- Nov 15, 2010
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I always thought, at the very least, there could be a one-for-one transfer system between the original three nations.
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I’ve always thought that was a strange rule. Long term open movement is better - sometimes a fringe player needs more opportunity
If you look at world football, the best players tend to stick to playing in the best domestic competitions - even if it’s their own nation by default. And funnily enough the last three European World Cup winners (Germany, Spain and Italy) all had most of their best XI coming from their own domestic leagues.
Yeah, I'm not too keen on that either, considering Wessels and a bunch of Force guys will have to come here and play as our opposition. Having said that, I also have misgivings about the Crusaders game, it would be a shame to see the new Force and their fans, after all they've been through, getting booed at home yet again by the local NZ-expat community.wow forrest wants to play against the rebels s**t move
Yeah, I'm not too keen on that either, considering Wessels and a bunch of Force guys will have to come here and play as our opposition. Having said that, I also have misgivings about the Crusaders game, it would be a shame to see the new Force and their fans, after all they've been through, getting booed at home yet again by the local NZ-expat community.
But hey, I can't just poo-poo everything; sometimes things aren't perfect
Why did they decide to go with Pacific Nations and not Singapore, Philippines, UAE, Indonesia, Korea, Hong Kong (China) and Japan (not Sunwolves)?
Well we are going to play the Hong Kong national side, and like Hong Kong, the Pacific sides were looking for "test matches" to add to their season as they've been out of the loop this year.
I also believe that because we weren't getting a test match this year, they wanted to hit the ground running by bringing recognised rugby nations with name value to Perth, in essence letting us see four "test" teams instead of our allocated none. Also, Hong Kong and those three Pacific Island teams were part of the proposed IPRC plans from it's inception.
Note too, that there is also one "to be confirmed" opponent to round the season off before the NRC starts. Rumour has it, that it may be a Japan Top-League team or a French club. We also may look into a South African team of some sort, one of the provinces or an U-23 or an "A" team. However, there has been talk that this last fixture might be the "surprising opponent" that was touted last year, some have thought it may be the Barbarians, New Zealand Maori or the full Japan national team. One thing I will say, we've never ever seen France play in Perth, so that would be something special indeed if he managed to pull that off.
Well, I did write "test matches" in inverted commasBut none of these matches are "Test Matches" nor are you getting Full Strength sides for all of them (you certainly aren't for the Fiji and Tonga games with their European players not available for selection) and besides giving Fiji and Tonga a look at their home grown depth, Hong Kong and Samoa are still playing in World Cup Qualifiers until June with the prospect of more later in the year. That isn't out of the loop.
wow forrest wants to play against the rebels s**t move
All Blacks coach says weak Australian teams have no place in trans-Tasman rugby competition
Senior New Zealand rugby figures are questioning whether Australia deserves as many teams as it wants in any future competition involving both countries.abc.net.au
Kiwis have suggested 5 x NW, Pacific Island and two AU teams. Pacific won’t be ready for 2021, so reckon we might see an 8 team comp with NSW, Qld & ACT. NZ have asked for AU clubs to apply.
Australia doesn’t have the depth for a 8 team national comp. ARU knows that would create too big a step up between SuperAU and test rugby. Three AU teams would be about right if we want them to be competitive.We should tell them to go and get f’ed
Australia doesn’t have the depth for a 8 team national comp. ARU knows that would create too big a step up between SuperAU and test rugby. Three AU teams would be about right if we want them to be competitive.
Stuff
www.stuff.co.nz
I believe Pasifika would be made up of Samoan, Fijian and Tongan players and based in NZ. NZ are setting the agenda here.So a 4th or/and 3rd Australian team is too crap but a "Pacific Island" team where the game isn't even professional is up to standard? Sounds... odd. Who'd be funding this "Pacific Island" team?
The Fijian players will be playing for Pasifika in NZ.2 teams in a professional comp would kill the sport here.
Concentrate on ourselves. In it the Japanese and Fiji(they play in the NRC) and see how we go.
The Fijian players will be playing for Pasifika in NZ.
ARL is taking about a six or eight team local comp if they knock back NZ. That would be a very poor standard and a mistake.
Oz Rugby was much better with just NSW, Qld & ACT. Better standard. We would be largely uncompetitive with four or five Oz teams v the NZ teams.No more a mistake than 3 clubs in a kiwi comp.
Oz Rugby was much better with just NSW, Qld & ACT. Better standard. We would be largely uncompetitive with four or five Oz teams v the NZ teams.
Look it was a terrible decision axing the Force only made worse by how they turned the clubs on each other. I would assume if the Force comes back the WA locals would returnYeah, I'm not too keen on that either, considering Wessels and a bunch of Force guys will have to come here and play as our opposition. Having said that, I also have misgivings about the Crusaders game, it would be a shame to see the new Force and their fans, after all they've been through, getting booed at home yet again by the local NZ-expat community.
But hey, I can't just poo-poo everything; sometimes things aren't perfect
100% agree with this.Are you talking tests or SR results? From 1996-2005 when it was the Super 12 the Brumbies were champions twice and the other two never. From 2006 to present the Waratahs and Reds have both won it.
There is an argument that there isn't enough talent to go around 4 or 5 teams, but the counter to that is that we now have two new markets producing players. Godwin, Hardwick, Haylett-Petty came through a pathway from school/club rugby in Perth to representing the Force to playing for the Wallabies. Rebels have similar. Also with 5 teams more players get a chance to vie for positions at SR level with (in theory) the best of those progressing to test level. Early days the talent pool was thin because WA then Vic had no players. We took Sharpe, Cannon, Mitchell, Giteau etc from existing SR teams - but they were still there for Wallaby selection.
The bigger problem is player drain overseas. George Gregan played 11 years for the Brumbies from SR inception until he was 34. He then played for Toulon and finished up in Japan. Stephen Larkham did similar and played a couple of years with Ricoh Black Rams. Now guys like Barnes, Pocock, O'Connor, Cummins, Skelton - whoever - all fu** off to Europe in their prime because the money is so good. We even changed the rules so Giteau (and Mitchell, White, A-C came back...) to play for the Wallabies without playing in SR.