequent omissions.
Laumape was needing to work on his communication.
Akira needing to work on his whatever.I'm taking form this that the current management aren't prepared to publicly crucify social behaviour if it isn't already outed in the media, and will come up with rugby explanations for ommisions. Although to be fair, Akira really, really does have some raw parts to his game.
D'arcy Waldegrave is going to be interviewing Grant Fox after 5pm on Radiosport and they were just discussing whether it was really true that Akira is only about 12th best loose forward in NZ and planned to ask him about it.
-
@stargazer said in AB EOYT 2018:
@southernmann said in AB EOYT 2018:
Is Brett Cameron signed to play for the Crusaders for next year? Or is he still without a contract for next year?
I wonder what Reuben O'Neill's Super Rugby future is looking like too?
I haven't seen any information about him being signed (including information about contract duration) for 2018, but doesn't mean much. Sometimes franchises don't announce signings.
From Stuff's Rob van Royen:
-
@canes4life said in AB EOYT 2018:
@tim I think Ta$man has probably come off best from the latest All Blacks announcement. Their favouritism for the title would have gone up a few notches, especially if they can get Frizzell back.
Pretty unlikely we'll get Frizell in the next couple of weeks if he's unfit to tour with the ABs in a month - unless he's got a long term niggly injury and is having surgery.
We might get Tim Perry, though - and Liam Squire may need a run.
Hansen mentioned that Jordan Taufua could have been ready to play rugby midway through the NH tour, but they've opted not to pick him. (So Ta$man won't get him).
And we won't get Kane Hames.
Hopefully we won't lose Lomax or Havili.
-
I guess in their eyes he is the 4th best 8 (possibly fifth), and not on the radar at 6, so doesn't get a shot.
My best guess at the selectors rankings (and that's not counting Taufua): Read, Squire/Ardie, Whitelock, Ioane
-
@chris-b said in AB EOYT 2018:
Pretty unlikely we'll get Frizell in the next couple of weeks if he's unfit to tour with the ABs in a month - unless he's got a long term niggly injury and is having surgery.
Nigel Yalden said it's a rotator-cuff issue that doesn't require surgery.
-
So they'll pick Frizzel from the Highlanders bench, raw as all fuck with about 100 "work ons" and even put him into the starting 15.
But they'll make Akira, dominating at Super level, wait and wait and wait because they've identified some small areas he needs to improve on.
Good one.
-
@gt12 Yeah - I'd guess Ardie has pushed LWhitelock a step down the pecking order, but Luke is still ahead of Akira.
I guess there's also a question about where Taufua slots in.
I think Squire is the first choice six, so they'd be reluctant to shift him to eight until they were a fair way down the pecking order.
-
Akira is going to blast the RWC to pieces. They just aren't bringing him in so that no one gets a look at him. It would seem odd a player gets so much contact with the squad but then doesn't get selected...until you consider the previous sentence.
Luke Whitelock the worst selection of the year? Give me a break....he's performed very well in black - and Nehe says hi.
Is Harris dropped? I was expecting to see him named in the main squad.
-
@bones said in AB EOYT 2018:
Luke Whitelock the worst selection of the year? Give me a break....he's performed very well in black - and Nehe says hi.
I'm thinking of when? Was it when he looked very average and had no physical impact against that tier-2 team France?
-
Yeah, that's why I put him and Ardie together. However, were Frizell or Taufua available, they may move Squire, but either way, that still puts him fourth, without thinking of Taufua. In my opinion, he should be 2nd, and therefore going, but he's done something - or is yet to do something.
-
@tim said in AB EOYT 2018:
@bones said in AB EOYT 2018:
Luke Whitelock the worst selection of the year? Give me a break....he's performed very well in black - and Nehe says hi.
I'm thinking of when? Was it when he looked very average and had no physical impact against that tier-2 team France?
Yes bingo, when he dominated stats and had a very physical impact against tier-1 France.
-
I thought he'd signed with Landers. I must have my players around the wrong way.
Post 296 of 768