All Blacks 2026
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@gt12 i'll try one more time and then maybe we just move on
you said performing well with the ABXV might be good enough to get an assitant role but would be good to have international experience....and i was just pointing out JJ and TB already have that
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I replied to your edited post. My point was not about JJ but time with the ABXV.
JJ has both, some, such as McMillan, do not.
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Obviously my preference is Rennie, I think he's the best guy to build a team in a short amount of time, and has coaching experience that includes the best cattle (U20s), average cattle (Poo/Wobs), building a successful team from an average team with a mix of cattle (Chiefs), listening to his cattle when they say something's not working (Wellington NPC champs), and overseas roles (Oz, Japan, Scotland).
But, if JJ is their guy then I'm ok with that, I think that JJ brings a lot of the qualities that Rennie does as well.
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Can Joseph and Rennie work together? Would Joseph be willing to be an assistant coach for a couple (or potentially more) years? What would their roles/areas be?
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Who applies might be dependent on whether this is just a 2-yr appointment until the RWC, or there is the potential for renewal if the NZR board are satisfied the problems have been addressed and progress made. An older, more experienced coach like Rennie and Cotter might be happy to commit for 2 years only knowing they get their opportunity, whereas Joseph might prefer to wait until 2027 and hopefully have a full 4-yr cycle.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2026:
Who applies might be dependent on whether this is just a 2-yr appointment until the RWC, or there is the potential for renewal if the NZR board are satisfied the problems have been addressed and progress made. An older, more experienced coach like Rennie and Cotter might be happy to commit for 2 years only knowing they get their opportunity, whereas Joseph might prefer to wait until 2027 and hopefully have a full 4-yr cycle.
Either way they should all know now their performance will dictate whether they get to keep their job; Razor got a clean slate and didn't last the full cycle so the precedent is set. On the flipside I expect the board will take into account the less than ideal circumstances when assessing the new coaches' performance. Either way a full cycle is no guarantee of job security. As it should be
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@Nepia said in All Blacks 2026:
building a successful team from an average team with a mix of cattle (Chiefs)
this. if you look at a few of the names on those Chiefs team sheets, they don't screen "back to back champs". He cleaned up the whole game plan, made everything more accurate, and got guys playing well above themselves.
He did wonders with the Wallabies too. The win/loss wasn't great, but he had a squad smashed with injuries, and went within a couple of points of beating Ireland and France away. Firing him for Eddie was the worst thing Australian rugby has ever done.
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@mariner4life yeah, i always thought things looks like they were stabilising under rennie for the wallabies....they just fell hook line and sinker for eddies "smash and grab" world up idea rather than long term improvement
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2026:
I still strongly disagree with this. All the review and discussions with players did was provide information about issues to be resolved.
If Razor addressed those issues effectively and articulated a credible plan to improve he'd still have a job.
If they hadn't already decided what they were guna do (re the dismissal) they would have definitely thought that they might have to move him on, or they wouldn't have been doing their jobs.
Razor would have had the opportunity to articulate a credible plan to improve and address the issues effectively, but he couldn't, and now he doesn't have a job.
If that is what happened, and it's probably pretty close to it, I'd consider that good governance.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
Am hearing from good sources those players were asked.
I can not see NZR not asking them it would set up a lot of problems going forward in a lot of areas.It defies belief that a proces with Kirk involved would seek so obviously to undermine good governance.
I see Sumo is embarrassing himself with conspiracy theories around all of this too.
The simple reality is ;
he was appointed without good process,
removed a bunch of support staff with good institutional IP,
selected terribly,
wasn't coach,
clearly failed at what he was supposed to be good at culture, commonality of purpose etc.)
oversaw terrible results without progress.I'm astonished anyone can think he's been hard done by now that NZR are running like a high performance organisation.
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@restofit said in All Blacks 2026:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2026:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2026:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2026:
Gee I just had a look at coaching history of JJ, and all the talk he only good with Tony Brown? Best figures were MABs in about 2012 where he has 83% winning record, no Tony Brown , and last year's ABXV .
They kind of make a fallacy of him needing Brown to coach.
And sorry Tim, just saw your post mate, and these figure aren't 20 years out of date,
Got 7 years to spre.i think my feeling is the ABXV is a good test of bring a international squad together and running a wee tour.....but the quality of opposition isn't the same as the top job and so having someone like TB would be the little bit extra needed
I think doing good domestically and with the ABXV can get you to an assistant role, but even then it would be better to have something outside NZ, such as a bit of time with an overseas club or with another international team. Ryan's path looks like a very good one for a specialist (e.g., forward) coach.
For head coaches, I'll admit it is tricky, but I believe that there is a huge difference between season-long rugby and International, especially in a age of WC preparation. I personally wouldn't choose Joseph without Brown, but he has taken a group through a WC cycle.
If it were me, I'd be chasing Rennie with Schmidt as DOR.
Not really arguing strongly for or against anyone mate, just I believe JJ is a more than competent coach with or without Brown. I just pointed out both MABs and ABXV to show that I genuinely believe that Brown isn't or (in my opinion) the ace in sleeve anyone should need. I a Rennie fan too, but once again a critic could ask what international success he has had, and his Super coaching success was only when he had Wayne Smith as his assistant, once Smith went Chiefs didn't win. But once again I happy with either as coach.
Just pointing out we should take coaches on their own ability etc.Rennie has had success with multiple different teams & variety of assistants - Joseph hasn't, only with Brown has he looked good - for example taking 6th place Quarter Finalists under Dermody in 2024 to dead last in 2025 without Brown.
Yep and Joseph has good success with MABs and ABVX without Brown. Rennie was how successful with Wallabies without Smith 38%? He did just ok with Glasgow and Kolbe Steelers. Rennie was (I thought very) successful with NZU20s. He won 2 titles with Chiefs (with Smith) and missed out next 3 years, so team regressed?. Rennie coached Manawatu for 6 years with no success.
Both very good coaches with very little between them at international level, and would be happy with either. I genuinely believe too much is made of the Tony Brown assistance, mainly because usually his teams have a good forward pack. -
This is the second article by Richard Knowler where he says that Mike Anthony was not involved in the review.
NZ Rugby's decision to not include Anthony in the all-important review spoke volumes.
There were whispers that the players pushed for an independent review, and when ex-All Black/board member Keven Mealamu and Kirk, with former NZ Rugby high performance boss Don Tricker providing oversight, started digging they didn't like what they found.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
The simple reality is ;
he was appointed without good process,I was about to make that comment.
When you hear how he articulates in public, it's a wonder how he managed but to articulate well enough to get the job in the first place.
But that'd be because it didn't matter what he said then; he already had the job.
Now that is not good governance.And because of that, i'd imagine the process now initiated will be hell of a lot more thorough, and proper, than any since the time Henry was appointed.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2026:
This is the second article by Richard Knowler where he says that Mike Anthony was not involved in the review.
I saw that.
But I find that hard to believe.
An annual review is a very comprehensive exercise, interviewing all players/coaches, cant see Kirk/Tricker/Mealumu doing all that.
And it would be very bad governance.
Were the three "looking over Anthony's shoulder" to see what he was coming up with, sure. -
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2026:
Rennie coached Manawatu for 6 years with no success.
This is unfair
He took over the Turbos as part of the new 2006 NPC with 14 teams
Turbos had effectively come 16th in the country in 2005 as they came 6th in division 2.
In his last season in 2011 he had the Turbos humming as part of the split competiton (Premiership and Championship) - they topped the regular season ladder (teams 8-14) of the lower Championship and lost the Championship final by 5 points.
In the 2011 turbos he was lucky to have Aaron Smith and Aaron Cruden as his halves - I distinctly remember Cruden having an excellent NPC that year - it felt like it had finally clicked for him following his AB debut the year earlier and struggling at the Hurricanes.
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@KiwiMurph did he also have time there with O'Halloran?
