Crusaders 2025
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Crusaders lock-in Johnny for two more years.
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https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350354914/crusaders-poised-confirm-head-coach-rob-penney-will-stay
Predictable - but, I've got very little faith that Rob's got the capacity to turn this year's disaster into a 2025 triumph - even if all his best players stay fit.
Mansbridge better be spending some signifiicant time scouting for a 2026 replacement because this season was not close to the requisite standard!
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2025:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350354914/crusaders-poised-confirm-head-coach-rob-penney-will-stay
Predictable - but, I've got very little faith that Rob's got the capacity to turn this year's disaster into a 2025 triumph - even if all his best players stay fit.
Mansbridge better be spending some signifiicant time scouting for a 2026 replacement because this season was not close to the requisite standard!
Hard to win without a solid first five.
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@Canes4life I think Plummer might be the first first five to win Super rugby without having a test cap.
I'm pretty sure he's the only Super first five to win who didn't eventually get a test cap - and I think he'll lose that point at some point.
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No surprise to me Rob Penny will be retained as Coach for 2025.
Some real questions need to be asked of the Crusaders CEO, good mates with Penny he was always going to support/protect him.
Colin Mainsbridge to me is a major problem within the Crusaders set up he needs to move aside.
If the Crusaders fail again in 2025 there will be some massive pressure on the Board. -
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
No surprise to me Rob Penny will be retained as Coach for 2025.
Some real questions need to be asked of the Crusaders CEO, good mates with Penny he was always going to support/protect him.
Colin Mainsbridge to me is a major problem within the Crusaders set up he needs to move aside.
If the Crusaders fail again in 2025 there will be some massive pressure on the Board.It can’t all be placed on Mainsbridge. He took over in 2019 and since then they’ve won it in 2019, 2022 and 2023. Yes Razor was there that whole time but it just shows the impact continuity has.
My guess is the whole organization won’t want to admit defeat that easy after 1 season, factor in the injuries to key players and they’ll want him to have another crack with more or less the same group.
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@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
No surprise to me Rob Penny will be retained as Coach for 2025.
Some real questions need to be asked of the Crusaders CEO, good mates with Penny he was always going to support/protect him.
Colin Mainsbridge to me is a major problem within the Crusaders set up he needs to move aside.
If the Crusaders fail again in 2025 there will be some massive pressure on the Board.It can’t all be placed on Mainsbridge. He took over in 2019 and since then they’ve won it in 2019, 2022 and 2023. Yes Razor was there that whole time but it just shows the impact continuity has.
My guess is the whole organization won’t want to admit defeat that easy after 1 season, factor in the injuries to key players and they’ll want him to have another crack with more or less the same group.
More to Mainsbridge Fuck ups than just the Penny BS.
There is a list of them I have some people involved in the organisation through family ties. -
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@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Yeah don’t get me wrong, Penny shouldn’t be there. I just don’t think Mainsbridge should shoulder the full blame. A lot more to it.
No not just Mainsbridge but he runs the ship he has to take some heat for decisions.
You protecting your clubman there ?. -
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Yeah don’t get me wrong, Penny shouldn’t be there. I just don’t think Mainsbridge should shoulder the full blame. A lot more to it.
No not just Mainsbridge but he runs the ship he has to take some heat for decisions.
You protecting your clubman there ?.Who would you have coaching the Crusaders over Penney?
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@Chris Haha not at all mate. I’ve said the same when the Highlanders have gone through similar situations. It happens and the blame falls on a lot more than 1 person. He will wear the brunt of it of course, I’m just putting it out there that there is a lot more at play than just 1 man’s decision.
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@Mr-Fish said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Yeah don’t get me wrong, Penny shouldn’t be there. I just don’t think Mainsbridge should shoulder the full blame. A lot more to it.
No not just Mainsbridge but he runs the ship he has to take some heat for decisions.
You protecting your clubman there ?.Who would you have coaching the Crusaders over Penney?
I would rather they bite the bullet and give it to Tamati Ellison, if we are going to take some pain develop a young coach.
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@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Yeah don’t get me wrong, Penny shouldn’t be there. I just don’t think Mainsbridge should shoulder the full blame. A lot more to it.
No not just Mainsbridge but he runs the ship he has to take some heat for decisions.
You protecting your clubman there ?.Who would you have coaching the Crusaders over Penney?
I would rather they bite the bullet and give it to Tamati Ellison, if we are going to take some pain develop a young coach.
I wonder if the Crusaders had this in mind and were ready to do this but then the gig he landed with the All Blacks came along and threw that whole plan off…
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@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Yeah don’t get me wrong, Penny shouldn’t be there. I just don’t think Mainsbridge should shoulder the full blame. A lot more to it.
No not just Mainsbridge but he runs the ship he has to take some heat for decisions.
You protecting your clubman there ?.Who would you have coaching the Crusaders over Penney?
I would rather they bite the bullet and give it to Tamati Ellison, if we are going to take some pain develop a young coach.
I wonder if the Crusaders had this in mind and were ready to do this but then the gig he landed with the All Blacks came along and threw that whole plan off…
Still possible Tamiti is only involved for Home test weeks.
He will not travel to SA,Australia or the end of year tour. -
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Yeah don’t get me wrong, Penny shouldn’t be there. I just don’t think Mainsbridge should shoulder the full blame. A lot more to it.
No not just Mainsbridge but he runs the ship he has to take some heat for decisions.
You protecting your clubman there ?.Who would you have coaching the Crusaders over Penney?
I would rather they bite the bullet and give it to Tamati Ellison, if we are going to take some pain develop a young coach.
I assume that's still the plan but I'm sure the powers that be believe 2025 can't go any worse than 2024 for Penney (one or two fewer injuries would have made a big difference, for example), so they're giving him another year to 'right the ship', so to speak, and not throwing Ellison into too high pressure a situation.
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@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Yeah don’t get me wrong, Penny shouldn’t be there. I just don’t think Mainsbridge should shoulder the full blame. A lot more to it.
No not just Mainsbridge but he runs the ship he has to take some heat for decisions.
You protecting your clubman there ?.Who would you have coaching the Crusaders over Penney?
I would rather they bite the bullet and give it to Tamati Ellison, if we are going to take some pain develop a young coach.
He wasn't great with Wellington. I was happy he left after one year. Unsure if the new coach will be any better but now there is some hope that he might be.
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@Winger said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Yeah don’t get me wrong, Penny shouldn’t be there. I just don’t think Mainsbridge should shoulder the full blame. A lot more to it.
No not just Mainsbridge but he runs the ship he has to take some heat for decisions.
You protecting your clubman there ?.Who would you have coaching the Crusaders over Penney?
I would rather they bite the bullet and give it to Tamati Ellison, if we are going to take some pain develop a young coach.
He wasn't great with Wellington. I was happy he left after one year. Unsure if the new coach will be any better but now there is some hope that he might be.
He is highly rated by the Crusader players and Razor,Not sure why he was not good as you say for Wellington maybe assistants ?
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@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Winger said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Crusaders 2025:
@Chris Yeah don’t get me wrong, Penny shouldn’t be there. I just don’t think Mainsbridge should shoulder the full blame. A lot more to it.
No not just Mainsbridge but he runs the ship he has to take some heat for decisions.
You protecting your clubman there ?.Who would you have coaching the Crusaders over Penney?
I would rather they bite the bullet and give it to Tamati Ellison, if we are going to take some pain develop a young coach.
He wasn't great with Wellington. I was happy he left after one year. Unsure if the new coach will be any better but now there is some hope that he might be.
He is highly rated by the Crusader players and Razor,Not sure why he was not good as you say for Wellington maybe assistants ?
His backs selections were terrible for one. For example he keep selecting a HB who made Christie look like a very fast distributor. And he had a much better option (who is now involved with the Canes and in one pre-season game looked the goods - again)
But there were issues at 1st 5 2nd 5 and wing. And Love completely lost form under his leadership. What a massive disappointment he was after the Crusaders hype.
