All Blacks 2026
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@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
@handa457 said in All Blacks 2026:
can you elaborate on the Papalii turning down a Black Jersey story? First I'm hearing of it.
The rumour is that Papalii was asked to train with the AB squad, while with the ABXV squad in England at the end of the year . . . and said no thanks, I'm staying with the ABXV squad.
Also worth noting that this came from the most accurate rumour poster on TSF and then was backed up another very accurate poster
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@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
A marketing man's dream?
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@Duluth said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
@handa457 said in All Blacks 2026:
can you elaborate on the Papalii turning down a Black Jersey story? First I'm hearing of it.
The rumour is that Papalii was asked to train with the AB squad, while with the ABXV squad in England at the end of the year . . . and said no thanks, I'm staying with the ABXV squad.
Also worth noting that this came from the most accurate rumour poster on TSF and then was backed up another very accurate poster
Neither of whom have any reason to stir up shit, neither are partizans.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
A marketing man's dream?
The problem I have with this argument is that he's absolutely not. He's barely coherent in an interview.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
A marketing man's dream?
The problem I have with this argument is that he's absolutely not. He's barely coherent in an interview.
Does bloody great PowerPoint presentations though, apparently.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
A marketing man's dream?
The problem I have with this argument is that he's absolutely not. He's barely coherent in an interview.
Does bloody great PowerPoint presentations though, apparently.
So did Hammett apparently....

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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
A marketing man's dream?
The problem I have with this argument is that he's absolutely not. He's barely coherent in an interview.
Does bloody great PowerPoint presentations though, apparently.
It's pretty obvious why he'd be picked: absolutely excellent Super rugby coaching results. I don't think it is valid to say that marketing had become more important than results to NZR and that's why he got the job - he had the bloody results, that was literally the strongest argument in his favour.
It's the powerpoint presentations which should have countered that - and that's on the people doing the hiring. Every time he opens his mouth seems like a red flag to me.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
A marketing man's dream?
The problem I have with this argument is that he's absolutely not. He's barely coherent in an interview.
Does bloody great PowerPoint presentations though, apparently.
It's pretty obvious why he'd be picked: absolutely excellent Super rugby coaching results. I don't think it is valid to say that marketing had become more important than results to NZR and that's why he got the job - he had the bloody results, that was literally the strongest argument in his favour.
It's the powerpoint presentations which should have countered that - and that's on the people doing the hiring. Every time he opens his mouth seems like a red flag to me.
Nah. The people who hired him wanted someone who looked like a winner at international level - plus he was fresh and "different". They knew he was untested at international level but that was an inconvenience to be ignored.
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@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
@handa457 said in All Blacks 2026:
can you elaborate on the Papalii turning down a Black Jersey story? First I'm hearing of it.
The rumour is that Papalii was asked to train with the AB squad, while with the ABXV squad in England at the end of the year . . . and said no thanks, I'm staying with the ABXV squad.
Dalton Papalii has a bloody good book in the making.....or at least a nice long stuff article.
Judging by how unbalanced the loosies have been this year his "snubbing" makes Akira Ioane and Hoskins Sotutu look like sensible omissions.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
A marketing man's dream?
The problem I have with this argument is that he's absolutely not. He's barely coherent in an interview.
Does bloody great PowerPoint presentations though, apparently.
It's pretty obvious why he'd be picked: absolutely excellent Super rugby coaching results. I don't think it is valid to say that marketing had become more important than results to NZR and that's why he got the job - he had the bloody results, that was literally the strongest argument in his favour.
It's the powerpoint presentations which should have countered that - and that's on the people doing the hiring. Every time he opens his mouth seems like a red flag to me.
Nah. The people who hired him wanted someone who looked like a winner at international level - plus he was fresh and "different". They knew he was untested at international level but that was an inconvenience to be ignored.
There simply are not going to be candidates who are tested and a proven success at tier one international level on any sort of regular basis.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
A marketing man's dream?
The problem I have with this argument is that he's absolutely not. He's barely coherent in an interview.
Does bloody great PowerPoint presentations though, apparently.
It's pretty obvious why he'd be picked: absolutely excellent Super rugby coaching results. I don't think it is valid to say that marketing had become more important than results to NZR and that's why he got the job - he had the bloody results, that was literally the strongest argument in his favour.
It's the powerpoint presentations which should have countered that - and that's on the people doing the hiring. Every time he opens his mouth seems like a red flag to me.
Nah. The people who hired him wanted someone who looked like a winner at international level - plus he was fresh and "different". They knew he was untested at international level but that was an inconvenience to be ignored.
I also think there was an element of trying to keep the fans onside and being worried about the public reaction if they didn’t install him as coach and let him coach another international team .
He was the popular choice by a long way by the masses and everyone was very vocal about it ,
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
The thing is, I think the people that hired him knew exactly what they were getting.
A marketing man's dream?
The problem I have with this argument is that he's absolutely not. He's barely coherent in an interview.
Does bloody great PowerPoint presentations though, apparently.
It's pretty obvious why he'd be picked: absolutely excellent Super rugby coaching results. I don't think it is valid to say that marketing had become more important than results to NZR and that's why he got the job - he had the bloody results, that was literally the strongest argument in his favour.
It's the powerpoint presentations which should have countered that - and that's on the people doing the hiring. Every time he opens his mouth seems like a red flag to me.
Nah. The people who hired him wanted someone who looked like a winner at international level - plus he was fresh and "different". They knew he was untested at international level but that was an inconvenience to be ignored.
I also think there was an element of trying to keep the fans onside and being worried about the public reaction if they didn’t install him as coach and let him coach another international team .
He was the popular choice by a long way by the masses and everyone was very vocal about it ,
Definitely this. There's a reason why you don't listen to the public.
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I wasn't really paying attention at the time.
100% knew we needed a change in direction.
Robertson seemed the logical choice, next cab off the rank.
But if I had known then, that he was a huggy f'n "culture" coach, i'd have said no f'n way.
Had some faith that the people who were making the appointment knew what they were doin.
Seems like they were making an f'ing marketing move!
Those guys should be f'd off.
Not impressed by any of the black team coaches rn. -
@Victor-Meldrew
Maybe it's more nuanced - there is an issue - they understand that and perhaps a go again with a diff staff gives them more longevity. -
But you couldn't have imagined Foster (assuming he did it all) doing this 2 yeara in to his reign?
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@reprobate
Soz - my belated point.