All Blacks 2025
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@Old-Alleynians said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5
Scott Parker should have gone to Everton and not Newcastle - his England career would have been better.I had to google who Scott Parker was for this to make any sort of sense to me
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One thing has become crystal clear in the last few days to me......
Razor was a massive beneficiary of being involved in a perennially successful club environment in Canterbury and the Crusaders. His coaching bona fides were inflated because of that.
If he had coached outside of Christchurch where he had had to build something from scratch or had had no cattle or tradition to work with I can only assume that his flaws would have come to the fore earlier.
The key takeaway on this for the NZR has to the that the recruitment process for an All Black head coach has to be extensive and thorough and they should be looking for a candidate with proven success in a variety of different environments. Being wildly successful in Christchurch is obviously still an achievement but replicating that elsewhere or at least showing the ability to achieve something outside of that domain would have proven Razors qualities.
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@Old-Alleynians said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54
The chair will appoint a new ceo and away we go.Ok mate, I actually thought NZR board was same as provincial boards and they appointed the CEO. I genuinely didn't think the chair was given that much leeway
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Defence.
Arguably kicking.
Probably not passing.
Defensive ruck work definitely.
He's not going to win you a game, but her won't shit the bed either.
So he's a tiny loose forward. A Justin Marshall type halfback.
Given his well documented shortcomings as a halfback, combined with our lethargic, predictable attack, he shouldn't be in the squad.
And I acknowledge that within the current squad, he's better than Ratima. Which is a great concern.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
No real argument, I must admit I haven't taken notice of Blues 9s enough to argue about Funaki etc, but I quite happy for other posters to see it that way. I was mainly responding to your post that suggested I not qualified to comment, because I had different opinion than yours about Christie.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Cotter prefers Christies kicking game over Funaki.
As for Plummer he started 4 of the first 5 Blues games this year at 10 so he was preferred. Then through the middle of the season Barrett, Plummer and Perofeta all got a go because we were losing under Plummer before Cotter settled on Barrett to close out the season.
To me Plummer seemed to already have one foot on the plane mentally this year.
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@family-man said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey I agree with you regarding Christie. Offers more than ratima does in every department
My reasoning for him being on the bench is because if things are tight, ir if we're up in a scrappy game, Christie can come on as another defender who can also sweep if teams try to get in behind us. He's also good at getting the forwards to get back up into the action off the ground. He can close out tests in the last 10 of games.
We all know that Roigard is miles ahead of the rest, and with the other options, he may as well just play the whole 80 especially as the other guys play similar styles to Roigard but are far inferior versions of Roigard, but at least Christie can offer something else off the bench if needed.
If Roigard got injured then yeah, I'd go with Ratima or Hotham, whoever to start, but we may as well have Christie as our reserve halfback if Roigard is there.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Christie because he suits the close game plan, BB because Plummer was leaving and BB signed on until 2027?
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Christie because he suits the close game plan, BB because Plummer was leaving and BB signed on until 2027?
To me playing BB over Plummer because one is leaving is not a good excuse. You are trying to win a SR title and need to play the best. And it's not like BB was a young up and comer needing reps
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Cotter prefers Christies kicking game over Funaki.
As for Plummer he started 4 of the first 5 Blues games this year at 10 so he was preferred. Then through the middle of the season Barrett, Plummer and Perofeta all got a go because we were losing under Plummer before Cotter settled on Barrett to close out the season.
To me Plummer seemed to already have one foot on the plane mentally this year.
Yeah, Plummer did struggle a bit last season. He did seem to have his mind elsewhere.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Wasn't Plummer preferred almost more at 12 than 10 for Blues? Or am I not recalling correctly, just I thought he played quite a bit at 12 . I always thought he quite a good player, who tended to be a bench player quite a bit as he never really named nailed down 10 or 12 except in case of injuries.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Wasn't Plummer preferred almost more at 12 than 10 for Blues? Or am I not recalling correctly, just I thought he played quite a bit at 12 . I always thought he quite a good player, who tended to be a bench player quite a bit as he never really named nailed down 10 or 12 except in case of injuries.
He was a big reason why they won the title. Outdueled DMac in the final, played very well in the second half of the season
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@nonpartizan said in All Blacks 2025:
One thing has become crystal clear in the last few days to me......
Razor was a massive beneficiary of being involved in a perennially successful club environment in Canterbury and the Crusaders. His coaching bona fides were inflated because of that.
If he had coached outside of Christchurch where he had had to build something from scratch or had had no cattle or tradition to work with I can only assume that his flaws would have come to the fore earlier.
The key takeaway on this for the NZR has to the that the recruitment process for an All Black head coach has to be extensive and thorough and they should be looking for a candidate with proven success in a variety of different environments. Being wildly successful in Christchurch is obviously still an achievement but replicating that elsewhere or at least showing the ability to achieve something outside of that domain would have proven Razors qualities.
That's essentially the argument put forward about 3 years ago by those with doubts about Razor's experience, which was shouted down - by many on here - as anti-Cantab bias.
It would be fun to look back at some of the posts from 2023 - 2024 talking about how he would turn things around straight away.
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Ratima is in a funk he cant get out of., He is a shadow of the player he was before he started playing for the ABs. He used to have a dynamic running game which no longer exists.
How many in the current squad have improved?
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
No real argument, I must admit I haven't taken notice of Blues 9s enough to argue about Funaki etc, but I quite happy for other posters to see it that way. I was mainly responding to your post that suggested I not qualified to comment, because I had different opinion than yours about Christie.
Don't get too hung up on the hyperbole.
