Exodus
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@sparky said in Exodus 2019:
@stargazer "Julian Savea's younger brother, Ardie, would be an agreement to a longer period. Indeed, a contract of three seasons awaits its signature. If the different parties have agreed, the players have not yet officially signed but it's only a matter of time."
No signature yet.
Ardie has proved this year that he will actually be a fucken big loss.
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For the RWC, there is no room for sentiment and they'll just have to pick the best opensides. Currently, the best three are Cane, Ardie and Todd (not necessarily in that order).
But as it comes to giving opportunities before the RWC, they should look at shown loyalty (Cane, Todd) and who will be there after the RWC (particularly Papali'i, but also Evans) if Ardie will indeed leave after the RWC.
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@nepia said in Exodus 2019:
@stargazer Todd buggered off to Japan so I don't think he should be in a higher loyalty bracket than others.
Wasn't that cos Hansen never contacted him or something like that ?
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@nepia He got a temporary stint in Japan, having already signed with NZR for 2019. He consulted Hansen & co before he signed (who reportedly didn't answer his phone calls). He has stuck around for years after repeatedly being snubbed, despite his great form, coming to the rescue every time he was needed. If anyone has been loyal, it's Todd.
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@nepia Todd's loyalty has been higher than many others. If Todd leaves after RWC, it's because he's approaching the end of his career (playing SR since 2011 and AB since 2013), while Ardie is still at his prime (with the Canes since 2013, but only an AB since 2016). Ardie will only be 26 after next year's RWC. If he leaves, he leaves early. That's not the same level of loyalty by a long shot.
Anyway, if fit, all three, Cane, Todd, Savea, will be in the RWC squad. That was my main point.
I only think Ardie is using up some of his credit if he's leaving early, but I don't think it will matter much when the coaches will select the team for tests. 2019 is unlikely to be a year for developing players. -
@nepia said in Exodus 2019:
@stargazer I didn't say he wasn't loyal, just that his loyalty isn't 'higher' than others. Ardie has been around for a long time as well.
I also highly doubt Todd will continue after 2019 as well.
Todd is from Canterbury and they're all much more "Loyal" than the rest of the country. Everyone knows that, that's why Todd Blackadders book which was about as exciting and dynamic as his playing career was called. "Loyal"
Is it unpatriotic of me to mention how much I fucken hate that song ?
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@mn5 What a nonsense, but yeah, the dig at Cantabs will get you the cheap upvotes.
No player has been used by the ABs, like Todd. Second openside, but too similar to Cane, so not selected because they wantend a different type of 7. But called up all the time when injury struck. That already started when McCaw was still playing and before Ardie got capped.
That doesn't apply to most other loyal players (from anywhere), but there are plenty of those at, or near, the ABs fringes, from other provinces than Canterbury. Charlie Ngatai - despite being injured often - waited a long time before going overseas; James Parsons is still in NZ; Brad Weber, Rob Thompson; Richard Buckman, Tom Franklin, Elliott Dixon. The last three took short-term Japanese stints instead of going to Europe on longer-term deals and will play SR again in 2019. Dixon, Thompson and Weber are signed through to 2020.
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@stargazer said in Exodus 2019:
@mn5 What a nonsense, but yeah, the dig at Cantabs will get you the cheap upvotes.
No player has been used by the ABs, like Todd. Second openside, but too similar to Cane, so not selected because they wantend a different type of 7. But called up all the time when injury struck. That already started when McCaw was still playing and before Ardie got capped.
That doesn't apply to most other loyal players (from anywhere), but there are plenty of those at, or near, the ABs fringes, from other provinces than Canterbury. Charlie Ngatai - despite being injured often - waited a long time before going overseas; James Parsons is still in NZ; Brad Weber, Rob Thompson; Richard Buckman, Tom Franklin, Elliott Dixon. The last three took short-term Japanese stints instead of going to Europe on longer-term deals and will play SR again in 2019. Dixon, Thompson and Weber are signed through to 2020.
I'm not denying I wrote any old shit to get out of doing paperwork
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@bones said in Exodus 2019:
@stargazer haha he got no votes! People that complain about up votes sound really whiney.
Yeah cos my goal in life is to score votes from sad blokes on an internet forum.
Although in saying that I'm in the top ten but you're still ahead of me.....
but I don't care cos only sad guys would get upset by that.
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@african-monkey still at least 10k places above me!! But any kind of international ranking like that is a laugh 😁
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Terrence Hepetema any good these days? Signed for London Irish last week.
By 'good', I mean good for the English second tier. See he played a little Super rugby for the Blues last season
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@margin_walker He played quite well in the 1 start he got given for the Blues.