All Blacks 2025
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Watching the springboks, think they're buying into their own hype and pleasing to see our discipline improve while theirs declines - ABs sans Barretts might even go a game without a card.
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
Watching the springboks, think they're buying into their own hype and pleasing to see our discipline improve while theirs declines - ABs sans Barretts might even go a game without a card.
You reckon our discipline has improved, or have we just not been put under consistent pressure yet?
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I'd love to know when the following players are expected to be available again.
Lomax
Williams
Parker
Tangitau
Sititi -
Parker and Tangitau weren't in that list of players not considered due to injury.
Tangitau needs a lot of work on his defence.
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Parker and Tangitau weren't in that list of players not considered due to injury.
Tangitau needs a lot of work on his defence.
Both Parker and Tangitau are being managed by AB medical staff and are very much on the radar according to an accurate source on here.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
Watching the springboks, think they're buying into their own hype and pleasing to see our discipline improve while theirs declines - ABs sans Barretts might even go a game without a card.
You reckon our discipline has improved, or have we just not been put under consistent pressure yet?
@voodoo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
Watching the springboks, think they're buying into their own hype and pleasing to see our discipline improve while theirs declines - ABs sans Barretts might even go a game without a card.
You reckon our discipline has improved, or have we just not been put under consistent pressure yet?
It was funny last night as the ref really favored us at breakdown. I feel like with other refs it could have been a different story (not saying the ref was wrong, but we did get the rub of the green there).
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Parker and Tangitau weren't in that list of players not considered due to injury.
Tangitau needs a lot of work on his defence.
Both Parker and Tangitau are being managed by AB medical staff and are very much on the radar according to an accurate source on here.
@Frank said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Parker and Tangitau weren't in that list of players not considered due to injury.
Tangitau needs a lot of work on his defence.
Both Parker and Tangitau are being managed by AB medical staff and are very much on the radar according to an accurate source on here.
Being on the radar and actually being selected are two different things.
I like both these players and think Parker is more ready of the two but I suspect they will need to both play some NPC to come under consideration again and it probably won't be until eoyt.
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Parker and Tangitau weren't in that list of players not considered due to injury.
Tangitau needs a lot of work on his defence.
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Parker and Tangitau weren't in that list of players not considered due to injury.
Tangitau needs a lot of work on his defence.
They don't tend to list uncapped players as being unavailable due to injury.
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Vaa'i has been excellent at 6 I hope we keep him there adds some size and power to the Loose Forwards.
Holland seems to be getting better our forward pack is coming together.
Finau a waste of space we need to look elsewhere for a back up 6.
Time to move Buedean Barrett on he will be a weak point against the stronger teams. -
Vaa'i has been excellent at 6 I hope we keep him there adds some size and power to the Loose Forwards.
Holland seems to be getting better our forward pack is coming together.
Finau a waste of space we need to look elsewhere for a back up 6.
Time to move Buedean Barrett on he will be a weak point against the stronger teams.@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
Vaa'i has been excellent at 6 I hope we keep him there adds some size and power to the Loose Forwards.
Holland seems to be getting better our forward pack is coming together.
Finau a waste of space we need to look elsewhere for a back up 6.
Time to move Buedean Barrett on he will be a weak point against the stronger teams.Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
Tupou Vai'i took a whole RWC cycle of development before he began to show who his true ability.
Back in the days when we dominated u20 we used to be able just bring in the next guy but we no longer have that kind of luxury of talent riches.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
Vaa'i has been excellent at 6 I hope we keep him there adds some size and power to the Loose Forwards.
Holland seems to be getting better our forward pack is coming together.
Finau a waste of space we need to look elsewhere for a back up 6.
Time to move Buedean Barrett on he will be a weak point against the stronger teams.Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
Tupou Vai'i took a whole RWC cycle of development before he began to show who his true ability.
Back in the days when we dominated u20 we used to be able just bring in the next guy but we no longer have that kind of luxury of talent riches.
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
His ruck cleaning is very effective. Apart from Vaa'i he's better than every other loose forward in yesterday's 23 at that facet.
He's also a far better lineout option apart from everyone but Vaai.
The only reason why any of Squire, Fifita, Hemopo, Luatua and Ioane didn't become a long term option is because none of them got peservered with like Vaa'i and Frizell did.
Those players were all just as talented but didn't get 4+ years of development like Frizell and Vaa'i.
Finau and Parker are the only guys with the same kind of size and talent at the moment. They both have speed and strength. They both need to be around the squad.
There's too many little guys in there at the moment.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
His ruck cleaning is very effective. Apart from Vaa'i he's better than every other loose forward in yesterday's 23 at that facet.
He's also a far better lineout option apart from everyone but Vaai.
The only reason why any of Squire, Fifita, Hemopo, Luatua and Ioane didn't become a long term option is because none of them got peservered with like Vaa'i and Frizell did.
Those players were all just as talented but didn't get 4+ years of development like Frizell and Vaa'i.
Finau and Parker are the only guys with the same kind of size and talent at the moment. They both have speed and strength. They both need to be around the squad.
There's too many little guys in there at the moment.
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
His ruck cleaning is very effective. Apart from Vaa'i he's better than every other loose forward in yesterday's 23 at that facet.
He's also a far better lineout option apart from everyone but Vaai.
The only reason why any of Squire, Fifita, Hemopo, Luatua and Ioane didn't become a long term option is because none of them got peservered with like Vaa'i and Frizell did.
Those players were all just as talented but didn't get 4+ years of development like Frizell and Vaa'i.
Finau and Parker are the only guys with the same kind of size and talent at the moment. They both have speed and strength. They both need to be around the squad.
There's too many little guys in there at the moment.
If that is all we have Finau as a back up we are in trouble, hopefully Parker can show something when he is back from injury.
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
This is a massive gamble which Joey is taking, if he is not an instant success, I would imagine he hits the exit button and returns to the Roosters. Both codes have changed a lot since SBW and Brad Thorn. There won't be a great deal of media attention on him in France, I don't think he is giving himself enough time.
Joey Manu? I don't think he's in anyone's thoughts.
Joey who ?
Exactly, he’s no SBW, Thorn or even Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
Joey Manu? I don't think he's in anyone's thoughts.
Joey who ?
Exactly, he’s no SBW, Thorn or even Roger Tuivasa-SheckYou mean, they know which position he is best suited for in union from the get-go?!!
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
And you replace him with ... ?
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
And you replace him with ... ?
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
And you replace him with ... ?
Parker when fit
Dalton Papali'i Try him at 6 he has the size
Ah Kuoi he is big enough
Howden looks promising
All have more grunt imo. -
I'm more confident now with the ABs than anytime in the last 5 years
Anyone else agree.@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm more confident now with the ABs than anytime in the last 5 years
Anyone else agree.Yeah but it’s a low bar. I had no confidence that they would improve at all under Foster.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
And you replace him with ... ?
Parker when fit
Dalton Papali'i Try him at 6 he has the size
Ah Kuoi he is big enough
Howden looks promising
All have more grunt imo.@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Agree with all of this except Finau. Finau should be persevered with. He's been no where near as bad as you make out, he's still young, and he's the best loose forward athlete in NZ under 30.
He is too passive for me unless he is hitting First fives,I think he has been given enough chances.
And you replace him with ... ?
Parker when fit
Dalton Papali'i Try him at 6 he has the size
Ah Kuoi he is big enough
Howden looks promising
All have more grunt imo.On the subject of Dalton, I've gone on record to say if he wants to press his claims for the ABs next season, he should switch to 6 for the Blues. He's a bit slow to be a great 7 but he's a strong guy and could rededicate himself to doing all the physical work from the blindside
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I'm more confident now with the ABs than anytime in the last 5 years
Anyone else agree.@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks 2025:
I'm more confident now with the ABs than anytime in the last 5 years
Anyone else agree.No. I'm less confident about beating South Africa. Against France A its much the same. Ireland aren't quite the same as they were with Jonny Sexton.
The Pumas with Albernoz seem good for a win now and then
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
Watching the springboks, think they're buying into their own hype and pleasing to see our discipline improve while theirs declines - ABs sans Barretts might even go a game without a card.
You reckon our discipline has improved, or have we just not been put under consistent pressure yet?
@voodoo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
Watching the springboks, think they're buying into their own hype and pleasing to see our discipline improve while theirs declines - ABs sans Barretts might even go a game without a card.
You reckon our discipline has improved, or have we just not been put under consistent pressure yet?
Isn't that a bit like saying you're not saving money, you just haven't had something to spend it on?
