All Blacks 2024
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Fihaki is a bizarre selection, but then also not that outrageous on the basis he is there to cover Love as a fullback...
B Barrett has been ill, Perofeta and Love already injured, Stevenson (meh) and off to league supposedly. Who has he edged out? Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Sullivan?
I mean I'd have those two over him, but also not a huge deal. People just don't like what it represents (another Crusaders player) which is fair. If Fihaki didn't play for the Crusaders, I'm not sure his selection would be seen as a huge deal.
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@Landers92 yes, for Canterbury he has lots, and at the end of games for Crusaders he's finished there.
Razor in his Crusaders days said he had potential to be a great 12.
I don't rate him that highly.. but he's got a point of difference due to his physical dimensions, similar to a young Jordie - he's filled out a bit more now... also massive boot on the kid - and very long levers providing good offloading platform from 12.
It's not like he's not going to play but he's a good squad pick since he covers 11-15.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
Fihaki is a bizarre selection, but then also not that outrageous on the basis he is there to cover Love as a fullback...
B Barrett has been ill, Perofeta and Love already injured, Stevenson (meh) and off to league supposedly. Who has he edged out? Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Sullivan?
I mean I'd have those two over him, but also not a huge deal. People just don't like what it represents (another Crusaders player) which is fair. If Fihaki didn't play for the Crusaders, I'm not sure his selection would be seen as a huge deal.
I think it would.
I'm quite a fan, but he has been terrible at times and rightfully shouldn't start in the Crusaders top team. How that gets him to the ABs ahead of, well, any other FB/wing from another Super side is a bit astounding.
The coaches clearly don't care about their Crusaders bias, but it will be self-fulfilling if they scare off talent from every other team.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
f Fihaki didn't play for the Crusaders, I'm not sure his selection would be seen as a huge deal.
Would he be selected if he didn't play for the Crusaders? I don't think so, I think he's a known quantity to the Crusaders dominated coaching group.
I don't care who he plays for, he's never screamed select me for the ABs. But, maybe he'll be one of those guys who rises to the occasion for the ABs?
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@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
f Fihaki didn't play for the Crusaders, I'm not sure his selection would be seen as a huge deal.
Would he be selected if he didn't play for the Crusaders? I don't think so, I think he's a known quantity to the Crusaders dominated coaching group.
I don't care who he plays for, he's never screamed select me for the ABs. But, maybe he'll be one of those guys who rises to the occasion for the ABs?
I like his size, speed, and capability to kick goals, so he has future wing/FB talent. However, he feels quite some time away from that and this is why we should have the AB15 playing right now, as selected by the AB selectors. We could then see where others were in the talent line - of course, when everyone sees that is straight the Crusaders academy, we might see that the emperor has no clothes.
I don't know where, but this bugs me - from a past interview with Razor, he was going on about taking guys from club/academy to the ABs. It seemed a strange thing for the incoming AB coach to be saying, but it jumps out now as it seems like he is still bringing that idea of continuing to give opportunities to those he knows.
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@Windows97 said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:
This team is just absolutely fucked mentally.
It's not so much this player, or that player but as a team they crumble under pressure and are unable to maintain consistency throughout the game.
They play like they don't want to lose, rather than that they want to win, there's some odd saying like "the dirve to win must overcome the fear of loosing" and this team is abjectily petrified of loosing to the point they freeze totally in the last 20 minutes NO MATTER WHO THEY PLAY.
The AB's used to be about excellence, about trying to play the perfect game and chasing perfection in each moment of the game.
This bunch of clowns is chasing their own shadows.
It's not just pressure though. At what really should have been 40-7 after the first half, the only pressure there should be is maintaining standards.
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@Windows97 said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:
The AB's used to be about excellence, about trying to play the perfect game and chasing perfection in each moment of the game.
Under McCaw, they were about excellence.
After that, they were about experience.
As that eroded, they were about BBBB*.
Now that is on the downslide, what next?
*Beauden Barrett Bullshit Bounces
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@darylmitchell said in All Blacks 2024:
@Landers92 yes, for Canterbury he has lots, and at the end of games for Crusaders he's finished there.
Razor in his Crusaders days said he had potential to be a great 12.
I don't rate him that highly.. but he's got a point of difference due to his physical dimensions, similar to a young Jordie - he's filled out a bit more now... also massive boot on the kid - and very long levers providing good offloading platform from 12.
It's not like he's not going to play but he's a good squad pick since he covers 11-15.
He doesn't.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2024:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
Fihaki is a bizarre selection, but then also not that outrageous on the basis he is there to cover Love as a fullback...
B Barrett has been ill, Perofeta and Love already injured, Stevenson (meh) and off to league supposedly. Who has he edged out? Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Sullivan?
I mean I'd have those two over him, but also not a huge deal. People just don't like what it represents (another Crusaders player) which is fair. If Fihaki didn't play for the Crusaders, I'm not sure his selection would be seen as a huge deal.
I think it would.
I'm quite a fan, but he has been terrible at times and rightfully shouldn't start in the Crusaders top team. How that gets him to the ABs ahead of, well, any other FB/wing from another Super side is a bit astounding.
The coaches clearly don't care about their Crusaders bias, but it will be self-fulfilling if they scare off talent from every other team.
So begs the question who would you have ahead? I would have JRK, but don't think this is as outrageous as people are making it out to be.
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@Frank said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:
ENS is at least twice the player Fihaki is.
Perhaps three times the player he is? Maybe even four?
I'd settle for 3.7.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:
ENS is at least twice the player Fihaki is.
And he is injured.
Even if he wasn't, he doesn't play for the crusaders so not in immediate consideration
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At Fullback/wing?
-Narawa given the FB cover in the squad (Havili)
- Sullivan is the future and has played better at Super level.
- ENS has the left boot we need and is a wing/FB
- Stevenson could get a chance and show quality
In the midfield I can’t be bothered typing all the names.
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I am not a fan of Fihaki by any stretch, I don't like in in the Saders and can tolerate him at NPC level for Canterbury but as was mentioned above, who else is there? @Bones said ENS is injured, Kneepkins has speed but not much else going for him. That leaves Gilbert (hell no) amd Sullivan. I would have picked Sullivan.
