All Blacks 2025
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Christie because he suits the close game plan, BB because Plummer was leaving and BB signed on until 2027?
To me playing BB over Plummer because one is leaving is not a good excuse. You are trying to win a SR title and need to play the best. And it's not like BB was a young up and comer needing reps
Yep, but we don't know if that was why he was played, isn't that just speculation by a poster?
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2025:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in Wales v All Blacks:
I don't get the Christie hate we get on here, I think he is ok.
That alone disqualifies you from commenting Dan. He's garbage for all the reasons I've been laying out for years.
And that is a damning indictment on the coaches when Ratima is preferred over him. Just once I'd like to see a journalist ask why Fakatava is below them in the picking order.
Ok, so if I don't follow your thoughts, I not supposed to comment huh?
One way of being right on a forum I suppose, either agree with you or you are disqualified from making a comment.If you're going to be contrarian about a player almost everyone else agrees is not up to standard and shouldn't be selected, it behoves you to tell us what we're missing. What core skills of his position he's playing to the requisite standard.
Otherwise we're not the wiser and I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
I just of the opinion that Christie is not as bad as many make out. I thought he a step up from Ratima , in speed of distribution etc, and could see difference today, I don't think he ever fist choice if I picking the team, but nor would I discount him completely, and do say after seeing the ABXV lay I would probably have Fakatava ahead of him , now, but wouldn't of earlier in year.
And who is almost everyone else, a few here don't like him, which is their right, but doesn't mean I can't say I not that much against him.
Oh just out of interest , are the almost everyone else his coaches at super level and test among the almost everyone?I'm not the only person who can't understand why Funaki isn't the Blues #1 halfback. And given the discontent surrounding the current All Black squad, it seems few have any regard for Hansen's ability to select either.
I get that he's a known quantity, experienced, and some might extend themselves to say he's a safe pair of hands, but in a contest you're trying to win rather than not lose, he's a liability.
It puzzles me as to why Cotter preferred Christie and BB over Funaki and Plummer. Are we just not seeing something, or was Cotter slurping the cool aid, and he got lucky when injuries struck and he won with Plummer at the helm the year before? Of course I realise BB was in Japan
Christie because he suits the close game plan, BB because Plummer was leaving and BB signed on until 2027?
To me playing BB over Plummer because one is leaving is not a good excuse. You are trying to win a SR title and need to play the best. And it's not like BB was a young up and comer needing reps
Yep, but we don't know if that was why he was played, isn't that just speculation by a poster?
It's all speculation. If you want facts you've come to the wrong place
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
Over to you Mr Kirk.
Do what needs to be done, or are you a waste of a salary too?
What do you expect Kirk to do?
To boldly go.....?
Seriously, ask the right questions and find out what the actual problems are - not what we think they are.
Let's not repeat the mistake of blaming it all on the coach - not that I'm defending the useless twat.
I agree with what you say, but genuinely he's not the NZR board, he's just the chairman. It's up to board to ask questions through the CEO. Remember what happened in Aus when the chairman thout he ran the whole game?
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.
Just about the perfect guy for this situation.I mean, selecting a culturist as your HC FFS.
The height of arrogance; doubt any of our opposition are going to be following that trend any time soon.
Wouldn't get rid of Robertson yet, unfortunately his basic win/loss isn't bad enough. The nature of the losses are so bad tho!
Let him start next season, and put a contingency plan in place; in case things go very, very badly.Get a new CEO, and tell him his first job will be to clean out the HP dept.
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
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Realistically they're not getting rid of Razor, so what should we be aiming for?
A clean out of assistants?
Which ones? All?
Razor actually taking over the coaching if the oil is correct that he's more a manager?
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
I'll find him.
And protect him from the Cantabs.
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Realistically they're not getting rid of Razor, so what should we be aiming for?
A clean out of assistants?
Which ones? All?
Razor actually taking over the coaching if the oil is correct that he's more a manager?
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
I'll find him.
And protect him from the Cantabs.
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
Realistically they're not getting rid of Razor, so what should we be aiming for?
A clean out of assistants?
Which ones? All?
Razor actually taking over the coaching if the oil is correct that he's more a manager?
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
I'll find him.
And protect him from the Cantabs.
If Hansen is actually the HC then his head should roll. D has been so bad, so Ellison should be bye bye. Ryan might be saved, but hopefully they have a robust debrief
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Well Ryan had our forwards improved under Foster, last year, but this year they have gone backwards, with largely the same core....this year has seen plenty of reputations take a hit, something not quite right in dodge.
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
OK, I'll go off on my rant.
I do not understand how professional players can spend years as full time pros and not develop their kicking and passing skills.
It's literally what you are paid to do. Twenty minutes a day, every day would over time lift the skills. I do not see the players putting in the effort and coaches don't seem to expect it. In a skill based game like rugby it should be a fundamental as the gym -but it appears to just get ignored
It would cut into the instagram time too much
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
OK, I'll go off on my rant.
I do not understand how professional players can spend years as full time pros and not develop their kicking and passing skills.
It's literally what you are paid to do. Twenty minutes a day, every day would over time lift the skills. I do not see the players putting in the effort and coaches don't seem to expect it. In a skill based game like rugby it should be a fundamental as the gym -but it appears to just get ignored
It would cut into the instagram time too much
Speaking of, how good was Ardie and Sevu's little toktok dance at the end of the game or whatever it was lolz......!
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
OK, I'll go off on my rant.
I do not understand how professional players can spend years as full time pros and not develop their kicking and passing skills.
It's literally what you are paid to do. Twenty minutes a day, every day would over time lift the skills. I do not see the players putting in the effort and coaches don't seem to expect it. In a skill based game like rugby it should be a fundamental as the gym -but it appears to just get ignored
It would cut into the instagram time too much
Speaking of, how good was Ardie and Sevu's little toktok dance at the end of the game or whatever it was lolz......!
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
OK, I'll go off on my rant.
I do not understand how professional players can spend years as full time pros and not develop their kicking and passing skills.
It's literally what you are paid to do. Twenty minutes a day, every day would over time lift the skills. I do not see the players putting in the effort and coaches don't seem to expect it. In a skill based game like rugby it should be a fundamental as the gym -but it appears to just get ignored
It would cut into the instagram time too much
Speaking of, how good was Ardie and Sevu's little toktok dance at the end of the game or whatever it was lolz......!
Too much uce
( Hopefully Reeces farewell dance )
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
OK, I'll go off on my rant.
I do not understand how professional players can spend years as full time pros and not develop their kicking and passing skills.
It's literally what you are paid to do. Twenty minutes a day, every day would over time lift the skills. I do not see the players putting in the effort and coaches don't seem to expect it. In a skill based game like rugby it should be a fundamental as the gym -but it appears to just get ignored
It would cut into the instagram time too much
Speaking of, how good was Ardie and Sevu's little toktok dance at the end of the game or whatever it was lolz......!
Too much uce
( Hopefully Reeces farewell dance )
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
His kicking game is a weakness, and there is nothing to suggest that he is getting sufficient coaching to turn it into being acceptable at international level.
OK, I'll go off on my rant.
I do not understand how professional players can spend years as full time pros and not develop their kicking and passing skills.
It's literally what you are paid to do. Twenty minutes a day, every day would over time lift the skills. I do not see the players putting in the effort and coaches don't seem to expect it. In a skill based game like rugby it should be a fundamental as the gym -but it appears to just get ignored
It would cut into the instagram time too much
Speaking of, how good was Ardie and Sevu's little toktok dance at the end of the game or whatever it was lolz......!
Too much uce
( Hopefully Reeces farewell dance )
Haaard ma g!
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.
Just about the perfect guy for this situation.I mean, selecting a culturist as your HC FFS.
The height of arrogance; doubt any of our opposition are going to be following that trend any time soon.
Wouldn't get rid of Robertson yet, unfortunately his basic win/loss isn't bad enough. The nature of the losses are so bad tho!
Let him start next season, and put a contingency plan in place; in case things go very, very badly.Get a new CEO, and tell him his first job will be to clean out the HP dept.
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.
Just about the perfect guy for this situation.I mean, selecting a culturist as your HC FFS.
The height of arrogance; doubt any of our opposition are going to be following that trend any time soon.
Wouldn't get rid of Robertson yet, unfortunately his basic win/loss isn't bad enough. The nature of the losses are so bad tho!
Let him start next season, and put a contingency plan in place; in case things go very, very badly.Get a new CEO, and tell him his first job will be to clean out the HP dept.
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
I would think the best way to move forward is to leave much of what is in place in place but make a priority to absolutely nail the appointment of a new coach in 2028 and other long term reforms. I'm thinking in terms of the accountability and review pieces so that coaches can't get away with what Razor has in 2024 and 25 - no new cap at 10, that is but one example of his poor stewardship.
I'm not saying give up on fixing things for the ABs in 2026 and 27 but to me that is the tip of the iceberg and it's parts of the iceberg that are not visible that need the attention.
If you over focus on the ABs and live and die with every result you are gonna be reactive and cleaning up messes rather than creating a long term vision that will ensure success past the current RWC cycle.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.
Just about the perfect guy for this situation.I mean, selecting a culturist as your HC FFS.
The height of arrogance; doubt any of our opposition are going to be following that trend any time soon.
Wouldn't get rid of Robertson yet, unfortunately his basic win/loss isn't bad enough. The nature of the losses are so bad tho!
Let him start next season, and put a contingency plan in place; in case things go very, very badly.Get a new CEO, and tell him his first job will be to clean out the HP dept.
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
This post is deleted! -
Mark Robinson standing behind a wheelie bin as he presents the WR breakthrough trophy to Fabian Holland seems like an apt metaphor for his time as CEO.
@Smudge said in All Blacks 2025:
Mark Robinson standing behind a wheelie bin as he presents the WR breakthrough trophy to Fabian Holland seems like an apt metaphor for his time as CEO.
Hopefully the players are about to pick the outgoing CEO and place him in that same wheelie bin. Good riddance.
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Robertson, Hansen and Ryan are contracted to 2027. Ellison, like Holland, only until the end of this year. No surprises who may be easier to move aside.
@Bovidae assuming none of them have clauses and kpis re winning kpis, nzr clearly learnt nothing in the past 6 years.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.
Just about the perfect guy for this situation.I mean, selecting a culturist as your HC FFS.
The height of arrogance; doubt any of our opposition are going to be following that trend any time soon.
Wouldn't get rid of Robertson yet, unfortunately his basic win/loss isn't bad enough. The nature of the losses are so bad tho!
Let him start next season, and put a contingency plan in place; in case things go very, very badly.Get a new CEO, and tell him his first job will be to clean out the HP dept.
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.Yeah - this current environment reminds me too much of around the late-90s period when Kevin Roberts from Saatchi and Saatchi seemed to have a big hand in how things were run and the All Blacks seemed to get treated as a money-spinning brand - rather than a rugby team - with much corporate wankery.
There are some commercial imperatives, but the top of that tree is we need to win - and win well. Suspect we need someone - hopefully Kirk - who can put the Silverlake moneymen back in their box!
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@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.Yeah - this current environment reminds me too much of around the late-90s period when Kevin Roberts from Saatchi and Saatchi seemed to have a big hand in how things were run and the All Blacks seemed to get treated as a money-spinning brand - rather than a rugby team - with much corporate wankery.
There are some commercial imperatives, but the top of that tree is we need to win - and win well. Suspect we need someone - hopefully Kirk - who can put the Silverlake moneymen back in their box!
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
Kevin Roberts from Saatchi and Saatchi
Hands up if you remember him describing the All Blacks as not just a trademark, but a "love-mark".
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One thing has become crystal clear in the last few days to me......
Razor was a massive beneficiary of being involved in a perennially successful club environment in Canterbury and the Crusaders. His coaching bona fides were inflated because of that.
If he had coached outside of Christchurch where he had had to build something from scratch or had had no cattle or tradition to work with I can only assume that his flaws would have come to the fore earlier.
The key takeaway on this for the NZR has to the that the recruitment process for an All Black head coach has to be extensive and thorough and they should be looking for a candidate with proven success in a variety of different environments. Being wildly successful in Christchurch is obviously still an achievement but replicating that elsewhere or at least showing the ability to achieve something outside of that domain would have proven Razors qualities.
@nonpartizan said in All Blacks 2025:
If he had coached outside of Christchurch where he had had to build something from scratch or had had no cattle or tradition to work with I can only assume that his flaws would have come to the fore earlier.
According to the Robertson fluffers on here, his ability to coach success out of broken teams could be clearly seen by his huge success with the Hamner 3rds or something.
The key takeaway on this for the NZR has to the that the recruitment process for an All Black head coach has to be extensive and thorough and they should be looking for a candidate with proven success in a variety of different environments.
It's deeper that that, I think. The first question to be asked is why so many good NZ coaches are seemingly disinterested in working for NZR
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@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.Yeah - this current environment reminds me too much of around the late-90s period when Kevin Roberts from Saatchi and Saatchi seemed to have a big hand in how things were run and the All Blacks seemed to get treated as a money-spinning brand - rather than a rugby team - with much corporate wankery.
There are some commercial imperatives, but the top of that tree is we need to win - and win well. Suspect we need someone - hopefully Kirk - who can put the Silverlake moneymen back in their box!
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
Kirk is probably in the driving seat right now. Not saying he'll take decisions on his own, but he's in a position to ask the right questions (starting to already) and seems smart enough to cut thru the snake oil and ensure he and the new CEO get the right answers
Kirk knows how to operate a board room.
And he knows rugby.
It's about setting a new direction; getting rid of the corporate type complacency that had quite naturally developed after a long period of sustained success.Yeah - this current environment reminds me too much of around the late-90s period when Kevin Roberts from Saatchi and Saatchi seemed to have a big hand in how things were run and the All Blacks seemed to get treated as a money-spinning brand - rather than a rugby team - with much corporate wankery.
There are some commercial imperatives, but the top of that tree is we need to win - and win well. Suspect we need someone - hopefully Kirk - who can put the Silverlake moneymen back in their box!
Kirk is super smart, and tough enough to survive in the financial world. He knows rugby but living in Sydney he's removed enough not to be another company man. I don't know how much of a hand he had in picking the board, but hopefully they will enable him to do what needs to be done
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@nonpartizan said in All Blacks 2025:
One thing has become crystal clear in the last few days to me......
Razor was a massive beneficiary of being involved in a perennially successful club environment in Canterbury and the Crusaders. His coaching bona fides were inflated because of that.
If he had coached outside of Christchurch where he had had to build something from scratch or had had no cattle or tradition to work with I can only assume that his flaws would have come to the fore earlier.
The key takeaway on this for the NZR has to the that the recruitment process for an All Black head coach has to be extensive and thorough and they should be looking for a candidate with proven success in a variety of different environments. Being wildly successful in Christchurch is obviously still an achievement but replicating that elsewhere or at least showing the ability to achieve something outside of that domain would have proven Razors qualities.
That's essentially the argument put forward about 3 years ago by those with doubts about Razor's experience, which was shouted down - by many on here - as anti-Cantab bias.
It would be fun to look back at some of the posts from 2023 - 2024 talking about how he would turn things around straight away.
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2025:
It would be fun to look back at some of the posts from 2023 - 2024 talking about how he would turn things around straight away
There was that loon who wrote long, gushing posts on how unique and wonderful Robertson was, wasn't there? Wanted Foster replaced before the knock-out stages of RWC2023 IIRC.
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Realistically they're not getting rid of Razor, so what should we be aiming for?
A clean out of assistants?
Which ones? All?
Razor actually taking over the coaching if the oil is correct that he's more a manager?
Living in Sydney might actually be an advantage if some people are guna get pissed-off.
I'll find him.
And protect him from the Cantabs.
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
Realistically they're not getting rid of Razor, so what should we be aiming for?
A clean out of assistants?
Which ones? All?
Razor actually taking over the coaching if the oil is correct that he's more a manager?
Clarify Coaching Team roles would be a good start - if Robertson's the Manager, name him and treat him as such
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Robertson, Hansen and Ryan are contracted to 2027. Ellison, like Holland, only until the end of this year. No surprises who may be easier to move aside.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
Robertson, Hansen and Ryan are contracted to 2027. Ellison, like Holland, only until the end of this year. No surprises who may be easier to move aside.
We don't need easy. We need right.
