All Blacks 2026
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@No-Quarter i think how Ardie plays, he will unbalance most trios he is part of at international level.
Phenomenal athlete, huge ticker, has been an awesome player for us over the years, but for me, we need him to play a different game, or as many have said for several years, we need to have a 6 and 7 (or 8 depending where you start him) that compliment him, whether he is still good enough to dictate that we pick 2 loosies to suit his game, who knows.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:
@No-Quarter i think how Ardie plays, he will unbalance most trios he is part of at international level.
Phenomenal athlete, huge ticker, has been an awesome player for us over the years, but for me, we need him to play a different game, or as many have said for several years, we need to have a 6 and 7 (or 8 depending where you start him) that compliment him, whether he is still good enough to dictate that we pick 2 loosies to suit his game, who knows.
Yeah, this is where I sit. He does amazing things. But, he very much does not do some things.
If you set him in stone (it doesn't matter which position), that sets the requirements for the other two loosies - and if we don't have 2 players who can between them do all of those tasks at a world class level, the group will never work. -
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:
huge ticker
As determined by all the work he's doing? Or the hard shoulder he puts on people?
It's no secret I've never been his biggest fan, but I have given credit when it's been due. For me unless you have a Cane type player in the loose trio you can't afford to have Ardie starting.
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@taniwharugby couldn't agree more. In my mind the most balanceed trio we could have would be Scooter at Six. Papalii or Jacobson at Seven, Ardie at Eight with Sititi on the Bench. But would be interested in your thoughts.
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Scooter? Fuck lol. Slow as a wet week.
He was too slow in 2019 FFS
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:
huge ticker
As determined by all the work he's doing? Or the hard shoulder he puts on people?
It's no secret I've never been his biggest fan, but I have given credit when it's been due. For me unless you have a Cane type player in the loose trio you can't afford to have Ardie starting.
Agreed. Sam Cane was an absolute warrior. I don't go with much of the Ardie criticism, but a warrior he ain't. Probbly best off the bench with the current set-up.
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@antipodean his work rate and energy with the work he did (super this year and most of his international career prior to this year) ticker probably not the right way to define him.
He is hugely talented, but certainly not getting the best use out of him, especially with who we put alongside him
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The Herald understands feedback from players and staff presents a deeply concerning picture of the All Blacks environment, with multiple sources pointing to widespread internal frustrations.
Two assistant coaches, Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland, voluntarily departing in the last two years sparked red-flag concerns with how the All Blacks are being run. But the fresh, stinging feedback from within – with communication, trust, strategy and selection all believed to have been raised – cannot be ignored.
All teams have unhappy players with selection, but concerns with the All Blacks environment are believed to spread well beyond individuals alone.
Support from senior players proved powerful in Ian Foster retaining his position as All Blacks head coach in 2022 – as the players approached then NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson in his Johannesburg hotel room to strongly voice their views.
This time around, the opposite could be true.
At this stage, NZ Rugby is likely to allow Robertson further time to deliver significant improvements but if the players aren’t satisfied with the initial post-season All Blacks review findings and solutions – which could range from changes in coaching personnel to roles and responsibilities – they may request a second review is conducted.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2026:
The Herald understands feedback from players and staff presents a deeply concerning picture of the All Blacks environment, with multiple sources pointing to widespread internal frustrations.
Two assistant coaches, Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland, voluntarily departing in the last two years sparked red-flag concerns with how the All Blacks are being run. But the fresh, stinging feedback from within – with communication, trust, strategy and selection all believed to have been raised – cannot be ignored.
All teams have unhappy players with selection, but concerns with the All Blacks environment are believed to spread well beyond individuals alone.
Support from senior players proved powerful in Ian Foster retaining his position as All Blacks head coach in 2022 – as the players approached then NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson in his Johannesburg hotel room to strongly voice their views.
This time around, the opposite could be true.
At this stage, NZ Rugby is likely to allow Robertson further time to deliver significant improvements but if the players aren’t satisfied with the initial post-season All Blacks review findings and solutions – which could range from changes in coaching personnel to roles and responsibilities – they may request a second review is conducted.
Sounds like the players aren't holding back, which is good. But if they allow him further time to improve I guess the NZRU aren't that interested in RWC27....
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@canefan well is a decent core of those that came out in support of Fozzie, is good if they are being open and honest about it now too, especially when there has been alot of talk, particularly about the senior under-performing players being all about self preservation.
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@tubbyj said in All Blacks 2026:
But senior players not being up to it is half the problem with selection. If they are just complaining that their spots maybe under jeopardy next season then that is going to be worse for the team.
I don't think the senior players such as Ardie and BB have much to complain about because they got picked for every match that they were fit to play in!
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2026:
But the fresh, stinging feedback from within – with communication, trust, strategy and selection all believed to have been raised – cannot be ignored.
If true, that's a damning indictment of Scott Robertson - or any head coach. Sounds like he has lost the dressing room. Schmidt in a Director of Rugby role supervising things would be good but would Coach Jesus accept that or would he walk?
What a fucking mess.
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@tubbyj said in All Blacks 2026:
If they are just complaining that their spots maybe under jeopardy next season then that is going to be worse for the team
If they simply wanted to keep their spots, they wouldn't be complaining about poor communications and trust issues though. The last thing they would do would be to rock the boat and get in Robertson's and Head Coach Hansen's bad books.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:
@No-Quarter i think how Ardie plays, he will unbalance most trios he is part of at international level.
Phenomenal athlete, huge ticker, has been an awesome player for us over the years, but for me, we need him to play a different game, or as many have said for several years, we need to have a 6 and 7 (or 8 depending where you start him) that compliment him, whether he is still good enough to dictate that we pick 2 loosies to suit his game, who knows.
Yeah, this is where I sit. He does amazing things. But, he very much does not do some things.
If you set him in stone (it doesn't matter which position), that sets the requirements for the other two loosies - and if we don't have 2 players who can between them do all of those tasks at a world class level, the group will never work.Great harmonies too as seen on tiktok
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@tubbyj said in All Blacks 2026:
If they are just complaining that their spots maybe under jeopardy next season then that is going to be worse for the team
If they simply wanted to keep their spots, they wouldn't be complaining about poor communications and trust issues though. The last thing they would do would be to rock the boat and get in Robertson's and Head Coach Hansen's bad books.
I can't see how this improves trust unless they bin the coaches
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@Jet said in All Blacks 2026:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2026:
that's fucking hilarious. who voted for that? Facebook?
Fuck me dead.
I owe later day Sam Cane an apology too, because he was way more visible on the field than the current iteration of Ardie, who it seems, is way more visible off the field between matches.
Cane and McCaw put way more into that 7 shirt than what im seeing from our "Mana-facturer".
Yes agreed, i was against him playing last year but he proved me wrong and he brought an hard nosed AB attitude to his game and the team. I have heard that he was a leader that always asked the hard questions, challenged players made them accountable. We need some of that leadership now because we seem very un all black like in mental fortitude.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@tubbyj said in All Blacks 2026:
If they are just complaining that their spots maybe under jeopardy next season then that is going to be worse for the team
If they simply wanted to keep their spots, they wouldn't be complaining about poor communications and trust issues though. The last thing they would do would be to rock the boat and get in Robertson's and Head Coach Hansen's bad books.
I can't see how this improves trust unless they bin the coaches
Exactly. Senior players talking about trust issues with the coach would be terminal for their selection prospects
