The Silver Fern

Can we give negative points?

@Crucial

Getting run down by Blyde must feel like being hunted by a T-1000, she's an absolute machine.

<p>It seems to me that they are doing what I have thought they should do for a while - improve the public involvement in preseason.</p>
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<p>For years they have been playing preseason games amongst themselves with minimal crowds and making no money off it. It's even been hard to find any footage at all.</p>
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<p>This way a decent number of guys get a hit-out and they can make some money off it, but most important of all, we get to see it!</p>

<p>Ugh, not Charlie... Pretty much got the best hands and fastest feet of any prop going round I reckon.</p>
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<p>Well, by then he'll be 31ish and he's been a rock for Auckland/Blues. I wouldn't begrudge him a good payday.</p>
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<p>I had hoped he'd make it through to RWC 2019 though, he's such a good impact player.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="585053" data-time="1465009022">
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<p>Agreed, he just hasn't been given much of a go with the loosies we have (the 1 position we have plenty of depth in). We simply do not need Messam.</p>
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<p>Yeah, Edwards has probably deserved more time on the pitch but injury and then the emergence of Ioane have stopped it.</p>
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<p>I don't think the Blues need Messam either, if any loosie came up from the Chiefs I'd prefer to get Seu back.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="558527" data-time="1455351552">
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<p>I wonder how much value teams really get out of these pre-season games, and with such a long season now if they should think about scrapping them.</p>
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<p>I think you do need them. Playing amongst yourselves gets stale and you have to give the whole squad some time in a real(ish) game situation to see where you are before the real season starts.</p>
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<p>The season is 1 game shorter now than it was too. S15 was 16 games, S18 is only 15. That's in the regular season, obviously, which as a Blues fan is all I know.</p>

<p>Blues vs Canes "highlights"</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='

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<p>Tana reckoned the scoreline was a lot to do with having more players to rotate. Pretty hot out there.</p>