NPC - news, injuries etc
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Nick White's contract is up at the end of the year and he has confirmed he will not be re-applying for the role.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11927245
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@tim That question occurred to me, but on closer inspection I think a track record of coaching the Merivale-Papanui midgets to successive titles might be enough.
But if you're looking for someone who meets the criteria in credible competitions the recent pool isn't deep - even without worrying about availability. "Competitions" (plural) - Hansen, Razor, Rennie, Sir Graham, Penney - can't think of too many others ... Robbie Deans!!!!
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@duluth said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Whitcombe should mirror his playing career and move down the highway..
I was just thinking the other day that might be an option for him to prove himself. But then I thought (and hope) he might be better off staying with Northland. He must be building a good reputation given he left on a high, the team went to mud when he left and he's turned them around all with largely the same personnel. I think he will prove himself more by staying at Northland than going to Auckland. Whilst he's got Northland playing well again, we're still not likely to win the Championship this year, If he stays another few years, gets us promoted and keeps us competitive there it's arguably a bigger achievement than getting Auckland back into the top 3 given the resources available. He would be under a lot less pressure too. I guess the flipside is getting out of his comfort zone and proving he can do it in a bigger set up before looking to make the next step up to Super Rugby
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my sons U12 team that I coach came 1st equal this season, although I am more an assistant coach than head coach.
TBF, Auckland need to aim high, they should not be where they are on the table, you have guys like Fekitoa & Moala who do not look like ABs out there in the slightest.
But what I think it highlights is that there is more to the Blues and Warriors woes than just coaching, seems more an Auckland problem than anything else...not that I know what the problem is.
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@taniwharugby said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
just coaching
There are other issues but coaching is absolutely the key one here
Ignoring Canterbury for a second (Canterbury have pulled away from the pack, have excellent coaching and recruitment and its up to the others to catch up) and consider results of non Canterbury coaches.
The best non Canterbury coach in terms of results this century is Pat Lam, the second best is Wayne Pivac, then Colin Cooper.
So when Auckland has a decent coach they win competitions, win Ranfurly shields, a final appearance is par and being knocked out in a semi is a failureThe correlation between good seasons and Pivac/Lam is huge. As is the correlation with bad seasons and Anscombe/White
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@duluth that's going back a few years to them though.
I'm not suggesting White is a good coach, just saying coaching is not the only issue with Auckland Rugby/League.
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@taniwharugby said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
@duluth that's going back a few years to them though.
Pivac/Feeney was immediately before Whites two seasons. Feeney had one year on his own
Pivac had corrected a lot of the damage done during the Anscombe years and the team was building nicely. The team White took over was in good shape
Just as a comparison, here is the side two years ago just before White took over. Compare that with the shit show that he's delivered.
Ultimately the side got Tamanivalu'd in the semi (Aso?) but they were playing well. Then White happened..
Or compare this to the 10-8 incompetence this year
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Head Coach Leon MacDonald has re-signed with Ta$man for two more years.
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Also posted in the Super Rugby thread:
Bad news for Highlanders fans:
Otago and Highlanders flanker James Lentjes is out of rugby for up to six months due to a shoulder injury that requires surgery.
Lentjes out of action for up to 6 months
Otago and Highlanders flanker James Lentjes is out of rugby for up to six months. Lentjes has damaged his shoulder and a scan last week confirmed...
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Some people have no luck ...
Canterbury flanker Jed Brown is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after rupturing his Achilles tendon at the weekend. ... Achilles tendon ruptures usually take between six and nine months to heal. ... Brown's off-contract with the Crusaders, and his latest injury won't do him an favours in securing a Super Rugby contract for the season. Even with a smooth recovery, it could be May or June before he's ready to play rugby again. The 26-year-old has had a horror run of injuries the past three years, starting with a strained medial collateral ligaments (MCL) in his right knee playing for Canterbury in 2014. It got worse the following year, when he busted the anterior crucial ligament (ACL) in the same knee playing for the red and blacks, while hamstring and shoulder injuries plagued him last year. -
The Manawatū Turbos have been given the green light to unleash Ngani Laumape in their Ranfurly Shield challenge against Taranaki in New Plymouth on Wednesday night. The four-test All Black was back training with the side on Monday after not being part of the squad who travelled to South Africa. It will be Laumape's second game of the season for Manawatū after starting against Otago earlier in the season. -
@stargazer does Taranaki get Naholo back?
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Augustine Pulu banned for two weeks for wild high shot
Counties Manukau halfback Augustine Pulu has been banned for two games after receiving a red card following a dangerous tackle on Manawatu's Jade Te Rure.
The two-test All Black was given his marching orders by referee Glen Jackson with just five minutes to go in Counties' Mitre 10 Cup match on October 5 after he flew in with a high swinging arm.
A hearing was convened at the New Zealand Rugby judiciary on October 7, where Nigel Hampton QC said the tackle initially made contact with the chest of the Te Rure, then rose onto the neck, making it a low end offence with a starting sanction of a two week suspension.
However, Mr Hampton said Pulu had been suspended for a similar offence in 2016, suggesting a reckless approach to some aspects of his tackling technique.
One week was initially added to the two-week sanction, but this was reduced after it was noted Pulu immediately apologised to Te Rure and this was the first red card of his career.
Pulu will miss his side's final match against Ta$man on Saturday and, if they progress to the playoffs - they sit fifth in the Premiership - a possible semi-final.As Counties are unlikely to make the semi-final, it's interesting when he will have to serve his second week. Is he suddenly going to play sevens? Or does that second week somehow "disappear"?
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Shane McDermott calls time on 1st class referee career
When the full time whistle has been blown this Sunday at the North Harbour v Taranaki 2017 Mitre 10 Cup match at QBE Stadium Albany, Bay of Plenty Rugby referee Shane McDermott will also call full time on his 20 year 1st class career both as a player and a referee. -
Very interesting read
Some really concerning stuff in there
All the comments about changes to selections and identifying talent and how this will take a few years to bear fruit - I remember reading a very similar article a few years ago about the Blues and the exact same things were covered - changing age group rep selections and pathways etc - wouldn't you think there would be alignment between franchise partners and the Blues - this is crazily frustrating for a fan to take. You'd the NZRU would take a more proactive hands on approach in getting involved and sorting it the fuck out.
Very interesting who the next coach will be.
In the initial years of professionalism, Auckland and the Blues were virtually one dominant entity. Wellington were also the Hurricanes; Canterbury the Crusaders. The advent of private ownership changed that dynamic, and in the case of Auckland clearly for the worse. During those early years North Harbour in particular were largely frozen out of the Blues. It remains a sore point today, and forms part of the reason a major divide developed between Auckland rugby and the Blues. The other was a personality clash between former long-serving Blues and Auckland chief executive Andy Dalton, and Blues private owner Murray Bolton. This feud progressed to the point where Auckland is largely not welcome to use the Blues' purpose-built base at Alexandra Park. Yes, two rugby organisations in the same city apparently can't co-exist at the same facility. Auckland is on the hunt for their own training base after the council effectively kicked them out of Nixon Park. Other Blues board members are known to have long-held grudges with Auckland rugby, too.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11932863
