A full strength NPC?
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@KiwiMurph he's on the up, but Lentjes' body of work is far superior over a much longer period. He was close to making an AB squad a few years back but somehow missed out to Dillon Hunt FFS. And he's a Bedean.
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Just had this info passed on to me
Thoughts..?NZ Rugby looking at modelling that would see Heartland & Mitre 10 abandoned but ALL club grades (kids through to Presidents) re-started mid / late Sept through to early Dec. Heartland unions have agreed in principle but much debate from Mitre 10 unions. Selected club games to be televised LIVE. ABs to play for clubs before northern hemisphere tour. Early days but there could still be a club season. All contingencies being considered by NZ Rugby.
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@Steven-Harris bad idea imo, having our top players sprinkled about rather than moderately concentrated for better competition and practise as they would be with Mitre 10. Big step from club to international, slightly less from a super rugby and Abs player laden M10
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@Stargazer said in A full strength NPC?:
@Nepia Hmmm, a prop better than Hintz? Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe and Patrick Teddy are obviously in our academy, but I'm not sure they're ready. I was hoping for them to have a good club rugby season this year, so they could compete with Hintz for a spot, but now that the club season will be shorter, I'm not so sure. I seriously hope that they didn't sign Namatahi Waa for 2020, because he just isn't good enough.
I'm not sure Bucky will make himself available and is still good enough to justify blocking the pathway of one of the younger players. Maybe instead of Fomai on the bench?
Waa played for the Magpies WTG team v Auckland on Feb 29.
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@Steven-Harris Would the non-SR M10 players be paid to play club rugby?
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@Steven-Harris Sounds like a bad idea. Financially, that's terrible for the provincial unions; no income from tickets sold; and they'd have to pay back the season memberships or transfer them to 2021. I assume, they wouldn't have to pay players if they don't play, but they'd also lose sponsor money.
Also, I agree with @Machpants, it doesn't sound like a good preparation for the ABs for their Northern tour. Too big a gap between club rugby and test rugby.
I'd rather have a shortened club season (at least at the top level from which M10 players are selected), followed by a shortened NPC (scratch the cross-over games?). At that top level club rugby, they could maybe play another round of club rugby without the NPC players (which may require some clubs to combine, because they'd lose too many players).
By the way, if I didn't misunderstand what was said or suggested in the interview with Mark Robinson on the Breakdown, last Tuesday, they have already scratched the Jock Hobbs U19 Tournament.
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@Stargazer said in A full strength NPC?:
@Steven-Harris Sounds like a bad idea. Financially, that's terrible for the provincial unions; no income from tickets sold; and they'd have to pay back the season memberships or transfer them to 2021. I assume, they wouldn't have to pay players if they don't play, but they'd also lose sponsor money.
Also, I agree with @Machpants, it doesn't sound like a good preparation for the ABs for their Northern tour. Too big a gap between club rugby and test rugby.
I'd rather have a shortened club season (at least at the top level from which M10 players are selected), followed by a shortened NPC (scratch the cross-over games?). At that top level club rugby, they could maybe play another round of club rugby without the NPC players (which may require some clubs to combine, because they'd lose too many players).
By the way, if I didn't misunderstand what was said or suggested in the interview with Mark Robinson on the Breakdown, last Tuesday, they have already scratched the Jock Hobbs U19 Tournament.
Yeah. I agree sounds like a bad situation for the Ab's and provinces better a stronger mitre 10 than club.
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@Kirwan said in A full strength NPC?:
@shark said in A full strength NPC?:
I'm crossing my fingers for the first full-strength provincial comp since around 2005 or so.
This could give them an interesting data point about the interest in such a comp as well.
2006 definitely had full strength teams as I was at the sold-out final. Wellington even had a current AB (Masoe) on their bench.
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@Kirwan said in A full strength NPC?:
@shark said in A full strength NPC?:
I'm crossing my fingers for the first full-strength provincial comp since around 2005 or so.
This could give them an interesting data point about the interest in such a comp as well.
How good would it be if Super Rugby was rissoled and this became a premier comp again? Waikato would take a while to find their feet in it but I would totally support that kind of comp.
It would also make the tri-nations much more appealing too as you wouldn't constantly see the same players playing week in and week out.
