All Blacks 2026
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
FUCK NO.
This is a dream job for a coach (just ask Razor).
The chance to lead a side to victory against SA in SA, and a RWC, inside of two years!
Do that and you go down as one of the greatest coaches in rugby history.
That's how I'd be lookin at it if I was a coach in the runnin for the gig.And the players should be the same.
The last two years were f'n BS, now lets get super f'n focused, go out there, no f'n about, get the job done, and be f'n heroes!!!!
That's how they'll be thinking, and that's what i'd be thinking.Let’s see how this plays out who gets the job who rules himself out and in 12 months is everyone hoppy or we have a mess still.
You are hoping the AB is the great coaching gig it might not be atm.You're painting the picture of what happens if NZRU has got this wrong. I think that's fair, but I think it goes both ways.
It also looks pretty clear that we weren't going to get close to SA or a WC with the Razor group, so whoever that does come in will need a good set of balls on them, and will need to sure that they can do the job, but will also know that they don't need to do too much to stay in the role till the WC, and if they can get through a QF there, they'll likely keep the role.
At the moment, if you can restore the team unity and cohesion to 2023 levels, you'd be ahead of the current group. Given the amount of shit - rightfully in many cases - that has been heaped on Foster, that's a very fucking low bar to reach and says plenty about Razor's magic or lack thereof.
I can't see guys like Joseph, Cotter, or Rennie being afraid of the opportunity. And, if they are, then that's a great first door if they don't wish to apply.
I agree with this. The irony is we have better options in most positions than 2023 and players like Vaa'i have progressed a lot.
If, as I suspect, the players were frustrated with communications and unity compared to 2023, then an experienced coach would be able to build on that. One reason why I'd like to see someone from 2023 like Schmidt involved.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
FUCK NO.
This is a dream job for a coach (just ask Razor).
The chance to lead a side to victory against SA in SA, and a RWC, inside of two years!
Do that and you go down as one of the greatest coaches in rugby history.
That's how I'd be lookin at it if I was a coach in the runnin for the gig.And the players should be the same.
The last two years were f'n BS, now lets get super f'n focused, go out there, no f'n about, get the job done, and be f'n heroes!!!!
That's how they'll be thinking, and that's what i'd be thinking.Let’s see how this plays out who gets the job who rules himself out and in 12 months is everyone hoppy or we have a mess still.
You are hoping the AB is the great coaching gig it might not be atm.You're painting the picture of what happens if NZRU has got this wrong. I think that's fair, but I think it goes both ways.
It also looks pretty clear that we weren't going to get close to SA or a WC with the Razor group, so whoever that does come in will need a good set of balls on them, and will need to sure that they can do the job, but will also know that they don't need to do too much to stay in the role till the WC, and if they can get through a QF there, they'll likely keep the role.
At the moment, if you can restore the team unity and cohesion to 2023 levels, you'd be ahead of the current group. Given the amount of shit - rightfully in many cases - that has been heaped on Foster, that's a very fucking low bar to reach and says plenty about Razor's magic or lack thereof.
I can't see guys like Joseph, Cotter, or Rennie being afraid of the opportunity. And, if they are, then that's a great first door if they don't wish to apply.
I agree with this. The irony is we have better options in most positions than 2023 and players like Vaa'i have progressed a lot.
If, as I suspect, the players were frustrated with communications and unity compared to 2023, then an experienced coach would be able to build on that. One reason why I'd like to see someone from 2023 like Schmidt involved.
Yeah, I would have classified myself as a hopeful doubter.
Quite some time ago, a few of us here showed that he was incredibly successful only when about three or four players were on the field and that he was basically running some of those senior ABs into the ground.
On the other hand, you couldn't question his success across a season, and I was really hopeful that he would bring that across to the ABs. I'd have happily turned around in the last year and said, well fuck me, he is a magician.
But, as it turns out, he's not, and it seems like the capabilities that got him to the top job weren't helping him at the top job, so while I feel sorry for him as a person, it seems clear to me that the AB legacy needs to be moved on.
Hopefully, we'll improve, but I'm still very fearful that we could face a QF (or worse) exit and worse in the future unless we address the short-term and structural issues in NZ rugby.
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I genuinely don't think we're too far off and it's been a morale/poor man management thing more than anything. Focus on consistency could work wonders
Some of the structural issues seem to have been addressed too - the AB XV providing a testing ground for future AB players and coached. More needed and hopefully on Kirk's radar
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
I genuinely don't think we're not too far off and it's been a morale/poor man management thing more than anything. Focus on consistency could work wonders
Some of the structural issues seem to have been addressed too - the AB XV providing a testing ground for future AB players and coached. More needed and hopefully on Kirk's radar
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From a coaching perspective I see it as a great opportunity.
You'll be able to come in with quite a bit of carte blanche, have a fresh start, with your own mandate.
Robertson sort of had that opportunity too, still hard to believe how he f'd it all up.
Not like when Hansen, and even Foster took over; they were just trying to keep the show rolling along.All coaches think they can sort it, that's why they are coaches.
Even as Robertson was being nudged out the door he would been maintaining that he could sort out all the issues.
That's how they are.I see the Buffalo Bills just sacked their coach.
And they have a good team; one of the best records over recent seasons, but no SB.
Got a generational QB, that'll be a dream coaching job too. -
@Jimmy-Jimmy said in All Blacks 2026:
@Yeetyaah I agree.
Fuck AI.
How the hell can a fucking robot understand the emotions involved in being an AB supporter.
I want to be on here with people who know the joy and the angst that comes with bleeding black.
A.I is probably the only thing that could understand Hansen and Razors team talks and press conferences.
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@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
Robertson sort of had that opportunity too, still hard to believe how he f'd it all up.
Yeah he absolutely had a licence to go at it after Foster was seen to be so bad. Maybe that ended up being the problem though, he was so far off the wall that players with plenty of experience outside the saders just couldn't get their heads around his methods.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
Robertson sort of had that opportunity too, still hard to believe how he f'd it all up.
Yeah he absolutely had a licence to go at it after Foster was seen to be so bad. Maybe that ended up being the problem though, he was so far off the wall that players with plenty of experience outside the saders just couldn't get their heads around his methods.
Whitelock's story about Robertson's using roosters leading chickens/sheepdogs penning sheep metaphors bears out the off-the-wall vibe. Sense a JJ dressing room might be a wee bit more conventional...
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@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
I assume Pat Lam needs to coach at a higher level first as HC but is respected in over in Ireland...
I thought Pat Lam was shit when he was at the Blues.
Honestly, it is a while ago, and I cant remember exactly why, but I do remember thinking he was a dick.
Possibly . . . a little too much favoritism to certain underperforming players, which is a current issue as well.
Maybe he's good in the HP director role, we need one of those.Control freak.
Doesn't appear to work at international level?
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As per The Post (the post.co.nz) this morning, Tony Brown has said:
"I'm obviously contracted. I don't have an out of my contract, so I'm back in South Africa (and then the reporter Paul Cully has added in brackets [until the Rugby World Cup]).
Other comments: he was surprised NZR sacked Razor and when asked if an ABs role would appeal, just said "everything is just speculation. I'm not even sure what NZR's plans are."
To read more, click here - https://www.thepost.co.nz/sport/360933080/tony-brown-reveals-he-has-no-out-clause-coach-all-blacks-and-says-he-was-very-surprised-scott - it's behind a paywall. Please check the recently posted rules thread as to why I'm not sharing anything more than that.
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Eddie Jones has waded in:
https://www.planetrugby.com/news/eddie-jones-offers-three-standout-theories-on-scott-robertsons-sacking-he-pays-the-price-for-new-zealand-rugbys-failings"Some things stand out to me. Firstly, we’ve spoken about the decline in New Zealand rugby since 2019, and their record against South Africa is less than 50 per cent,”
“There’s an ongoing trend in New Zealand rugby of which Scott Robertson is not in control of. He could have arrested it, but there’s probably a talent issue starting to arise in New Zealand, which they need to look at from a more holistic point of view. Sometimes the coach pays the price for that."
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
FUCK NO.
This is a dream job for a coach (just ask Razor).
The chance to lead a side to victory against SA in SA, and a RWC, inside of two years!
Do that and you go down as one of the greatest coaches in rugby history.
That's how I'd be lookin at it if I was a coach in the runnin for the gig.And the players should be the same.
The last two years were f'n BS, now lets get super f'n focused, go out there, no f'n about, get the job done, and be f'n heroes!!!!
That's how they'll be thinking, and that's what i'd be thinking.Let’s see how this plays out who gets the job who rules himself out and in 12 months is everyone hoppy or we have a mess still.
You are hoping the AB is the great coaching gig it might not be atm.You're painting the picture of what happens if NZRU has got this wrong. I think that's fair, but I think it goes both ways.
It also looks pretty clear that we weren't going to get close to SA or a WC with the Razor group, so whoever that does come in will need a good set of balls on them, and will need to be sure that they can do the job, but will also know that they don't need to do too much to stay in the role till the WC, and if they can get through a QF there, they'll likely keep the role.
At the moment, if you can restore the team unity and cohesion to 2023 levels, you'd be ahead of the current group. Given the amount of shit - rightfully in many cases - that has been heaped on Foster, that's a very fucking low bar to reach and says plenty about Razor's magic or lack thereof.
I can't see guys like Joseph, Cotter, or Rennie being afraid of the opportunity. And, if they are, then that's a great first door if they don't wish to apply.
No not really painting pictures just looking at a different scenario for a discussion point.
I don’t know if NZR got this wrong or not,only time will tell that. -
@Frank said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
or even better, cut out the poison.
This is the key for the next coach,great results will come after this is done I believe.
I hope the NZR empowers the coach to be able to do this.Depends where the poison lies - or laid. Key thing is everyone working to a single goal with clear leadership and roles. Read somewhere that Shag had to apologise for being late to a meeting.
No reason you can't have disagreements or arguments provided they are handled in a mature respectful way by all concerned. Seems that's been lacking if what we hear about Robertson dismissing players concerns is true
Of course a big part of coaching is man management,
But sometimes some players just will not do the best for the greater good those are toxic. And need to be culled or the rot continues .
It really depends if the playing group is divided which is possible.
Does The ABs look a little like the demise of Manchester Untied dominant then a power gap when the dominant coaches and players leave/retire.I've always worked on the basis people want to do a good job. It's pretty easy to spot and cull those who don't. I doubt any of the current squad fit into that category, so it's up to the new coaching set up to manage that.
It's also the mix of people/chemistry that's important. Seen uber-successful management teams which, by the textbooks should have been disastrous. A lot of it is luck, but good selection process can increase the odds.
The problem with coaching is the players playing love you and the players you don’t pick dislike you.In high performance you always have disaffected people it goes hand in hand.
Selection is always the hardest thing to manage.There will be disappointment for players that miss out. But if there is a feeling that the coach is fair reasonable and respectful, I expect that it should be mutual even if there is disagreement
Same as I replied to @Victor-Meldrew
We are dealing with a new generation of players some have a big sense of entitlement something I See now more than I had before in my coaching roles.There's precious little evidence that so called entitled players caused Razor's sacking.
There are, on the other hand, a wealth of stories coming out as to what a shit man manager he was, alongside his mate Scott Hansen.
Yes stories this isn’t kindergarten is it I am making points about scenarios if your were a coach looking at this job.
How good a job they did is not what I am talking about read the posts properly. -
This post is deleted!
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I’m getting John Mitchell vibes, I’m not saying the two men are similar, but it does have a similar feel to his tenure .
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@Smudge said in All Blacks 2026:
As per The Post (the post.co.nz) this morning, Tony Brown has said:
"I'm obviously contracted. I don't have an out of my contract, so I'm back in South Africa (and then the reporter Paul Cully has added in brackets [until the Rugby World Cup]).
Other comments: he was surprised NZR sacked Razor and when asked if an ABs role would appeal, just said "everything is just speculation. I'm not even sure what NZR's plans are."
To read more, click here - https://www.thepost.co.nz/sport/360933080/tony-brown-reveals-he-has-no-out-clause-coach-all-blacks-and-says-he-was-very-surprised-scott - it's behind a paywall. Please check the recently posted rules thread as to why I'm not sharing anything more than that.
Thanks for the update/link and …. Bugger!
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Interesting Browns comments about finding a new coach in this article
That it will be hard to find a coach and no one really lined up for the job.
Plus no one has heard anything about the job from NZR. -
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
or even better, cut out the poison.
This is the key for the next coach,great results will come after this is done I believe.
I hope the NZR empowers the coach to be able to do this.Depends where the poison lies - or laid. Key thing is everyone working to a single goal with clear leadership and roles. Read somewhere that Shag had to apologise for being late to a meeting.
No reason you can't have disagreements or arguments provided they are handled in a mature respectful way by all concerned. Seems that's been lacking if what we hear about Robertson dismissing players concerns is true
Of course a big part of coaching is man management,
But sometimes some players just will not do the best for the greater good those are toxic. And need to be culled or the rot continues .
It really depends if the playing group is divided which is possible.
Does The ABs look a little like the demise of Manchester Untied dominant then a power gap when the dominant coaches and players leave/retire.I've always worked on the basis people want to do a good job. It's pretty easy to spot and cull those who don't. I doubt any of the current squad fit into that category, so it's up to the new coaching set up to manage that.
It's also the mix of people/chemistry that's important. Seen uber-successful management teams which, by the textbooks should have been disastrous. A lot of it is luck, but good selection process can increase the odds.
The problem with coaching is the players playing love you and the players you don’t pick dislike you.In high performance you always have disaffected people it goes hand in hand.
Selection is always the hardest thing to manage.There will be disappointment for players that miss out. But if there is a feeling that the coach is fair reasonable and respectful, I expect that it should be mutual even if there is disagreement
Yeah, it is a tough thing to manage. However:
The reports of what happened with DP suggest that it was managed very poorly. Also Hoskins not getting the call-up as the outstanding Super player of the year - while e.g. Fihaki sneaks some time in the squad... well, tough to sell that as 'fair and reasonable'...
It would be hard for an experienced coach to do worse on that front I would hope. -
I guess its the chicken egg type scenario isnt it.
Do they feel out options before sacking the coach?
Or do they sack the coach due to him not being able to rectify and bank on finding a team to replace him?
Either way, I think for a 3rd consecutive time, we wont have the best coaching 'team' on board (although may be the best available) this years test season is gon' be interesting, after a super season where you'd expect several new faces to put thier hands up too, along with others who have been on the frnges.
