Field Theory: Quickly on a busy morning
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@Emma,
And I’m guessing that only having one stand, and it faces south, isn’t that appealing at this time of year?*twitches*
The Hadlee stand faces south. The Paul Kelley and the Coloured Girls stand faces east . The new Deans stand will be the Sun-strike stand. The ground will remain, as it always has been, unbearably freezing. That's why the Crusaders' defensive line works so hard: you stop moving, your fingers start to drop off.
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The Australians certainly don't have any sort of domestic comp. I don't care. Why should we sacrifice our competition to stop them snivelling?
Screw them, with a 500ml Heineken even.
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And Australia doesn't have a domestic rugby competition like the Air NZ Cup. There's nothing between club rugby and Super rugby is there?
You're right. Thgey tried to install one then O'Neill got cold feet about the development cost ($5-8m or something, not a small amount of money). Which is why O'Neill wants an enlarges Suoer comp to make up for it. Another reason to say screw em...
The problem with some sort of 'top X teams from the domestic competition going on to some further competition' is that you instantly exclude a heap of your players, and at least half your country from any interest in it.
Further to Stuart's comment, you could introduce a second-tier comp a la the Champ's League/Europa League or Heineken Cup/Parker Pen Shield (or whatever it's called now).
As for contracting, it's probably a fair point, but contracts would probably reflect not qualifying for the International Provincial Comp.
I really think we are at the point where having the NZRU manage so much centrally is starting to hurt us, and that the Unions or Franchises or whatever run the "club" game in future need to be more professionally minded. Tasman contracting players in the NPC to help the Crusaders in the S14 hasn't helped them much, but if they could potentially compete in an IPS on their own terms things might be different.
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Geoff, what's the crowd average for Waikato Stadium this year, do you know?
Sorry, I don't know--I just go for the great hamburgers! But there may be some sad truth in your claims about live audiences, for we starting going to Chiefs games 'round mid-season, when things started picking up and they started playing beautiful rugby (so much easier to stay at home and watch Sky--and avoid that annoying Possum bloke).
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So you're saying that no-one other than Man U and Barcelona fans are going to watch the Champions League final?
No I'm saying that Otago/Wellington/Hawkes Bay people who would typically watch (either at the game or on the TV) their team play, are much less likely to watch Auckland play Melbourne. You've suggested creating a competition in which over half the population are likely to feel shut out of because their team isn't in it. Some will watch anyway, but no where near as many as would watch it if their team was in it.
Also stadia that have to be booked for weeks of games that never happen.
Why do they contract players now, not knowing whether they will make the playoffs or not? Their players that they contracted would miss out on the same amount of rugby as they do now, more or less. And with this approach, maybe they could play some club rugby to help raise the standards there.
The Air NZ Cup playoffs at present are what, 3 weeks? You've tacked an additional 8 weeks onto that (you said home and away games). A team that gets knocked out in the quarterfinals of the air NZ cup would have contracted their players for an additional 10 weeks of rugby that they now don't play.
Club rugby doesn't earn income for the province. How are they going to pay for these contracted players when they're not earning any income? The provinces are struggling financially enough already.
You're right that Oz doesn't have a domestic comp, but it could surely run one involving Queensland, NSW, Western and ACT, and add teams from Victoria and South Australia or perhaps on the central/gold coast under this scheme.
It surely could, but despite their best efforts they haven't been able to get one off the ground for some years.
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Wrong example Kyle, Hawkes Bay would qualify for the elite compe every year
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@Kyle
I guess I'm anticipating a round-robin structure to the NPC part of the competition, with no play-offs until you reach the knock-out stage that involves the other countries.
You're right that club rugby doesn't earn money for the province, but people seem concerned that the grassroots oif the game in NZ, which is the clubs, don't get enough contact with the top players. This might help that happen. And those players, as they would be contracted to the province, could be put to use with, say, coaching in schools.
BTW I have no idea where the Ranfurly Shield fits into this, but maybe it could be run as a secondary competition during my playoff scenario?
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Or, of course, we could return to the way things used to be - every country has their own competition and the only "international" games that are played are test matches......
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Oh! Did someone say HAWKES BAY??? Goodie goodie! Real rugby!
We will be in the final this year, mark my words.
The Mighty Magpies have got -what? - over ten players in the Super 14 this year? It really is telling that so many Hawkes bay players were picked up in the draft.
Peter Russell is the best coach in the Hurricanes franchise. The fact the Colin Cooper, a man who consistantly produces a Super 14 also ran result despite having the biggest name players in the competition, is still the Hurricanes coach speaks volumes for the jobs-for-boys complacency infecting NZ rugby right now.
And the fact that so many Magpies have had to go elsewhere for Super 14 experience should also speak volumes for how the dominance of the Super 14 franchise teams is killing provincial rugby. Wellington fucked over Taranaki a few seasons back by refusing to pick their players unless they became Wellington based, and they are trying it again with Hawkes Bay. A reformed Super 14 where they might actually miss out on making the professional comp would do Wellington good.
But anyway, under Russell and with a HEAP of players with professional experience under their belts the Bay will be very hard to beat this year. Given the Blues atrocious form and the rebuilding of the Crusaders, I would say the Magpies would probably fancy their chances against even Auckland and Canterbury in this years Air NZ Cup.
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(which no-one else will join me in calling Amy)
I will gladly join you in doing so, if for no other reason than pissing off the boof-head brigade :-)
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And they will definitely win the competition for Player with the best name. Israel Dagg. Awesome.
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Interesting post Tom.
Agree with you totally on Russell, rumours are that he’s held responsible of the Clint Newlands incident in Wgtn, and forgiveness is not something that comes easily.
Anyway, what I liked about what you wrote was the emotion. You just don’t see that emotion when people talk about their Shuper 14 team.
Which proves why the NPC must be protected.
@Emma.
I like Amy as a name for it. But I still prefer calling it the DevilBowl. -
<i>Also stadia that have to be booked for weeks of games that never happen.</i>
Happens anyway, no? (Inherent in any elimination tournament.)
<i>. Some will watch anyway, but no where near as many as would watch it if their team was in it.</i>
Many people already don't give a damn.
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The funny thing about the Clint Newlands incident is that everyone in Hawkes Bay agreed it was a shocking and terrible thing to do. But they laughed their heads off anyway. I think the incident has to be entered under "cathartic" and that's about it.
But Colin Cooper is useless. He produces the same results year in and year out. Given the raw material he has to work with he would have been sacked years ago if he was a Gridiron coach.
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Oh and I don't think Peter Russell is being held responsible for anything, I just think the comfortably connected non-performers in the Hurricanes HQ are shit scared they'll lose their nice salaries if a new broom is brought into the franchise.
Better to look after your Wellington mates and not rock the boat and consistantly finish with the title of "best team not to consistantly reach it's potential" than actually get a new coaching regime who might win the competition.
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Tom,
Believe me, some of the Wgtn jobs-for-the-boys brigade do hold him responsible for it. Even Graeme Moody has publicly stated that, and made reference to the fact that such a demonic figure thinks he might one day be Canes coach.
You’re probably right in that they see him as a threat, and an outsider.
And an outsider who condoned the knobbling of one of “our boys” in a match Wgtn lost.
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Cooper must be in his last season, surely? (unless he wins the damn thing)
I think it's a problem with there being limited opportunities to coach the game at a professional level here in NZ. Cooper's only opportunities at his current level and above are other S14 franchises in NZ, the All Blacks, or coaching overseas. If he's not prepared to move, and Henry is coach until the end of 2011. The NZRU wants to keep its coaches in the game here, but they can't offer enough jobs for everyone. Which means Cooper will remain in charge at the Canes until he gets the boot.
(Frankly, I think our top coaches need to ply their trade in a more professional atmosphere overseas, rather than be mollycoddled here in NZ)
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I think the Tialata incident was most unfortunate, the poor fellow didn't deserve for his chin to become the focal point of decades of suppressed anger and frustration at the treatment the NZRU and the big franchise unions have dished out to proud unions like Hawke's Bay.
What the NZRU and the rest of the bloated gravy train that is professional rugby in this country doesn't seem to understand is that for every glamour squad like (to use the NRL as an example) a Sea Eagles or a Storm or a Broncos you need to support and nurture the battler teams like the Sharks, Eels or Raiders so that their supporters can have hope that they will have their day in the sun.
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Gold.
And despite being from said evil uber-province I totally agree.
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Lordy, that was a close one (just back from Waikato Stadium). Saved by Stephen Donald again---despite some very sub-standard adjudication by ref Stu Dickinson.
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Final four decided - Same order as before the weekend. Had been desperately hoping for a 3-try Sharks win, but it wasn't to be.
Hurricanes make the flight back to Hamilton for 2v3, and I'm really hoping we can scrounge a couple of fit props and a halfback.
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Oh, and for once in my life I'm wanting the Crusaders to win. Good luck with that flight though.
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It's not rational, but I don't like it when teams adopt an "official" nickname.
Adopt? Agree.
I've no problem with the Hurricanes, or the Chiefs - it's official, but that's how it's always been. But the Wellington Lions can just bug off.
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<i>Also stadia that have to be booked for weeks of games that never happen.</i>
Happens anyway, no? (Inherent in any elimination tournament.)
Are there any elimination only rugby tournaments anywhere in the world? It might just be that a tournament where your team could get knocked out in the first round doesn't work for rugby. It's not soccer after all.
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