Super Rugby 2022
-
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@chris said in Super Rugby 2022:
So the best they can do is draft in some 35 year old to play SR..?
I reckon this is the best bit of recruitment Waratahs have done in last few years, an experienced 13 to help out all the kids in their backline makes a lot of sense to me. The last thing they need is another kid!
You know there are other options between school kids and retirees?
So tell me who they are that is available for them. You have to remember Roberts was moving to Australia to live and has been brought in as injury replacement. I can't think of another midfield back in Australia who would be good for them.
It's similar to Blues recuiting Romano. -
-
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@chris said in Super Rugby 2022:
So the best they can do is draft in some 35 year old to play SR..?
I reckon this is the best bit of recruitment Waratahs have done in last few years, an experienced 13 to help out all the kids in their backline makes a lot of sense to me. The last thing they need is another kid!
You know there are other options between school kids and retirees?
Most of the guys with decent club experience have fucked off overseas. Even second-rate Sydney Uni rubbish players - who look good because they've got a strong group around them compared to everyone else - are getting contracts in the USA MLR.
-
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@chris said in Super Rugby 2022:
So the best they can do is draft in some 35 year old to play SR..?
I reckon this is the best bit of recruitment Waratahs have done in last few years, an experienced 13 to help out all the kids in their backline makes a lot of sense to me. The last thing they need is another kid!
You know there are other options between school kids and retirees?
So tell me who they are that is available for them. You have to remember Roberts was moving to Australia to live and has been brought in as injury replacement. I can't think of another midfield back in Australia who would be good for them.
It's similar to Blues recuiting Romano.Tim Clements would be better. He was pretty handy last year and unlike that old bloke who occasionally turns out for (second rate) clubs these days, actually has some speed. Nathan Russell also. Unless of course what the Tahs are missing is a plodding crashball merchant...
-
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@chris said in Super Rugby 2022:
So the best they can do is draft in some 35 year old to play SR..?
I reckon this is the best bit of recruitment Waratahs have done in last few years, an experienced 13 to help out all the kids in their backline makes a lot of sense to me. The last thing they need is another kid!
You know there are other options between school kids and retirees?
So tell me who they are that is available for them. You have to remember Roberts was moving to Australia to live and has been brought in as injury replacement. I can't think of another midfield back in Australia who would be good for them.
It's similar to Blues recuiting Romano.Tim Clements would be better. He was pretty handy last year and unlike that old bloke who occasionally turns out for (second rate) clubs these days, actually has some speed. Nathan Russell also. Unless of course what the Tahs are missing is a plodding crashball merchant...
Ok fair enough, I think for an injury cover that better to have an experinced player, only an opinion, but I truly believe that backline needs someone with experience to help the young fellas. Roberts has always looked more then a plodding crashball player to me. He could reall be a lot like Richard Kahui was for Force last year or so, really help to hold midfield together . I will add I haven't seen Tim Clements play, but I thought he was a FB at shute club level.
-
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
@chris said in Super Rugby 2022:
So the best they can do is draft in some 35 year old to play SR..?
I reckon this is the best bit of recruitment Waratahs have done in last few years, an experienced 13 to help out all the kids in their backline makes a lot of sense to me. The last thing they need is another kid!
You know there are other options between school kids and retirees?
So tell me who they are that is available for them. You have to remember Roberts was moving to Australia to live and has been brought in as injury replacement. I can't think of another midfield back in Australia who would be good for them.
It's similar to Blues recuiting Romano.Tim Clements would be better. He was pretty handy last year and unlike that old bloke who occasionally turns out for (second rate) clubs these days, actually has some speed. Nathan Russell also. Unless of course what the Tahs are missing is a plodding crashball merchant...
Ok fair enough, I think for an injury cover that better to have an experinced player, only an opinion, but I truly believe that backline needs someone with experience to help the young fellas. Roberts has always looked more then a plodding crashball player to me. He could reall be a lot like Richard Kahui was for Force last year or so, really help to hold midfield together . I will add I haven't seen Tim Clements play, but I thought he was a FB at shute club level.
Hopefully for the Tahs you're right, but I feel the problems will be before the centres.
-
@crucial said in Super Rugby 2022:
@bobily2 said in Super Rugby 2022:
Exclusive: New Zealand Rugby considering centralised Super Rugby Pacific hub to negate Omicron disruption threat | Newshub
Precautions are being taken to avoid the risk of a disrupted Super Rugby season.
Rugby News reckons it may be Queenstown. Makes sense for accommodation needs but those accommodation places will struggle to staff themselves especially around food. The shortage of staff is already strong.
The other problem will be playing/training grounds. They couldn't stick to one field as it will get hammered. Not sure if the Wakatipu club grounds are up to it.
I guess that teams could travel easily to Invers and Dunedin though.
Training is the next problem. Grounds aren't too much of a problem. Arrowtown Club grounds are in really good nick and if you add in Wakatipu, the High School and Events Centre spaces you could make it work. Cromwell is an option as is Alexandra. Gym facilities would be really stretched though and there may need to be some temporary setups.And what about Wanaka ?
-
There is growing speculation the entire Super Rugby Pacific competition will need to move to Australia as government border restrictions continue to wreak havoc with the draw.Rugby Australia executive Ben Whitaker, who sits on the competitions committee, said a wholesale relocation of New Zealand teams here was a “contingency plan” only. “That’s not a consideration at the moment. It’s a contingency plan ... but we’ll seek to avoid that for as long as we can,” Whitaker said. “The worst-case scenario, if we need to revert to it in the event the border situation with New Zealand makes it necessary, then we have it as an option.”So the Queenstown move is still likely and there is no imminent plans to move to Aussie.
I suspect this has been floated in the media to put pressure on the NZ gov to provide assurances. Or they think this will be forced to happen eventually and a leak helps soften the news
-
@duluth said in Super Rugby 2022:
Or they think this will be forced to happen eventually and a leak helps soften the news
I don't really see any alternatives. It's already February I can't see any bubbles or exemptions happening by April - NZ teams will have to move to Aus.
-
The Western Force have temporarily relocated to the East Coast.
-
@kiwimurph said in Super Rugby 2022:
@duluth said in Super Rugby 2022:
Or they think this will be forced to happen eventually and a leak helps soften the news
I don't really see any alternatives. It's already February I can't see any bubbles or exemptions happening by April - NZ teams will have to move to Aus.
It's not terrible though.
Queenstown for super rugby NZ, then a hop over the ditch for 6 weeks in Australia. Then home, either MIQ or home isolation depending on borders.
-
@nzzp said in Super Rugby 2022:
@kiwimurph said in Super Rugby 2022:
@duluth said in Super Rugby 2022:
Or they think this will be forced to happen eventually and a leak helps soften the news
I don't really see any alternatives. It's already February I can't see any bubbles or exemptions happening by April - NZ teams will have to move to Aus.
It's not terrible though.
Queenstown for super rugby NZ, then a hop over the ditch for 6 weeks in Australia. Then home, either MIQ or home isolation depending on borders.
I don't think it very good at all, it's one thing to be in Queenstown etc, but another to be in Aus. When something goes wrong at home you can get home. I personally think mentally it plays on the minds of players.
Also I sick of watching our teams have to play in Aus, we start getting disconnected.
Western Force CEO is saying he not sure rugby in WA will survive another year of bugger all home games. -
Just to add. The Queenstown thing is mooted to be the first month only to start with. There is also talk that the Queenstown base/bubble is primarily for living and training. Games could be back at home stadiums with teams staying in bubbles for travel.
It is an idea to minimise risk of players being spread around and therefore increasing the possibility of bringing Covid into camp. -
@dan54 said in Super Rugby 2022:
I don't think it very good at all, it's one thing to be in Queenstown etc, but another to be in Aus.
Oh I agree! It sucks. But, it's better than no rugby, or multiple MIQ visits. It's the least bad option available with the current settings I think.
-
-
@kiwimurph said in Super Rugby 2022:
Better than no games of course.
barely.
yay, the piped crowd noise is back...
-
@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2022:
The Western Force have temporarily relocated to the East Coast.
Western Force Ngati Porou!
-
@kiwimurph said in Super Rugby 2022:
At least Aus will have some fans.
The games in NZ without fans is not going to be great. Better than no games of course.
Don't know if you watched but apart from Suncorp and WA, Aussie stadiums were fairly bare last year. Even done with what was done in Taranaki in NPC lsat year wasn't too bad.
