All Blacks 2024
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I'm willing to bet Vaai is faster than Blackadder too. With the depth in locks we are building, seems like a good choice to me. Better lineout, stronger tackler, bigger body.
Makes too much sense, and he plays for the wrong province.
@Kirwan
Bet away - I wouldn't know. I do know Blackadder was the quickest Crusader forward in the bronco a few years back.
Early days to be claiming we have depth at lock. Barrett remains very good if not great, Vaai has stepped up really well, and Darry has looked the part - but really he's pretty green. Big Pat has never consistently performed at the highest level - I hope he will, but it's hardly a given. Lord is green as and coming back from injury. Sounds similar to me to the claims of 'look at the depth of our loosies' earlier this season.I assume rather than province ( Ta$man) you mean franchise. Either way it's fucking tiresome, the underperformers have not been Crusaders, and Vaai has been selected in the squad so his 'province' clearly hasn't been held against him, has it?
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@Kirwan
Bet away - I wouldn't know. I do know Blackadder was the quickest Crusader forward in the bronco a few years back.
Early days to be claiming we have depth at lock. Barrett remains very good if not great, Vaai has stepped up really well, and Darry has looked the part - but really he's pretty green. Big Pat has never consistently performed at the highest level - I hope he will, but it's hardly a given. Lord is green as and coming back from injury. Sounds similar to me to the claims of 'look at the depth of our loosies' earlier this season.I assume rather than province ( Ta$man) you mean franchise. Either way it's fucking tiresome, the underperformers have not been Crusaders, and Vaai has been selected in the squad so his 'province' clearly hasn't been held against him, has it?
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
Big Pat has never consistently performed at the highest level - I hope he will, but it's hardly a given
surely the coaching group can get the best out of him? I mean, they back themselves to play people back into form, to coach fundamentals in the AB environment (Bell, looking at you), so I'd carry that expectation
Edit: I think Pat's sabbatical didn't help, and I've always been surprised at how he hasn't taken Super form to Tests. But there ya go.
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@reprobate your white knighting of Blackadder against all odds is quite staggering.
Well done son
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
Big Pat has never consistently performed at the highest level - I hope he will, but it's hardly a given
surely the coaching group can get the best out of him? I mean, they back themselves to play people back into form, to coach fundamentals in the AB environment (Bell, looking at you), so I'd carry that expectation
Edit: I think Pat's sabbatical didn't help, and I've always been surprised at how he hasn't taken Super form to Tests. But there ya go.
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2024:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
Big Pat has never consistently performed at the highest level - I hope he will, but it's hardly a given
surely the coaching group can get the best out of him? I mean, they back themselves to play people back into form, to coach fundamentals in the AB environment (Bell, looking at you), so I'd carry that expectation
Edit: I think Pat's sabbatical didn't help, and I've always been surprised at how he hasn't taken Super form to Tests. But there ya go.
I really hope so. He's had poorly timed injuries, and it's tough being a bit-part player behind 2 all time greats, you just don't get the minutes to build form.
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@reprobate your white knighting of Blackadder against all odds is quite staggering.
Well done son
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:
@reprobate your white knighting of Blackadder against all odds is quite staggering.
Well done son
Why thank you. I must admit to being pretty fucking surprised by it myself given I wouldn't have picked him in the initial squad and was (and am) as confused as anyone by the loosie selections.
But, he's got stuck in and played well and it kinda shits me people focusing on him when so many others aren't performing. Especially the just coz he's a crusader, just coz he's a mate's son shit. Just fucken grow up people, open your eyes and have a look at all the canes and blues and chiefs not performing (highlander not included as injured). -
Is Scott Robertson the worst All Blacks coach of all time?
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:
@reprobate your white knighting of Blackadder against all odds is quite staggering.
Well done son
Why thank you. I must admit to being pretty fucking surprised by it myself given I wouldn't have picked him in the initial squad and was (and am) as confused as anyone by the loosie selections.
But, he's got stuck in and played well and it kinda shits me people focusing on him when so many others aren't performing. Especially the just coz he's a crusader, just coz he's a mate's son shit. Just fucken grow up people, open your eyes and have a look at all the canes and blues and chiefs not performing (highlander not included as injured).@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:
@reprobate your white knighting of Blackadder against all odds is quite staggering.
Well done son
Why thank you. I must admit to being pretty fucking surprised by it myself given I wouldn't have picked him in the initial squad and was (and am) as confused as anyone by the loosie selections.
But, he's got stuck in and played well and it kinda shits me people focusing on him when so many others aren't performing. Especially the just coz he's a crusader, just coz he's a mate's son shit. Just fucken grow up people, open your eyes and have a look at all the canes and blues and chiefs not performing (highlander not included as injured).It’s purely cos of the inordinate hype around him, nothing more.
The injury proneness doesn’t help matters either.
He actually seems like a bloody good character from interviews I’ve seen with him. Much more so than loads of other ABs.
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Is Scott Robertson the worst All Blacks coach of all time?
@Yeahtheboys said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:
Is Scott Robertson the worst All Blacks coach of all time?
Not by a long way!
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@Yeahtheboys said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:
Is Scott Robertson the worst All Blacks coach of all time?
Not by a long way!
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@nzzp that doesn’t fit my narrative mate
@Yeahtheboys said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:
@nzzp that doesn’t fit my narrative mate
I was trying to find my post with historic win records to post, which is annoying.
He should finish the year with another 2-3 losses likely. He's 4-3 at the moment, with another 7 games to go. Assuming he goes 5-2, finishing 9-5 is a 64% win rate which is above Foster (I think).
Lose 3 and it's 57% which is wild!
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@Yeahtheboys said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:
@nzzp that doesn’t fit my narrative mate
I was trying to find my post with historic win records to post, which is annoying.
He should finish the year with another 2-3 losses likely. He's 4-3 at the moment, with another 7 games to go. Assuming he goes 5-2, finishing 9-5 is a 64% win rate which is above Foster (I think).
Lose 3 and it's 57% which is wild!
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@RoninWC said in All Blacks 2024:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Oh, get a grip. So Sotutu is now the finest player not to get selected and everyone else is a journeyman. I find it funny how by attacking another player from a rival team who doesn't even get selected as a No.8 is the main focus of the argument. Just so friggen stupid.
you are talking about EB?
Where would you rank him on his 2024 season against the other 6s and 7s?One of the most effective loose forwards in the comp in a dysfunctional team when playing. Hence pretty much every pundit outside this echo chamber putting his name in the mix.
Being made of glass and a lack of a body of work is a reasonable argument though...LOL, I call BS on this statement.
One of the busiest, sure, but effective, NFW!
He's there because he's the coaches pet and son of a mate and because the fan boys fawn over the few minutes he plays each season.
Should never have walked into the squad let alone starting given how few minutes he's played and how actually ineffective he is when he plays. Busy doesn't mean efffective.
God you're repetitive and full of shit. He didn't walk into the starting side. The starting loosies against England were DP, AS, SF. EB and LJ had their first starts vs Fiji. EB performed, SF had not, and of the options available he earned the starting spot.
I wouldn't have picked him initially due to a lack of playing time, but he has performed well and justified his selection. Stats back that up.
To say he's been selected because he's the son of a mate paints you as quite the fluffybunny.@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
@RoninWC said in All Blacks 2024:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Oh, get a grip. So Sotutu is now the finest player not to get selected and everyone else is a journeyman. I find it funny how by attacking another player from a rival team who doesn't even get selected as a No.8 is the main focus of the argument. Just so friggen stupid.
you are talking about EB?
Where would you rank him on his 2024 season against the other 6s and 7s?One of the most effective loose forwards in the comp in a dysfunctional team when playing. Hence pretty much every pundit outside this echo chamber putting his name in the mix.
Being made of glass and a lack of a body of work is a reasonable argument though...LOL, I call BS on this statement.
One of the busiest, sure, but effective, NFW!
He's there because he's the coaches pet and son of a mate and because the fan boys fawn over the few minutes he plays each season.
Should never have walked into the squad let alone starting given how few minutes he's played and how actually ineffective he is when he plays. Busy doesn't mean efffective.
God you're repetitive and full of shit. He didn't walk into the starting side. The starting loosies against England were DP, AS, SF. EB and LJ had their first starts vs Fiji. EB performed, SF had not, and of the options available he earned the starting spot.
I wouldn't have picked him initially due to a lack of playing time, but he has performed well and justified his selection. Stats back that up.
To say he's been selected because he's the son of a mate paints you as quite the fluffybunny.HAHAHA, look who's talking. It's my opinion, you have yours and I have my own.
And it's as clear AF that he should never have been picked in the first place. He did walk into the side without merit, that much is clear.
And I completely disagree that EB has "performed" as I have put in only 1 single previous post, I do not believe that he is effective. He's busy but effective, far from it in my opinion.
You have yours, but that is not reason to call anyone a fluffybunny, especially from one such as yourself!
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Any injury ravaged player from any other franchise, with no recent form or any body of work in black, would never have made this squad. Given that, the scrutiny on his performances given who he was selected ahead of at 6 is warranted. Yes a number of other players have under performed, but at least they were selected on either recent form or their body of work in black (e.g. Ardie). Blackadder had neither, and given his performances to date, people are rightly asking the question as to why he was preferred over other players in career best form.
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Any injury ravaged player from any other franchise, with no recent form or any body of work in black, would never have made this squad. Given that, the scrutiny on his performances given who he was selected ahead of at 6 is warranted. Yes a number of other players have under performed, but at least they were selected on either recent form or their body of work in black (e.g. Ardie). Blackadder had neither, and given his performances to date, people are rightly asking the question as to why he was preferred over other players in career best form.
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2024:
Any injury ravaged player from any other franchise, with no recent form or any body of work in black, would never have made this squad. Given that, the scrutiny on his performances given who he was selected ahead of at 6 is warranted. Yes a number of other players have under performed, but at least they were selected on either recent form or their body of work in black (e.g. Ardie). Blackadder had neither, and given his performances to date, people are rightly asking the question as to why he was preferred over other players in career best form.
He's played better than Finau (who was given the 2 first starts against England in the A team), and Jacobson, so the selection questions now should be directed at them in my opinion. There are only a couple of posts questioning them being there, and heaps around Blackadder.
As I've said repeatedly, I wouldn't have picked Blackadder initially. In my opinion now, he's been well worth his place. Who hasn't: Aumua, Tu'ungafasi, Jacobson, Finau, TJP, Christie, Jordie, Rieko, Telea, Reece, Jordan, Beauden. Arguably Savea too. Yet Blackadder cops more shit than the rest of them combined? That's just fucken weird. -
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
@RoninWC said in All Blacks 2024:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Oh, get a grip. So Sotutu is now the finest player not to get selected and everyone else is a journeyman. I find it funny how by attacking another player from a rival team who doesn't even get selected as a No.8 is the main focus of the argument. Just so friggen stupid.
you are talking about EB?
Where would you rank him on his 2024 season against the other 6s and 7s?One of the most effective loose forwards in the comp in a dysfunctional team when playing. Hence pretty much every pundit outside this echo chamber putting his name in the mix.
Being made of glass and a lack of a body of work is a reasonable argument though...LOL, I call BS on this statement.
One of the busiest, sure, but effective, NFW!
He's there because he's the coaches pet and son of a mate and because the fan boys fawn over the few minutes he plays each season.
Should never have walked into the squad let alone starting given how few minutes he's played and how actually ineffective he is when he plays. Busy doesn't mean efffective.
God you're repetitive and full of shit. He didn't walk into the starting side. The starting loosies against England were DP, AS, SF. EB and LJ had their first starts vs Fiji. EB performed, SF had not, and of the options available he earned the starting spot.
I wouldn't have picked him initially due to a lack of playing time, but he has performed well and justified his selection. Stats back that up.
To say he's been selected because he's the son of a mate paints you as quite the fluffybunny.HAHAHA, look who's talking. It's my opinion, you have yours and I have my own.
And it's as clear AF that he should never have been picked in the first place. He did walk into the side without merit, that much is clear.
And I completely disagree that EB has "performed" as I have put in only 1 single previous post, I do not believe that he is effective. He's busy but effective, far from it in my opinion.
You have yours, but that is not reason to call anyone a fluffybunny, especially from one such as yourself!
@RoninWC said in All Blacks 2024:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
@RoninWC said in All Blacks 2024:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Oh, get a grip. So Sotutu is now the finest player not to get selected and everyone else is a journeyman. I find it funny how by attacking another player from a rival team who doesn't even get selected as a No.8 is the main focus of the argument. Just so friggen stupid.
you are talking about EB?
Where would you rank him on his 2024 season against the other 6s and 7s?One of the most effective loose forwards in the comp in a dysfunctional team when playing. Hence pretty much every pundit outside this echo chamber putting his name in the mix.
Being made of glass and a lack of a body of work is a reasonable argument though...LOL, I call BS on this statement.
One of the busiest, sure, but effective, NFW!
He's there because he's the coaches pet and son of a mate and because the fan boys fawn over the few minutes he plays each season.
Should never have walked into the squad let alone starting given how few minutes he's played and how actually ineffective he is when he plays. Busy doesn't mean efffective.
God you're repetitive and full of shit. He didn't walk into the starting side. The starting loosies against England were DP, AS, SF. EB and LJ had their first starts vs Fiji. EB performed, SF had not, and of the options available he earned the starting spot.
I wouldn't have picked him initially due to a lack of playing time, but he has performed well and justified his selection. Stats back that up.
To say he's been selected because he's the son of a mate paints you as quite the fluffybunny.HAHAHA, look who's talking. It's my opinion, you have yours and I have my own.
And it's as clear AF that he should never have been picked in the first place. He did walk into the side without merit, that much is clear.
And I completely disagree that EB has "performed" as I have put in only 1 single previous post, I do not believe that he is effective. He's busy but effective, far from it in my opinion.
You have yours, but that is not reason to call anyone a fluffybunny, especially from one such as yourself!
Not true, you've made 4 posts, all basically going 'Blackadder sucks!'. Nice contribution.
He walked into the squad without merit, not into the starting side. He got in there due to others not performing, or do you think Finau played the house down?
I've got no problem with saying he shouldn't have been selected because he hadn't played enough and therefore hasn't shown form/performance better than others, and they should have been selected instead - in fact that was exactly my opinion when he was named.
But saying someone was selected because he's the son of a mate is a fluffybunny of a thing to say. It's just a nasty unproven allegation.
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2024:
Any injury ravaged player from any other franchise, with no recent form or any body of work in black, would never have made this squad. Given that, the scrutiny on his performances given who he was selected ahead of at 6 is warranted. Yes a number of other players have under performed, but at least they were selected on either recent form or their body of work in black (e.g. Ardie). Blackadder had neither, and given his performances to date, people are rightly asking the question as to why he was preferred over other players in career best form.
He's played better than Finau (who was given the 2 first starts against England in the A team), and Jacobson, so the selection questions now should be directed at them in my opinion. There are only a couple of posts questioning them being there, and heaps around Blackadder.
As I've said repeatedly, I wouldn't have picked Blackadder initially. In my opinion now, he's been well worth his place. Who hasn't: Aumua, Tu'ungafasi, Jacobson, Finau, TJP, Christie, Jordie, Rieko, Telea, Reece, Jordan, Beauden. Arguably Savea too. Yet Blackadder cops more shit than the rest of them combined? That's just fucken weird.@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2024:
Any injury ravaged player from any other franchise, with no recent form or any body of work in black, would never have made this squad. Given that, the scrutiny on his performances given who he was selected ahead of at 6 is warranted. Yes a number of other players have under performed, but at least they were selected on either recent form or their body of work in black (e.g. Ardie). Blackadder had neither, and given his performances to date, people are rightly asking the question as to why he was preferred over other players in career best form.
He's played better than Finau (who was given the 2 first starts against England in the A team), and Jacobson, so the selection questions now should be directed at them in my opinion. There are only a couple of posts questioning them being there, and heaps around Blackadder.
As I've said repeatedly, I wouldn't have picked Blackadder initially. In my opinion now, he's been well worth his place. Who hasn't: Aumua, Tu'ungafasi, Jacobson, Finau, TJP, Christie, Jordie, Rieko, Telea, Reece, Jordan, Beauden. Arguably Savea too. Yet Blackadder cops more shit than the rest of them combined? That's just fucken weird.I'll try one more time, not sure if I'm being clear enough.
All of the players you listed were picked on recent form or previous performances in black, their selections have not fucked with the balance of their positions, and there were no real clear or obvious better players to pick. On the flipside, Blackadder was picked on the back of no recent form as he's been injured so much, and no previous stand out performances in black. On top of that, his selection has fucked the balance of the loose forwards as we already have a stack of players like him in other positions, and he's been picked ahead of a player who was in career best form, had just finished dominating the other loosies selected in the squad in the finals of SR, and has had dominant performances in black in the past. Blackadder was then fast tracked into the starting lineup as soon as he was fit.
So given all of that, there is nothing weird about the focus on him. It was a clearly biased selection, and if that selection was to be justified then he'd better play the fucking house down. Against the might of a weakened Fiji team he looked well off the pace, and his subsequent performances have been OK without having any real impact on the game. So his selection has not been justified at all, and a lot of All Black fans (outside of Canterbury) are frustrated by it given our biggest weakness right now is our loosies.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2024:
Any injury ravaged player from any other franchise, with no recent form or any body of work in black, would never have made this squad. Given that, the scrutiny on his performances given who he was selected ahead of at 6 is warranted. Yes a number of other players have under performed, but at least they were selected on either recent form or their body of work in black (e.g. Ardie). Blackadder had neither, and given his performances to date, people are rightly asking the question as to why he was preferred over other players in career best form.
He's played better than Finau (who was given the 2 first starts against England in the A team), and Jacobson, so the selection questions now should be directed at them in my opinion. There are only a couple of posts questioning them being there, and heaps around Blackadder.
As I've said repeatedly, I wouldn't have picked Blackadder initially. In my opinion now, he's been well worth his place. Who hasn't: Aumua, Tu'ungafasi, Jacobson, Finau, TJP, Christie, Jordie, Rieko, Telea, Reece, Jordan, Beauden. Arguably Savea too. Yet Blackadder cops more shit than the rest of them combined? That's just fucken weird.I'll try one more time, not sure if I'm being clear enough.
All of the players you listed were picked on recent form or previous performances in black, their selections have not fucked with the balance of their positions, and there were no real clear or obvious better players to pick. On the flipside, Blackadder was picked on the back of no recent form as he's been injured so much, and no previous stand out performances in black. On top of that, his selection has fucked the balance of the loose forwards as we already have a stack of players like him in other positions, and he's been picked ahead of a player who was in career best form, had just finished dominating the other loosies selected in the squad in the finals of SR, and has had dominant performances in black in the past. Blackadder was then fast tracked into the starting lineup as soon as he was fit.
So given all of that, there is nothing weird about the focus on him. It was a clearly biased selection, and if that selection was to be justified then he'd better play the fucking house down. Against the might of a weakened Fiji team he looked well off the pace, and his subsequent performances have been OK without having any real impact on the game. So his selection has not been justified at all, and a lot of All Black fans (outside of Canterbury) are frustrated by it given our biggest weakness right now is our loosies.
@No-Quarter and like I said, his selection into the squad was not justified on form, but then he earned the starting spot - out of the players in the squad.
It's a different argument, but Akira is going overseas. Personally I wouldn't have picked Sam Cane for that reason, and his body of work in black is a shitload more than Akira.
Hoskins clearly should have been picked over Sititi on form and merit. Why no outcry there? Would there be if he were a crusader? -
@No-Quarter and like I said, his selection into the squad was not justified on form, but then he earned the starting spot - out of the players in the squad.
It's a different argument, but Akira is going overseas. Personally I wouldn't have picked Sam Cane for that reason, and his body of work in black is a shitload more than Akira.
Hoskins clearly should have been picked over Sititi on form and merit. Why no outcry there? Would there be if he were a crusader?@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
Hoskins clearly should have been picked over Sititi on form and merit. Why no outcry there? Would there be if he were a crusader?
What? No outcry, do you just skip hundreds of posts?
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
Hoskins clearly should have been picked over Sititi on form and merit. Why no outcry there? Would there be if he were a crusader?
What? No outcry, do you just skip hundreds of posts?
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2024:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
Hoskins clearly should have been picked over Sititi on form and merit. Why no outcry there? Would there be if he were a crusader?
What? No outcry, do you just skip hundreds of posts?
@sparky in particular was in fine form White Knighting Sotutu ( and A Ioane ) saying amongst other things that opposition teams fear him and he would be a “transformation player” if he qualified for England.
