All Blacks 2026
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Players should also be held more accountable now for the Wellington test.
They gave away the biggest loss in ABs history because they don't like the coach and couldn't be bothered??
It finally makes sense now how they collapsed and completely gave up the way they did.
Feeling slighted by the coach is not an excuse to permanently damage the legacy.
Sort it off the field, once you get on the field you don't just give up.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2026:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2026:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
Looking forward I've had a thought about appointing a captain and whether that is necessary.
May have mentioned it and I'm sure the eventual head coach will take this on board but ... don't appoint a captain.
Appoint a senior leadership group.
Allows you to pick a XV/XXIII free from being obliged to pick certain bloke. Once you've got your team, then appoint a captain(s). And feel free to sub any of them on or off.
Am thinking along the lines of (retaining) Scooter, Paddy T, Ardie, Codie, someone in the backs...
Maybe bring some of the younger guys through too ... Vaa'i, Sititi, Roigard...
Roigard and Jordie are the brains of this team as it stands.
I think I'd look seriously at Jordie, even though I'm not a big fan of backs as captains.
For what it's worth Stuart Barnes says Fozzie and Razor both made big mistakes by not appointing Ardie over Sam Cane and Scott Barrett - says he's the natural leader.
I don’t know about you guys, but the natural leaders I’ve been exposed to, and they’re v v v successful, are no the loud ones, they’re the ones you’d follow into the trenches without them saying word. Ardie isn’t a leader, he’s a motivator to a selective group of players. Understated and smart, but appropriately scary, are always what you want. No one currently in NZ fits that mould unfortunately
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@Frank said in All Blacks 2026:
@george33 said in All Blacks 2026:
So Tony Brown will stay in Africa until contract ends
You'll all over the show on this one mate.
Give him a break, I’m sure everyone is all over the show with this one
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@kev said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2026:
@jimmyb said in All Blacks 2026:
Fairly biting remakes from Smith. Not saying I agree it was a bad decision, but interesting nonetheless
That is interesting, because Smith was - I think - still in his performance coach role with the ABs so surely someone who was interviewed and presumably had supportive things to say.
"Disaffected players speak behind your back and get to rubbish you, incognito, during end-of-campaign reviews," he said.
I think that is an issue. There is the power dynamic of not wanting to ruin your selection chances by criticising a coach directly. But context can help you respond to criticism if you’re the coach.
Hard to know what the future holds. I bet the Warriors wish they had never let Ivan Cleary go - a shocking decision. Still based on performance and trends this seems like the right call.
Wonder how long they will take to appoint the new coach?
I thought Cleary left because the Wahs wouldn't give him a contract term that he asked for?
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@kev said in All Blacks 2026:
I bet the Warriors wish they had never let Ivan Cleary go - a shocking decision. Still based on performance and trends this seems like the right call.
Cleary situation seemed more like Foster where it was announced earlier in the year he was leaving and ended up making the final in his last year.
Which might be the point. Sometimes success is just around the corner ….not saying that was the case with Razor as there wasn’t a game where you could say we played well.
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@kev said in All Blacks 2026:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@kev said in All Blacks 2026:
I bet the Warriors wish they had never let Ivan Cleary go - a shocking decision. Still based on performance and trends this seems like the right call.
Cleary situation seemed more like Foster where it was announced earlier in the year he was leaving and ended up making the final in his last year.
Which might be the point. Sometimes success is just around the corner ….not saying that was the case with Razor as there wasn’t a game where you could say we played well.
In his second year Cleary took the Warriors to 4th on the regular season ladder. I just dont see the parallels
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@lak said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones
Cast your minds back to the Hurricane times, came in, set up the culture, fecked off (fired), that's all we need, then JJ and TB can come in and work their magicComedy gold, he came in and got rid of or chased away half the big names in the team, killed off a portion of the fanbase, and then settled in for three years of the same mediocrity.
@Chris-B Is this fellow your boy?
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@hikastags said in All Blacks 2026:
No thank you on Wayne Smith coming back. He was helping Razor during the SA games.
HanseSn & Fozzie's team in Japan is crap (they almost faced relegation to D2).
All these guys coaching is outdated IMO.
Wayne Smith was in camp for 4 tests under Razor (33-10 Wobs 2024, 42-10 Arg 2nd test 2024, 43-16 (biggest win over France in June 2025) and the 1st SA test 24-17, he wasn't in camp during the Wellington capitulation test...
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Very sad we don't get someone like Tony Brown. Nick Evans, O'Gara? Who are now the likely assistant coach candidates?
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Very sad we don't get someone like Tony Brown.
Let's see what happens with Brown.
I'm sceptical that 48 hours after the coaching change is announced that there's a definitive answer on Brown.
Whilst there was plenty of rumours in this thread that were on the money this week, there was also plenty that weren't.
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@Duluth said in All Blacks 2026:
@Frank said in All Blacks 2026:
Tana can be the cultural connector or whatever that is, fine, but I don't want him anywhere near strategy or the other details of coaching. He SUCKED at the Blues.
Maybe a defence coach. I think there’s better options than him though
I rate your opinion highly. Who would you have as contenders?
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David Kirk when asked if it was too risky making a change this late in the cycle replied with " no, we felt it was too risky not to make a change now"
A brave move by the board and the right move.
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@Jimmy-Jimmy said in All Blacks 2026:
David Kirk when asked if it was too risky making a change this late in the cycle replied with " no, we felt it was too risky not to make a change now"
A brave move by the board and the right move.
He's right though. We might still have a tough 2026, but it sounded toxic and I think it would have been worse if things stayed the same.
Something had to give.
