All Blacks 2025
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@sparky hearing from a credible source that Simon Parker is right in the mix , they like the fact that he is a very big and tall back row forward who carries extremely well and is a line out option that can moved around the lineout set up ,more importantly would add a strong balance to a shorter back row even he’s rolled out for the first 60 minutes
You don’t realise how big the guy is until your standing beside him ,6’4 and 117 kgsFrom personal point of view it would compliment a coupe of dynamic loose forwards say Ardie at 7 and Wallace at 8 with an out and out 6 just doing the grind.
Can see a DPK coming off the bench for the last 20@Steven-Harris Interesting. I reckon he carries okay, but would rate Finau, Hoskins, Lakai ahead in that department (and Savea and Sititi, though they are better wider out). Does tackle pretty hard which is nice, though he doesn't make heaps.
At least he is a different style of player and a decent lump, which hopefully indicates a realisation that the balance had been wrong last year. -
@Steven-Harris Interesting. I reckon he carries okay, but would rate Finau, Hoskins, Lakai ahead in that department (and Savea and Sititi, though they are better wider out). Does tackle pretty hard which is nice, though he doesn't make heaps.
At least he is a different style of player and a decent lump, which hopefully indicates a realisation that the balance had been wrong last year.@reprobate definitely that balance piece like you say may not be as dynamic as players you mentioned but has the right physique to play international rugby
Interesting that the Chiefs have been rotating Parker and Finau during the season
Coaches choice or a message from another table ? -
@sparky hearing from a credible source that Simon Parker is right in the mix , they like the fact that he is a very big and tall back row forward who carries extremely well and is a line out option that can moved around the lineout set up ,more importantly would add a strong balance to a shorter back row even he’s rolled out for the first 60 minutes
You don’t realise how big the guy is until your standing beside him ,6’4 and 117 kgsFrom personal point of view it would compliment a coupe of dynamic loose forwards say Ardie at 7 and Wallace at 8 with an out and out 6 just doing the grind.
Can see a DPK coming off the bench for the last 20@Steven-Harris Wouldn't be at all surprised. Assuming his internet dimensions are close to correct (and they look to be) he's the same sort of dimensions as Kaino - and these guys don't grow on trees.
AB XV last year, so definitely in the frame.
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Regardless of anything this year with guys like Williams Taylor Lomax Barrett Vaai Savea Sititi Roigard DMac in the frontend we are going to be there, or there abouts.
Last year didn't quite live up to my expectations. Here's hoping 2025 will.
Biggest mistake in 2024 not starting DMac in Paris
Splashed the cash on Scotland v ABs tickets. Chicago is a bit far for the weekend from London.@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks 2025:
Regardless of anything this year with guys like Williams Taylor Lomax Barrett Vaai Savea Sititi Roigard DMac in the frontend we are going to be there, or there abouts.
Last year didn't quite live up to my expectations. Here's hoping 2025 will.
Biggest mistake in 2024 not starting DMac in Paris
Splashed the cash on Scotland v ABs tickets. Chicago is a bit far for the weekend from London.7 hours on a plane isnt bro!?
Great city for a long weekend!!
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@Steven-Harris Wouldn't be at all surprised. Assuming his internet dimensions are close to correct (and they look to be) he's the same sort of dimensions as Kaino - and these guys don't grow on trees.
AB XV last year, so definitely in the frame.
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@Steven-Harris Wouldn't be at all surprised. Assuming his internet dimensions are close to correct (and they look to be) he's the same sort of dimensions as Kaino - and these guys don't grow on trees.
AB XV last year, so definitely in the frame.
Selected behind Oli Haig, Christian Lio-Willie, Hoskins Sotutu, Caleb Delany and Devan Flanders mind you, so he would have made some big strides this year (in part thanks to injuries to others).
I'm still not entirely sold on Parker. A great physical specimen but lacks aggression at times. Would love to see him put in the odd run like an Ollie Norris or Samipeni Finau but I guess you can't have it all.
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@sparky hearing from a credible source that Simon Parker is right in the mix , they like the fact that he is a very big and tall back row forward who carries extremely well and is a line out option that can moved around the lineout set up ,more importantly would add a strong balance to a shorter back row even he’s rolled out for the first 60 minutes
You don’t realise how big the guy is until your standing beside him ,6’4 and 117 kgsFrom personal point of view it would compliment a coupe of dynamic loose forwards say Ardie at 7 and Wallace at 8 with an out and out 6 just doing the grind.
Can see a DPK coming off the bench for the last 20@Steven-Harris Parker is listed at 1.97 m, which is the same height as Scott Barrett. That's about 6'5" in old money.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@Steven-Harris Wouldn't be at all surprised. Assuming his internet dimensions are close to correct (and they look to be) he's the same sort of dimensions as Kaino - and these guys don't grow on trees.
AB XV last year, so definitely in the frame.
Selected behind Oli Haig, Christian Lio-Willie, Hoskins Sotutu, Caleb Delany and Devan Flanders mind you, so he would have made some big strides this year (in part thanks to injuries to others).
I'm still not entirely sold on Parker. A great physical specimen but lacks aggression at times. Would love to see him put in the odd run like an Ollie Norris or Samipeni Finau but I guess you can't have it all.
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm still not entirely sold on Parker. A great physical specimen but lacks aggression at times. Would love to see him put in the odd run like an Ollie Norris or Samipeni Finau but I guess you can't have it all.
Parker has been more aggressive and physical this year but I'd like to see him be more active. Injuries have been a problem until the last few years.
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks 2025:
Regardless of anything this year with guys like Williams Taylor Lomax Barrett Vaai Savea Sititi Roigard DMac in the frontend we are going to be there, or there abouts.
Last year didn't quite live up to my expectations. Here's hoping 2025 will.
Biggest mistake in 2024 not starting DMac in Paris
Splashed the cash on Scotland v ABs tickets. Chicago is a bit far for the weekend from London.The pressure valve will go right up on Robertson this year IMO. I think much of the public gave him a fair bit of leeway last year, but the expectation will be a lot higher this year for the ABs to win the majority of tests they play.
They did exactly that last year with 10 out of 14 games won though.
Losing 4 tests in a year is an average year for the ABs.
The losses weren’t scrutinised as much as they will be this year. The expectation (like it used to be) will be to win every game we play this year and when we lose, the blow torch will be turned up a little more by both the fans and media. This is a good thing IMO because we want to get back to being the best again.
Losing to Argentina for example won’t be tolerated again.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Losing 4 tests in a year is an average year for the ABs.
It's actually quite poor
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Number-10 said in All Blacks 2025:
Confirming Scooter the Skippper
lol imagine dropping Scooter as skipper at his home club. That’s 100% a confirmation though whether we like it or not.
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@nzzp said in Moana Pasifika v Blues:
@KiwiMurph said in Moana Pasifika v Blues:
@booboo said in Moana Pasifika v Blues:
Who on earth has thought that "Ardie is not All Black level" in the last nine years?
Plenty suggested he didn't play that well last year. And they were right.
Definition of a straw man argument
and it drives particular balance requirements in the other two loosies.
The issue was not with Ardie, it was Ardie + Sam Cane left an awful lot for the 6 to do ... you needed peak Kaino to try to balance it up.
Our loose forwards have not been super impressive over the last few years
Yes. Our loosies have been a bit shit, less than the sum of their parts - and it all started with Foster making Cane captain, when Savea was the better 7. That forced Savea from 7 to 8, with both of them undroppable, and left us with no balance.
7 has always been his best position. -
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Number-10 said in All Blacks 2025:
Confirming Scooter the Skippper
lol imagine dropping Scooter as skipper at his home club. That’s 100% a confirmation though whether we like it or not.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Number-10 said in All Blacks 2025:
Confirming Scooter the Skippper
lol imagine dropping Scooter as skipper at his home club. That’s 100% a confirmation though whether we like it or not.
Ardie can be just as indluential as vice captain and there is no freater influence or inspiration than doing great things on the field and getting the team to follow his lead
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks 2025:
Regardless of anything this year with guys like Williams Taylor Lomax Barrett Vaai Savea Sititi Roigard DMac in the frontend we are going to be there, or there abouts.
Last year didn't quite live up to my expectations. Here's hoping 2025 will.
Biggest mistake in 2024 not starting DMac in Paris
Splashed the cash on Scotland v ABs tickets. Chicago is a bit far for the weekend from London.The pressure valve will go right up on Robertson this year IMO. I think much of the public gave him a fair bit of leeway last year, but the expectation will be a lot higher this year for the ABs to win the majority of tests they play.
They did exactly that last year with 10 out of 14 games won though.
Losing 4 tests in a year is an average year for the ABs.
The losses weren’t scrutinised as much as they will be this year. The expectation (like it used to be) will be to win every game we play this year and when we lose, the blow torch will be turned up a little more by both the fans and media. This is a good thing IMO because we want to get back to being the best again.
Losing to Argentina for example won’t be tolerated again.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks 2025:
Regardless of anything this year with guys like Williams Taylor Lomax Barrett Vaai Savea Sititi Roigard DMac in the frontend we are going to be there, or there abouts.
Last year didn't quite live up to my expectations. Here's hoping 2025 will.
Biggest mistake in 2024 not starting DMac in Paris
Splashed the cash on Scotland v ABs tickets. Chicago is a bit far for the weekend from London.The pressure valve will go right up on Robertson this year IMO. I think much of the public gave him a fair bit of leeway last year, but the expectation will be a lot higher this year for the ABs to win the majority of tests they play.
They did exactly that last year with 10 out of 14 games won though.
Losing 4 tests in a year is an average year for the ABs.
The losses weren’t scrutinised as much as they will be this year. The expectation (like it used to be) will be to win every game we play this year and when we lose, the blow torch will be turned up a little more by both the fans and media. This is a good thing IMO because we want to get back to being the best again.
Losing to Argentina for example won’t be tolerated again.
It was less the losses than the number of close wins - could easily have been 6 or 7 losses. He picked conservative, experienced teams and yet the same problems we've seen for years were still there by season end. I saw little that he was he clean broom needed, let alone the messiah some of the loons claimed. But fair enough, he was new to the job.
Hopefully this year he can be a bit more confident and bold - build on some of the talent (some injury-forced) discovered last year, more game-time for the newbies and build on Ryan's work with the forwards
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@sparky hearing from a credible source that Simon Parker is right in the mix , they like the fact that he is a very big and tall back row forward who carries extremely well and is a line out option that can moved around the lineout set up ,more importantly would add a strong balance to a shorter back row even he’s rolled out for the first 60 minutes
You don’t realise how big the guy is until your standing beside him ,6’4 and 117 kgsFrom personal point of view it would compliment a coupe of dynamic loose forwards say Ardie at 7 and Wallace at 8 with an out and out 6 just doing the grind.
Can see a DPK coming off the bench for the last 20@Steven-Harris Interesting. Of the two, I'd go with Finau. But what do I know?
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@Steven-Harris Interesting. Of the two, I'd go with Finau. But what do I know?
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@Steven-Harris Interesting. Of the two, I'd go with Finau. But what do I know?
why not have both
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@Steven-Harris Interesting. Of the two, I'd go with Finau. But what do I know?
why not have both
@ploughboy Wallace Sititi can obviously cover 6 so can Scott Barrett. Two specialist 6s may be seen as a luxury. It really depends on other squad options.
