All Blacks 2024
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Hence why there's concerns MacDonald would still pick Christie.
He could well be in the mix for 2024 now Roigard's injured- though I'd prefer TJP. 3rd string/emergency cover though with Fakatava and then Ratima as 1 and 2 in the pecking order
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Tim Sam W's done the ABs a massive favour by shutting down the speculation of a possible return. It was clumsy by Razor and co. to set the hares racing on that.
Except they didn't set the hares racing
1 Sam's agent does due diligence and checks whether NZR are interested in signing Sam if he returns, as his one year contract is up for possible second year
2 NZR, one would imagine in conjunction with Razor, say 'yes we are interested let's negotiate, no ABs guarantees etc etc'
3 Story gets to the press that Razor chasing Sam, getting him out of the middle of (non existent) 2 year contract
4 Story gets clarified in the press that points 1 and 2 are what happened not point 3
5 Everyone ignores true story and goes off on tangents, despite the fact having Sam back in NZ is what we should have. Every NZ qualified player in playing in NZ would be ideal, they don't have to be ABs starters, but I'd love Nonu to be playing NPC!
6 Sam weighs up options, decides to retire, enjoy it Sam! -
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@george33 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Windows97 Christie/ Beauden was probably going to be starting halves anyway, with Roigard of bench maybe,
No way, Roigard would have been the top halfback hands down. If not, the coaches have rocks in their head. Christie is just so damn average, anyone with half a brain can see that.
I still don't get the Christie hate, I thought that Roigard was better, but certainly doesn't make Christie rubbish. To many of us think you have one in a position and so the then rubbish others. I was pretty confident that Christie would be one of 3 halfbacks without Roigard's injury.
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@Machpants Bang on Mach, with the advent of forums these stories just go crazy. I made the comment that I got impression that Sam just didn't maybe find it quite what he hoped living and playing in France so looked for options.
Bloody good on him! -
@Dan54 I just don't see what makes him an international quality halfback compared to the other halfbacks floating around. He's not really a game breaker, his pass isn't necessarily rapid, his kicking game is inconsistent. Someone like Ratima who I know has plenty of work ons himself seems to have more upside tbh.
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@Machpants I wonder who briefed the press? That really shouldn't have happened unless the re-signing of Sam Whitelock was an absolute done deal.
The whole affair gives the impression that the new All Blacks coaches don't have great faith in the Locks they've got available which is highly unfortunate.
One nasty legacy of the Foster era was that everything leaked. Everything. Opposition coaches were getting indications of AB selections days ahead of the official announcements. The leakiness needs to stop.
One advantage of not living in NZ is that you can see how amateur and outdated the NZ National set-up is in many regards in comparison with the more modern operations of the Irish, Saffa, English and French national sides.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Sam Whitelock has just announced his retirement from playing Rugby at the end of June. So Razor will definitely need to find another go-to Lock.
A lot of people look silly after all the weeping and gnashing of teeth over unsubstantiated and now patently false tripe that he was being lured back to NZ by a desperate Scott Robertson.
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@Billy-Tell said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
A lot of people look silly after all the weeping and gnashing of teeth over unsubstantiated and now patently false tripe that he was being lured back to NZ by a desperate Scott Robertson.
Yes a jolly good point, because after all it wasn't like people were commenting on the many stories being circulated by the media on the topic with the caveat "if this is true".
It was all made up by the posters here, with an obvious anti-Robertson bias in an effort to maliciously smear him.
And conversly all the rah-rah Roberston supporters who said it was a brialliant move to lure SW back into the AB's must be bitterly dissapointed his genius was merely unsubstantiated tripe.
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@Billy-Tell I posted Sam Whitelock's announcement 9 hours ago.
It doesn't mean that reports of attempts to get him to recommit to NZ Rugby were false. Rather that they were unsuccessful.
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@Windows97 The relevant rumours were in the mainstream media before they appeared here or on social media.
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@Windows97 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
It was all made up by the posters here, with an obvious anti-Robertson bias in an effort to maliciously smear him.
And conversly all the rah-rah Roberston supporters who said it was a brialliant move to lure SW back into the AB's must be bitterly dissapointed his genius was merely unsubstantiated tripe.
Or perhaps people just hoped it was rumour, weren't anti or pro Robertson either way, and simply thought it a better idea if he focussed on what he had and developing a better squad than we've had in the last 4 years?
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Billy-Tell I posted Sam Whitelock's announcement 9 hours ago.
It doesn't mean that reports of attempts to get him to recommit to NZ Rugby were false. Rather that they were unsuccessful.
Maybe. But there are rumours of rumours of rumours. Please post some solid evidence.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Windows97 The relevant rumours were in the mainstream media before they appeared here or on social media.
Whether posted on stuff or silverfern…still rumours. And unsubstantiated rumours at that. I could well be wrong, of course, but so much assuming and so little actual evidence.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@KiwiMurph I did a post a couple weeks ago on players who I thought were in the running on form. I like the look at what Sotutu has done so far this year, I think Stevenson for the Chiefs has continued his hot form from last year but I think he goes missing a bit when DMac isn’t there. Definitely a class finisher though.
Reece is another that should get a recall, he’s been one of the best going around both offensively and defensively.
I like the look of Hannah from the Saders and Beehre from the Blues but I think they might be a tad too young yet for the next level. Same with Fabian Holland who isn’t eligible yet anyway.
I like what Harmon has done for the Landers over the last few years but I think he’ll be in competition for that one spot with quite a number of form loosies across NZ so it’s hard to say. Got plenty of depth in that area atm.
Someone posted an All Blacks XV on form (below) I like what I see. 😉
looking at the highlanders, i think there are a couple of guys, like harmon as you mention, that are playing well in context of where the highlander are...the one guy that i think deserves to be in the conversation for higher honors is JRK, he legit reminds me of Ben SMith in that if you can continuously look good in a team thats struggling then imagine what could happen behind an AB pack
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Not the greatest news, but not the worst news. Could be back in time for the EOYT.
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Thank goodness cruciates ok.
Get well soon -
@Canes4life As good a news as can be expected, feel for the guy was to be his breakout year this year but it's not to be. Bloody ref got in his way prior to the tackle that injured him as well, just bad luck all round.
