All Blacks 2025
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What a terrible precedent for a very average player. I wouldn't even have wanted a mercenary deal like this for Carter, and Ritchie is no Dan Carter.
@Kirwan said in All Blacks 2025:
What a terrible precedent for a very average player. I wouldn't even have wanted a mercenary deal like this for Carter, and Ritchie is no Dan Carter.
The disparity between the headlines Mounga generates and his playing ability is quite immense
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Don't love what this signing signals to other 10s but don't think it's a bad thing that Mo'unga is returning. If he comes back and he's the best 10 option then he should be selected - no different to any other player coming back.
The issue lies with Robertson, especially if he selects Mo'unga when he's not performed.
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
We did something similar with Sonny Bill Williams which turned out alright, even if the circus around him was nauseating at times.
We did it again with Roger Tuisava-Sheck who never really seemed at home in Rugby.
SBW was a crazy athlete - if he got the positioning and skills he was going to succeed in some format.
Was he really ? Great beach muscles but was he noticably faster, fitter, stronger than others ?
Ma’a Nonu blasted through tackles better than he did, J Savea, R Ioane etc were quicker.
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
We did something similar with Sonny Bill Williams which turned out alright, even if the circus around him was nauseating at times.
We did it again with Roger Tuisava-Sheck who never really seemed at home in Rugby.
SBW was a crazy athlete - if he got the positioning and skills he was going to succeed in some format.
Was he really ? Great beach muscles but was he noticably faster, fitter, stronger than others ?
Ma’a Nonu blasted through tackles better than he did, J Savea, R Ioane etc were quicker.
If you want to compare him to our greatest 12, a wing who had a peak as high as any in world rugby and the best athlete in the team, then go for it. It may not make the point you are trying to make though.
He was a pretty remarkable dude, carried a big frame with him and some serious muscle.
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Don't love what this signing signals to other 10s but don't think it's a bad thing that Mo'unga is returning. If he comes back and he's the best 10 option then he should be selected - no different to any other player coming back.
The issue lies with Robertson, especially if he selects Mo'unga when he's not performed.
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
Don't love what this signing signals to other 10s but don't think it's a bad thing that Mo'unga is returning. If he comes back and he's the best 10 option then he should be selected - no different to any other player coming back.
The issue lies with Robertson, especially if he selects Mo'unga when he's not performed.
Well yes if he performs and proves he is a better option than BB or D Mac there shouldn’t be a problem,considering BB will be 36 at WC time he maybe well past it, he is not far off that now.
2 more years maybe we will need another experienced option.
The problem is D Mac will be 33 come 2028.
Barrett 37 RM 34.
We will need some serious new blood in 2028
Probably at least 2 new caps blooded at the same time. -
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
Don't love what this signing signals to other 10s but don't think it's a bad thing that Mo'unga is returning. If he comes back and he's the best 10 option then he should be selected - no different to any other player coming back.
The issue lies with Robertson, especially if he selects Mo'unga when he's not performed.
Well yes if he performs and proves he is a better option than BB or D Mac there shouldn’t be a problem,considering BB will be 36 at WC time he maybe well past it, he is not far off that now.
2 more years maybe we will need another experienced option.
The problem is D Mac will be 33 come 2028.
Barrett 37 RM 34.
We will need some serious new blood in 2028
Probably at least 2 new caps blooded at the same time.@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
Don't love what this signing signals to other 10s but don't think it's a bad thing that Mo'unga is returning. If he comes back and he's the best 10 option then he should be selected - no different to any other player coming back.
The issue lies with Robertson, especially if he selects Mo'unga when he's not performed.
Well yes if he performs and proves he is a better option than BB or D Mac there shouldn’t be a problem,considering BB will be 36 at WC time he maybe well past it, he is not far off that now.
2 more years maybe we will need another experienced option.
The problem is D Mac will be 33 come 2028.
Barrett 37 RM 34.
We will need some serious new blood in 2028
Probably at least 2 new caps blooded at the same time.Love and Reihana would appear to be two candidates that come to mind right now
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I'm going on record with the rest of the underwhelmed.
Not fussed. He's no Dan Carter, nor for that matter Mehrts or Spencer. Fuck, he's not even fucking Aaron Cruden.
Am not UNHAPPY to see him back, but I'm not doing backflips over a 30-something semi-decent 1st 5/8 who is rather indistinguishable from those currently available and hasn't played Tests for 3 years. Will he be better than the guys we have? Maybe, maybe not.
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Now Razor can behave like a giddy ex-girlfriend, persist with an ageing BB, and pin all his hopes on RM, instead of searching and developing the next young AB 10
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
Now Razor can behave like a giddy ex-girlfriend, persist with an ageing BB, and pin all his hopes on RM, instead of searching and developing the next young AB 10
No Love? Lost?
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I'm going on record with the rest of the underwhelmed.
Not fussed. He's no Dan Carter, nor for that matter Mehrts or Spencer. Fuck, he's not even fucking Aaron Cruden.
Am not UNHAPPY to see him back, but I'm not doing backflips over a 30-something semi-decent 1st 5/8 who is rather indistinguishable from those currently available and hasn't played Tests for 3 years. Will he be better than the guys we have? Maybe, maybe not.
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So Richie Mo'unga is set to play NPC Rugby in 2026, but what about if he is out injured for either the 2026 EOYT or/and the 2027 Rugby Championship?
Because of the money involved in getting him back from Japan and his close relationship with the Head Coach, we are committing to selecting for the 2027 RWC a semi-decent player who may have only three or four tests at most to reconnect to the squad and the way Test Rugby has developed in this World Cup cycle.
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
We did something similar with Sonny Bill Williams which turned out alright, even if the circus around him was nauseating at times.
We did it again with Roger Tuisava-Sheck who never really seemed at home in Rugby.
SBW was a crazy athlete - if he got the positioning and skills he was going to succeed in some format.
Was he really ? Great beach muscles but was he noticably faster, fitter, stronger than others ?
Ma’a Nonu blasted through tackles better than he did, J Savea, R Ioane etc were quicker.
If you want to compare him to our greatest 12, a wing who had a peak as high as any in world rugby and the best athlete in the team, then go for it. It may not make the point you are trying to make though.
He was a pretty remarkable dude, carried a big frame with him and some serious muscle.
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
We did something similar with Sonny Bill Williams which turned out alright, even if the circus around him was nauseating at times.
We did it again with Roger Tuisava-Sheck who never really seemed at home in Rugby.
SBW was a crazy athlete - if he got the positioning and skills he was going to succeed in some format.
Was he really ? Great beach muscles but was he noticably faster, fitter, stronger than others ?
Ma’a Nonu blasted through tackles better than he did, J Savea, R Ioane etc were quicker.
> If you want to compare him to our greatest 12, a wing who had a peak as high as any in world rugby and the best athlete in the team, then go for it. It may not make the point you are trying to make though.
He was a pretty remarkable dude, carried a big frame with him and some serious muscle.
I just did exactly that.
…..another I’d throw in is Jonah who at his peak would be as quick and considerably more powerful than anyone who ever played Rugby and who threw some pretty amazing offloads if he didn’t manage to trample or go round defenders.
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Sopoaga is only a couple months older than BB, he's gotta come into the equation too.
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Sopoaga is only a couple months older than BB, he's gotta come into the equation too.
I aint no SBW myself but Lima looked fairly barrel chested when I seen him last week (admittedly making a line break and scoring match winning try).
At least Beaudy looks the part
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
We need to work on the next bunch of players, the Love Generation.
Love might be our Stephen Larkham, a guy who started his SR career at 15, and turned into quite a serviceable 10 for ACT and Straya..... (Not saying he will be as good as Bernie, but there is a potential parallel there)
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Sopoaga is only a couple months older than BB, he's gotta come into the equation too.
I aint no SBW myself but Lima looked fairly barrel chested when I seen him last week (admittedly making a line break and scoring match winning try).
At least Beaudy looks the part
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Sopoaga is only a couple months older than BB, he's gotta come into the equation too.
I aint no SBW myself but Lima looked fairly barrel chested when I seen him last week (admittedly making a line break and scoring match winning try).
At least Beaudy looks the part
Pot belly!
