Super Rugby 2022
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@arhs said in Super Rugby 2022:
@crucial It is not good news at all for the Chiefs. It will force compromises on them later, like the Blues, disadvantaging their chances.
We don’t know what it will mean yet.
Everyone is assuming a midweek fixture but that may not end up the case.
Besides, a Chiefs training group playing MP would still likely win.Edit: could also do a fixture shuffle and something like a Friday, Wednesday, Sunday
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@crucial Cameron Good of NZR has said that midweek games are the preferred option. It's the games before and after that will be compromised as playing midweek tends to mean less training. The one advantage is that there will be minimal travel involved for the 3 teams.
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@bovidae said in Super Rugby 2022:
@crucial Cameron Good of NZR has said that midweek games are the preferred option. It's the games before and after that will be compromised as playing midweek tends to mean less training. The one advantage is that there will be minimal travel involved for the 3 teams.
What I meant was that even though that is the preferred option it could end up differently. Circumstances change all the time at the moment and NZR seem to be being flexible.
eg lets say A were scheduled to play B but B had a Covid outbreak and C had a bye. Would make sense to change the fixture to A vs C
I agree that it is the most likely scenario though. -
@bovidae said in Super Rugby 2022:
@crucial Cameron Good of NZR has said that midweek games are the preferred option. It's the games before and after that will be compromised as playing midweek tends to mean less training. The one advantage is that there will be minimal travel involved for the 3 teams.
More games within the same period would likely mean more chance of injuries too.
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@canes4life said in Blues vs Hurricanes 02/2022:
Win, lose or draw no one in the media seems to care anymore which is a sad state.
is that sort of the state of affairs across the Board for Super rugby?
I know the Blues used to cop a bit of heat, but still nowhere near what they should have? It just seems like, as long as the ABs win, then no one gives a shit? And if the ABs lose, that's the coaches fault.
There doesn't seem to be anywhere near enough heat on the 4 franchises to actually do better in Super Rugby, and also develop players.
Or am i just too removed?
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Every year, excluding the bump in August 2020, there seems to be less interest in Super Rugby. To be fair, the opening round was very NPC level in quality.
My Dad isn't bothering getting Sky this year, and my best friend in the UK (Blues, Harbour, and ABs fanatic) can't be bothered subscribing either.
Have seen little interest outside this site.
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It's obviously a bigger discussion but there is so much crap / nonsense on Stuff and the Herald now sports are pushed way down. I would think part of the decline is part due to the lack of promotion the media gives sport nowadays.
Just a comment on Love too, Holland chucks him in week 1 against the best team in the comp, then drops him week 2 after we lose? He must feel great.
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@mariner4life I think you hit the nail on the head. Back in 2015/2016 for example when the Canes were running hot and we were winning most games, Avan Lee was very vocal in the media, there was always plenty of hype and the fans got in behind the team. The media were also there questioning every move which you want as a fan.
Now, it seems like all of that is a distant memory and I feel like even if we did turn things around not many would actually care. Most of my mates who used to be regular consumers of Super Rugby barely tune in these days which says it all really.
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@mariner4life said in Blues vs Hurricanes 02/2022:
@canes4life said in Blues vs Hurricanes 02/2022:
Win, lose or draw no one in the media seems to care anymore which is a sad state.
is that sort of the state of affairs across the Board for Super rugby?
I know the Blues used to cop a bit of heat, but still nowhere near what they should have? It just seems like, as long as the ABs win, then no one gives a shit? And if the ABs lose, that's the coaches fault.
There doesn't seem to be anywhere near enough heat on the 4 franchises to actually do better in Super Rugby, and also develop players.
Or am i just too removed?
Super teams can stack talent and the final result is (since 2015) now even more of a foregone conclusion.
That's not a slap at the Saders - good on them - but it makes for a really boring competition (e.g., if you compare it to the NFL this year) when there are such big differences in talent available.
Beyond that, there appears to be no pressure on coaches, but I think that is also a recognition of the fact that teams like the Canes are really hoping for a magical run - they don't have the talent to be championship contenders.
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@bovidae. Yes 100% that. I think Chiefs have best depth of all teams across 38 + wtg so may chance it with a complete reserve 15 to lessen impact on match before and after. But even so critical points may be lost. The hits are hard enough to recover from in midweek npc.
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@gt12 I think the advantage the Saders have is more in their coaching than their players.
Obviously as a group it's a very talented bunch, but combined with good coaching, means they're hard to beat.
The Blues are coming good now, but had bad coaching for years. Canes the opposite, we're getting worse even though I would argue our playing group (and depth) is better now than it has been in a long while.
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@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2022:
I know the Blues used to cop a bit of heat, but still nowhere near what they should have? It just seems like, as long as the ABs win, then no one gives a shit? And if the ABs lose, that's the coaches fault.
There doesn't seem to be anywhere near enough heat on the 4 franchises to actually do better in Super Rugby, and also develop players.There's a wider issue with media companies struggling to make the money they used to (because of the internet etc)
So there's very little journalism, many articles are reworded press releases from the teams
Looking at the Blues situation that you mentioned. It was easier for the reporters to repeat whatever the coaches line was. If they burnt that bridge then the day to day coverage of the Blues would've been much harder.
So the coverage of the Blues issues was soft until the writing was on the wall. -
@foobanz said in Super Rugby 2022:
@gt12 I think the advantage the Saders have is more in their coaching than their players.
Obviously as a group it's a very talented bunch, but combined with good coaching, means they're hard to beat.
The Blues are coming good now, but had bad coaching for years. Canes the opposite, we're getting worse even though I would argue our playing group (and depth) is better now than it has been in a long while.
Great point,The Crusaders had a AB laden squad in the Todd Blackadder coached days and we couldn't win shit for years under that coaching Regime.
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@foobanz said in Super Rugby 2022:
@gt12 I think the advantage the Saders have is more in their coaching than their players.
Obviously as a group it's a very talented bunch, but combined with good coaching, means they're hard to beat.
The Blues are coming good now, but had bad coaching for years. Canes the opposite, we're getting worse even though I would argue our playing group (and depth) is better now than it has been in a long while.
What about the Hammerteur days?
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@arhs The other thing is that some of the Chiefs players who didn't play against the Highlanders were probably going to be involved in the MP game. I am thinking about the likes of Thompson, Lord, Vaa'i, Finau, Ratima, Poihipi and ENS. Not all will be in the 23 to play the Blues so many might have to wait a while longer for an opportunity. The coaches will need to re-think their squad rotations.
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@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2022:
@canes4life said in Blues vs Hurricanes 02/2022:
Win, lose or draw no one in the media seems to care anymore which is a sad state.
is that sort of the state of affairs across the Board for Super rugby?
I know the Blues used to cop a bit of heat, but still nowhere near what they should have? It just seems like, as long as the ABs win, then no one gives a shit? And if the ABs lose, that's the coaches fault.
There doesn't seem to be anywhere near enough heat on the 4 franchises to actually do better in Super Rugby, and also develop players.
Or am i just too removed?
definitely, when i talk to other highlanders fans it quite often comes down to the length of the comp, loose 2-4 games and you might as well give up, little chance of coming back and no time to build a team up. in our really poor years when we would have loads or draft players coming in last minute it was bad, they didn't have time to really settle and then by the time they hit their straps it was too late
compared to some of the other sports i follow (football, NHL) where they might play 38 or more games a year and can have 8-10 game streak where theyre really poor but because they still have the chance to come back the crowds keep coming and the players keep giving a shit
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@foobanz said in Super Rugby 2022:
@gt12 I think the advantage the Saders have is more in their coaching than their players.
Obviously as a group it's a very talented bunch, but combined with good coaching, means they're hard to beat.
The Blues are coming good now, but had bad coaching for years. Canes the opposite, we're getting worse even though I would argue our playing group (and depth) is better now than it has been in a long while.
I think coaching is important, but if you look at who they can leave out versus what the Landers can put out, it's clear that there is something a bit off.
I
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@chris said in Super Rugby 2022:
@foobanz said in Super Rugby 2022:
@gt12 I think the advantage the Saders have is more in their coaching than their players.
Obviously as a group it's a very talented bunch, but combined with good coaching, means they're hard to beat.
The Blues are coming good now, but had bad coaching for years. Canes the opposite, we're getting worse even though I would argue our playing group (and depth) is better now than it has been in a long while.
Great point,The Crusaders had a AB laden squad in the Todd Blackadder coached days and we couldn't win shit for years under that coaching Regime.
In one year the ref stole it from you, and in one year the Earthquake happened. Those are two years when bad luck screwed things up.
I'm also not sure that during those times, the Saders didn't have so many first choice players in comparison to other teams.
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@gt12 said in Super Rugby 2022:
@chris said in Super Rugby 2022:
@foobanz said in Super Rugby 2022:
@gt12 I think the advantage the Saders have is more in their coaching than their players.
Obviously as a group it's a very talented bunch, but combined with good coaching, means they're hard to beat.
The Blues are coming good now, but had bad coaching for years. Canes the opposite, we're getting worse even though I would argue our playing group (and depth) is better now than it has been in a long while.
Great point,The Crusaders had a AB laden squad in the Todd Blackadder coached days and we couldn't win shit for years under that coaching Regime.
In one year the ref stole it from you, and in one year the Earthquake happened. Those are two years when bad luck screwed things up.
I'm also not sure that during those times, the Saders didn't have so many first choice players in comparison to other teams.
I am not so sure we have this amazing depth you are talking about compared to other teams the Blues and Chiefs look to have great depth.
Sure we have depth at Lock,Outside backs and HB.really our back up LF's are Gardner and Kellow only 21, one has not even played NPC. Kellow debuting in SR off the bench this week.
Our back up Props are all are 21 Williams,Newell and Brewis with not much experience.
Burke with not much SR, backs up Ritchie Mounga.with Simon Hickey as the other back up.I haven't seen much of Hickey but quite a few bagged him on SF so I don't have a lot of faith in Hickey.
We have Punivai and McLeod as back up MF players not much to write up there.
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@gt12 said in Super Rugby 2022:
I think coaching is important, but if you look at who they can leave out versus what the Landers can put out, it's clear that there is something a bit off.
I've always maintained that it's player depth in 23-33 that makes the differnece, and the Crusaders have had better players there. Aligns with your comment, but if you want a professional outfit, solid coaching and a winning culture, it's hard to find that consistently anywhere else. Then the rich get richer, and the comp (particularly a diluted comp) isn't as exciting.
