All Blacks 2026
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The thinking around Casey should be part of the evolution of how we view players. As a hybrid player, he is probably best suited to the no20 jersey.
May start in Super. His future in international footy can be split across the 7/8 role as an 25/30 minute impact player.
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Lucas Casey looks like an openside to me. If he wants to play for the All Blacks, he’d be better off focusing his efforts there - if the Highlanders allow it. He’s not especially tall and carrying too much extra weight could blunt his key strengths.
@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:
Lucas Casey looks like an openside to me. If he wants to play for the All Blacks, he’d be better off focusing his efforts there - if the Highlanders allow it. He’s not especially tall and carrying too much extra weight could blunt his key strengths.
If we are to believe online stats he is already bigger than Kwagga Smith.
And I'd have Smith in my team. -
Lucas Casey looks like an openside to me. If he wants to play for the All Blacks, he’d be better off focusing his efforts there - if the Highlanders allow it. He’s not especially tall and carrying too much extra weight could blunt his key strengths.
@ShaquilleOatmeal and thats the problem, we have far too many hybrid players already and the ABs suffer from it, we need specialists.
I know some players always say I'll play where they want me too, but often I think this is doing them a disservice long term.
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@ShaquilleOatmeal and thats the problem, we have far too many hybrid players already and the ABs suffer from it, we need specialists.
I know some players always say I'll play where they want me too, but often I think this is doing them a disservice long term.
@taniwharugby thats my thought, too many that can play any loosie poisiton, or 10/15 or whatever...but also not enough that could cover both 12 and 13....just doesnt feel right
let lock down some real starting specialists plus depth and leave the hybrid players as the exception
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Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
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Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
@nostrildamus Whether that changed when he took over, I am not sure, but they did do that by running at Pocock, forcing him to make tackles and thus largely nullifying his turnover work
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Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
thats probably fair, first thing first. stop selecting a squad and deciding a game plan independent of each other, if we only have limited players we feel and handle the step up to international games then we need to tailor a game plan to their strengths.....if we feel there are only limited game plans that will dominate other nations then we may have to accept slightly "lesser" players....if theyre still "best" to implement them
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
thats probably fair, first thing first. stop selecting a squad and deciding a game plan independent of each other, if we only have limited players we feel and handle the step up to international games then we need to tailor a game plan to their strengths.....if we feel there are only limited game plans that will dominate other nations then we may have to accept slightly "lesser" players....if theyre still "best" to implement them
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
thats probably fair, first thing first. stop selecting a squad and deciding a game plan independent of each other, if we only have limited players we feel and handle the step up to international games then we need to tailor a game plan to their strengths.....if we feel there are only limited game plans that will dominate other nations then we may have to accept slightly "lesser" players....if theyre still "best" to implement them
Exactly this, we played at times like a very limited team that kept trying to limit itself.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
Rather than just hybrid versus specialist I keep feeling we don't play our players to their strengths and (apart from the tight five) let the opposition dictate play too much. I'm not really a fan of the Steve Hansen approach of only looking at one's own team and not consider how to manipulate the opposition (although maybe he wasn't serious).
thats probably fair, first thing first. stop selecting a squad and deciding a game plan independent of each other, if we only have limited players we feel and handle the step up to international games then we need to tailor a game plan to their strengths.....if we feel there are only limited game plans that will dominate other nations then we may have to accept slightly "lesser" players....if theyre still "best" to implement them
Exactly this, we played at times like a very limited team that kept trying to limit itself.
@nostrildamus the biggest and most ridiculous example of this, and it from fozzies time but there are lesser examples more recently, but when we swung george bridge in to the left wing after Clarke had been there and maybe picked up a niggle....and we still played the ball to that wing and tried to use all 95kg of Bridge as a blind side wing crash ball...and we tried it like 3 times so was definitely planned...just felt there had been no thought given to how the plan would have to change wit different players
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@nostrildamus the biggest and most ridiculous example of this, and it from fozzies time but there are lesser examples more recently, but when we swung george bridge in to the left wing after Clarke had been there and maybe picked up a niggle....and we still played the ball to that wing and tried to use all 95kg of Bridge as a blind side wing crash ball...and we tried it like 3 times so was definitely planned...just felt there had been no thought given to how the plan would have to change wit different players
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus the biggest and most ridiculous example of this, and it from fozzies time but there are lesser examples more recently, but when we swung george bridge in to the left wing after Clarke had been there and maybe picked up a niggle....and we still played the ball to that wing and tried to use all 95kg of Bridge as a blind side wing crash ball...and we tried it like 3 times so was definitely planned...just felt there had been no thought given to how the plan would have to change wit different players
This is one of my hatiest things. Chiefs used Taumoefalau on a blind wing crash ball on the weekend!
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@taniwharugby thats my thought, too many that can play any loosie poisiton, or 10/15 or whatever...but also not enough that could cover both 12 and 13....just doesnt feel right
let lock down some real starting specialists plus depth and leave the hybrid players as the exception
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@taniwharugby thats my thought, too many that can play any loosie poisiton, or 10/15 or whatever...but also not enough that could cover both 12 and 13....just doesnt feel right
let lock down some real starting specialists plus depth and leave the hybrid players as the exception
If they just choose the strongest player for each starting spot, chances are some of them will be capable in other positions too. Hunting for David Havili-type players solely for their versatility is just silly.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@taniwharugby thats my thought, too many that can play any loosie poisiton, or 10/15 or whatever...but also not enough that could cover both 12 and 13....just doesnt feel right
let lock down some real starting specialists plus depth and leave the hybrid players as the exception
If they just choose the strongest player for each starting spot, chances are some of them will be capable in other positions too. Hunting for David Havili-type players solely for their versatility is just silly.
@ShaquilleOatmeal yes...but....."the strongest" needs to be evaluated against how they want to play rather than like fantasy rugby rating or something....and it might mean we start the "second best" player in a position if a particular attribute is key to the gameplan or the combination with other players brings another strength
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@nostrildamus the biggest and most ridiculous example of this, and it from fozzies time but there are lesser examples more recently, but when we swung george bridge in to the left wing after Clarke had been there and maybe picked up a niggle....and we still played the ball to that wing and tried to use all 95kg of Bridge as a blind side wing crash ball...and we tried it like 3 times so was definitely planned...just felt there had been no thought given to how the plan would have to change wit different players
@Kiwiwomble yeah it seems in recent years (back to c 2018) we have a game plan, but have either used the wrong players or havent had the players to execute it.
Like your example, we selected Goodhue asking him to play like Laumape.
Similarly our back-row for the past 4 or 5 years just hasnt been set up for the way we have tried to play.
The team selection and game plan needs to be more in sync.
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@Kiwiwomble yeah it seems in recent years (back to c 2018) we have a game plan, but have either used the wrong players or havent had the players to execute it.
Like your example, we selected Goodhue asking him to play like Laumape.
Similarly our back-row for the past 4 or 5 years just hasnt been set up for the way we have tried to play.
The team selection and game plan needs to be more in sync.
@taniwharugby yeah, even selecting someone like christie at 9 and BB at 10 when we're trying to get the ball wide...too slow....and we end up resorting to kick passes and stuff
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@ShaquilleOatmeal yes...but....."the strongest" needs to be evaluated against how they want to play rather than like fantasy rugby rating or something....and it might mean we start the "second best" player in a position if a particular attribute is key to the gameplan or the combination with other players brings another strength
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@ShaquilleOatmeal yes...but....."the strongest" needs to be evaluated against how they want to play rather than like fantasy rugby rating or something....and it might mean we start the "second best" player in a position if a particular attribute is key to the gameplan or the combination with other players brings another strength
I agree, although I'd add that sometimes the game plan they want to play might not be possible with the players available to them, whether they're the first, second or third best. The game plan comes first, for sure, but it might need to be adjusted.
I'm not sre there's been much of a game plan at all recently.
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@Kiwiwomble yeah it seems in recent years (back to c 2018) we have a game plan, but have either used the wrong players or havent had the players to execute it.
Like your example, we selected Goodhue asking him to play like Laumape.
Similarly our back-row for the past 4 or 5 years just hasnt been set up for the way we have tried to play.
The team selection and game plan needs to be more in sync.
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2026:
@Kiwiwomble yeah it seems in recent years (back to c 2018) we have a game plan, but have either used the wrong players or havent had the players to execute it.
Like your example, we selected Goodhue asking him to play like Laumape.
Similarly our back-row for the past 4 or 5 years just hasnt been set up for the way we have tried to play.
The team selection and game plan needs to be more in sync.
Doesn't help when the game plan isn't a particularly good one either...
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@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky It’s disappointing he didn’t stick around through 2027 to see how things unfold.
Points towards a breakdown in his relationship with NZR, not just with Razor
@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky It’s disappointing he didn’t stick around through 2027 to see how things unfold.
Points towards a breakdown in his relationship with NZR, not just with Razor
I bet this was on before he knew Razor was going.
Points to someone not willing to fight to earn his spot to me. -
@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky It’s disappointing he didn’t stick around through 2027 to see how things unfold.
Points towards a breakdown in his relationship with NZR, not just with Razor
I bet this was on before he knew Razor was going.
Points to someone not willing to fight to earn his spot to me.@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2026:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky It’s disappointing he didn’t stick around through 2027 to see how things unfold.
Points towards a breakdown in his relationship with NZR, not just with Razor
I bet this was on before he knew Razor was going.
Points to someone not willing to fight to earn his spot to me.Not about fight. Putting his actions together with the rumours, Dalton is turning his back on NZR because he feels like he was not supported
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky It’s disappointing he didn’t stick around through 2027 to see how things unfold.
Points towards a breakdown in his relationship with NZR, not just with Razor
I bet this was on before he knew Razor was going.
Points to someone not willing to fight to earn his spot to me.@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2026:
I bet this was on before he knew Razor was going.
Points to someone not willing to fight to earn his spot to me.Points to someone choosing family first to me.
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Just my read on it. They will go for a big blindside in the mould of Finau (rather than a Sititi), an above average sized openside in the mould of Withy or Lakai (rather than a Kirifi or an Ardie) and a genuine ball-player at 8 which will be either Ardie or Sititi in the first instance.
