NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry)
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@chris-b said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@crucial You could also read it that things were a bit of a shambles at Cardiff and Hammer immediately saw the need for change.
One thing I distinctly remember on this board was Canes' fans mocking Hammer for his focus on culture.
It's subsequently become pretty obvious that this is of huge importance to successful sports teams!
I think we mocked his focus on culture change that affected playing style as well.
All fair enough to have a no dickheads policy and get a team tighter but he threw the baby out with the bathwater trying to turn the Canes into the Saders.
He took a generation of incoming players that grew up admiring and trying to emulate their local heroes like Cully, Lomu, Umaga, Rodders etc and tried to turn them into Tim Batemans -
This thread is hilarious.
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@crucial Yep - and I'll agree that he didn't come up with a decent gameplan. Boyd and Plumtree added that.
But, I think implemented a necessary cultural revolution and if he hadn't, you guys could have spent the last five years being the Blues!
@Canefan - by far the biggest loss of the defectors was Cruden. He played a key role in winning Rennie two titles.
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@canes4life the Coach the Canes had to have, you know like that loss the ABs had to have before the 2011 and 2015 WC victories
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@nepia said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@chris-b And there you are - thought you'd been abducted by aliens. Following the same reasoning I am impressed with how Foster built the Chiefs so that Rennie could win with them.
It was also impressive how Vance Stewart set up the Crusaders in 1996 so that Wayne Smith could benefit and eventually win in 1998.
The work that Jed Rowlands and Frank Oliver did in setting up the Blues for Sloane/Henry to win in 2003 was impressive too.
Also, it was great how Hammett got rid of Nonu so that he could rebuild the team for four years of mediocrity and this allowed Boyd to bring Nonu back to get the Canes to the finals and set them up for the win the following year.
Nick White must be pleased with Auckland's win on the weekend. He built that team. Get that man a coaching gig in Ta$man.
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@act-crusader said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@canes4life the Coach the Canes had to have, you know like that loss the ABs had to have before the 2011 and 2015 WC victories
Haha a loss or two, or three, or even five I could take. But four years of consistent utter dross was a bit much.
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@daffy-jaffy said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@hooroo officially 20,130.
That would be the largest turnout to a final in quite a few years? Capacity at Canterbury isn't that in the temp ground is it?
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@kirwan said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
And I can’t stress how bad the weather was, would have interesting to see how many would have turned up if the weather was better.
Did you go too? I managed to get a few beers into Duluth at the races beforehand.
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@hooroo said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@daffy-jaffy said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@hooroo officially 20,130.
That would be the largest turnout to a final in quite a few years? Capacity at Canterbury isn't that in the temp ground is it?
I was at the 2010 final at AMI/Jade. Less than 3,000 people.
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@hooroo said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@kirwan said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
And I can’t stress how bad the weather was, would have interesting to see how many would have turned up if the weather was better.
Did you go too? I managed to get a few beers into Duluth at the races beforehand.
Yep, remember that All Whites game I went to with you? Crowd as at least as crazy as that.
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@duluth said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
The only minor criticism I have of the free entry was where they put the fans.
They should have kept the end on stands stands closed. After the North stand filled up they should have opened the South stand
Particularly given the forecast
Yeah, they got there in the end, but took too long. At least they opened both levels on the South stand.
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@nzzp I don’t think that’s right. I never have been a Whitelock fan. I think he is a plodder but a role player. I have always been pushing Akira. After that game his work ons are obvious. Get fitter and more involved and you will be an AB. Unless you want to bring him on for a 15 minute cameo? Hell, if he lost 5 kgs which would mean he is probably in better shape they could not pick him.