The Silver Fern

Forbes Top 50 MVSFs 2025

Saints and Bengals didn’t make it.

NFL 30
NBA 12
MLB 2
F1 2
LL 2
PL 2

The team values are enterprise values (equity plus net debt) and include the economics of each team’s stadium but not the value of the stadium real estate itself.
Similarly, the values include rights fees from regional sports networks owned by the team but not the value of the RSNs themselves; equity stakes in other sports-related assets and mixed-use real estate projects are also excluded.

After a new casting deal, NBA values have almost doubled in the last three years.

@Jet

I'm not so engaged at the on-field level; mainly from the way the game presents as a spectacle at test match level.
Seldom/never watch a game right thru on a screen these days.

But far more engaged in what is happening off-field.
Fascinating to see in the next few seasons if NZ can maintain their position at the top of the elite part of the game.
Was just rolling along for years, maybe decades; but starting to get a lot more difficult now.
Which makes it extra interesting to me.

@His-Bobness

I think he's safe for now; partly for PR reasons.
Imagine the media storm that would be created; sacked after he went 10 and three this season.
The non-astute GP wont see anything else.
That's a negative image for NZR; the PR dept cant have that.

I think a contingency plan will be put in place.
If things go badly next season, I think he could go at anytime.
Especially if the media turn on him. Then his sacking could be deemed as a positive move . . .

As for the CEO; i'd say all candidates will be quizzed big-time about their thoughts on the HC/elite program situation.
And that's where Kirk will come in; the new CEO's thoughts on that, would be lining up with his own.

What NZR future may look like: Brazil national soccer team 2025

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2026:

I'd definitely take Uruguay over Brazil, they're ranked 14th in the world. Brazil are 34th. It's like they don't even play Rugby.

Haha
The 2 x World champs Uruguay, currently ranked 16th.
Which is actually pretty good for them; have been down as far as 76th.
And the 5th ranked 5 x WC winners Brazil; still up with the heavy weights; which is us now; and where we wanna stay.

And the Brazil dom league is actually a very competitive league; more interesting in a competitive sense than the big west Euro soccer leagues.
Once went to a Fla-Flu match at the Maracana, long ago, in another life-time.

As a non-sporting aside; the NZ economy does look a bit like a south american economy.
The main dif being, NZ keeps a tighter lid on vested interests (corruption).
So maybe comparing NZ rugby with south american soccer is not totally out of place.

@gt12 said in All Blacks 2026:

becoming Brazil-like

We are Brazil-like now.
Hundreds of our players play abroad (thousands for Brazil).
The Brazil domestic leagues are still great tho; just like ours.
Just not top bracket.

The only difference is NZ can retain at least some star players because of the international rugby set up.
The concern is we become Uruguay-like.

@Tim

Jeez, i'd like to be hearing some of the chattering inside NZR at the mo.
Wonder whose idea this was; Anthony? Lendrum? Kirk?; definitely not the CEO.
Or maybe it was Robinson's final piece of advice while walking out the door.
"Stay away from this one guys, get someone else to do it."

Tricker probably the right man for the job, so long as he is not already cosy with the likes of Lendrum/Anthony.

@giorgi1997 said in All Blacks 2026:

and whether NPC/Super Rugby are still doing the job they used to.

Well. Lam pretty much lining up with my thoughts, and this thread really.
It's kinda starting to become obvious to all the astute.

As for NPC and SR, i've pretty much written them off as top level competitions.
I still like them, but they are not top class, and probably never will be going forward.
They are just for AB talent spotting now.
The preparation for Test rugby can not be done in those comps.
Instead of sending veteran ABs overseas on sabbatical/loan deals; maybe they should be sending the development players.

The NZ rugby public are a little bit aware.
They realise that the star players are not playing in the NPC.
Taking the star players out of any sporting comp, is going to fuck it real quick.
NZR dont hesitate to take star players out of SR as well.

And it's not just the star players either.
A while ago I counted about 500 NZ origin players; in pro leagues around the world.
Add to that nearly 200 NZ born players in the NRL.
In the past (amateurs) all those players were in NZ, pressing for places in provincial teams.
So you can see why you'd get crowds of tens of thousands at big inter-provincial games.
The GP can be stupid, but they can recognise an inferior product sometimes.

@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2026:

We have to accept the opposition has improved seems to be a common one now ,

The opposition have improved, but they have also "figured us out" as well.
It took them over decade to do that tho.
During that run I always maintained that it was the way we played that the other teams couldn't cope with.
Sure, we had good players, but it was the style of play that had them fucked.
Most of the time we probably had them beat before they were even on the field.
Not like that now; the way we are going at the mo; the serious teams will not be intimidated in the slightest.
Licking their lips!

The inability of Hansen/Foster/Robertson to change the old formula and come up with a counter is the problem now.

@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2026:

The ridiculous love for Ardie is unreal.

Haha
The 21st century interweb "slurp up"!
Have to be careful tho; it can turn to a nasty "pile-on" real quick.

@reprobate

I dont think being an international HC is an important requirement for being the AB HC.
But when the next AB HC is appointed; having experience with an overseas coaching system, should be an essential part of the resume.

@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:

he shouldn't have been considered for the HC job unless that's exactly what Robinson expected of him

They knew exactly what they were getting; and I wouldn't particularly point at Robinson, there were others involved.
(Not the Board; they leave the rugby decisions to the "experts;" their focus is commercial, of course.)

Interesting to look at the opposition; SA hasn't gone the cultural/whisperer route; their HC is actually a bit of a DH; great results tho.
Not saying we have to go the DH HC direction; somewhere in between would be about right, and has been in the past.

Looking forward, I'd say the pool of NZ coaches with OE is going to get smaller.
Being the rugby bench-mark meant the demand was high for everything NZ rugby; with less success, that demand will start to drop-off.
Which does bring up the spector of a non-enzeder in the role.

@nostrildamus said in Exodus:

No. But Thomas Woodward changed his name to Tom Jones.
There have been quite a few famous Thomas Woodwards.

If he changed his name to Tom Jones; i'd say the very famous "lad" of the 18th century would have been the inspiration.

@African-Monkey

I wasn't really paying attention at the time.
100% knew we needed a change in direction.
Robertson seemed the logical choice, next cab off the rank.
But if I had known then, that he was a huggy f'n "culture" coach, i'd have said no f'n way.
Had some faith that the people who were making the appointment knew what they were doin.
Seems like they were making an f'ing marketing move!
Those guys should be f'd off.
Not impressed by any of the black team coaches rn.

@gt12

At the elite level NZR would have a few things in common with an NBA franchise.
But an NBA franchise doesn't have to overly concern itself with the rest of the sport, which NZR does.
The NCAA and the state federations take care of all that.
So in that respect it is a lot different.
Both big businesses tho.

As for WR, fuuuck.
I think the amateur legacy has a lot to do with it.
They were the last sport to adopt professionalism.
Some of the crazy attitudes and positions held by the amateur establishment would make a religious fundamentalist proud.
But . . . I can remember when the NBA was nothing special, and making losses.
I'd say the Bird/Johnson era in the 80's changed everything for the NBA, changed the way the game was actually played, and changed all the finances.
Since then everything has been "up and to the right."
So . . . there is hope for rugby.

@canefan
A few of that guys compadres need to go as well.

@handa457 said in All Blacks 2026:

can you elaborate on the Papalii turning down a Black Jersey story? First I'm hearing of it.

The rumour is that Papalii was asked to train with the AB squad, while with the ABXV squad in England at the end of the year . . . and said no thanks, I'm staying with the ABXV squad.

@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:

It's also not a candidate's job to present themselves as 'might not be as good as my record shows', it's up to the people doing the hiring to figure that out.

The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
So . . . the people that hired him need to be looked at.

@KiwiMurph

Yeah, all adds up.
And this sort of vibe type thing can start feeding on itself.

Read an article last week by journo (not a Kiwi) who actually wrote that Scott Hansen had been "moved on."
Thought, news to me!
Had a look around; and decided it was just a "freudian slip," so didn't mention it until now.
But, it sums up the present vibe, when people start making that sort of slip.

Originally thought Robertson would be retained for sure; maybe still, but I definitely think there will be changes now.

@canefan said in NZR CEO Mark Robinson Resigns:

The NBA is though

You'd be comparing the NBA to WR.
WR would have to be the most underperforming sport, in a commercial sense, on the planet!
Plenty, plenty, of scope for commercial growth.
NBA are kind of maxed out, in marketing terms.