All Blacks 2026
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@allblackfan2 said in All Blacks 2026:
What you can see across all of them
Even though their styles differ, the most successful coaches over 50 share four habits:They build strong inner circles They create systems that reduce chaos They reframe pressure as opportunity or purpose They separate identity from results These are the psychological foundations of long‑term survival in elite rugby.My favorite coach in the world right now is . . . Curt ("just google me") Cignetti.
Built an elite college football program from nuthin in two years.
His team plays in a national championship game for the first time, ever, tomorrow.When he signed on he was then given a tour by his new boss.
He proceeded to abuse him for two or three hours.
Training facilities are shit, stadium is shit, this is shit, that is shit.
Just how are you expecting me to build an elite football program?Now being criticised for showing zero emotion during a game.
How can I expect my players to stay 100% focused on their roles; if I'm not?
When we are winning [26 and 2, last two seasons] I do feel good inside!
Love it! -
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
or even better, cut out the poison.
This is the key for the next coach,great results will come after this is done I believe.
I hope the NZR empowers the coach to be able to do this.Depends where the poison lies - or laid. Key thing is everyone working to a single goal with clear leadership and roles. Read somewhere that Shag had to apologise for being late to a meeting.
No reason you can't have disagreements or arguments provided they are handled in a mature respectful way by all concerned. Seems that's been lacking if what we hear about Robertson dismissing players concerns is true
Of course a big part of coaching is man management,
But sometimes some players just will not do the best for the greater good those are toxic. And need to be culled or the rot continues .
It really depends if the playing group is divided which is possible.
Does The ABs look a little like the demise of Manchester Untied dominant then a power gap when the dominant coaches and players leave/retire.I've always worked on the basis people want to do a good job. It's pretty easy to spot and cull those who don't. I doubt any of the current squad fit into that category, so it's up to the new coaching set up to manage that.
It's also the mix of people/chemistry that's important. Seen uber-successful management teams which, by the textbooks should have been disastrous. A lot of it is luck, but good selection process can increase the odds.
The problem with coaching is the players playing love you and the players you don’t pick dislike you.In high performance you always have disaffected people it goes hand in hand.
Selection is always the hardest thing to manage. -
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
@allblackfan2 said in All Blacks 2026:
What you can see across all of them
Even though their styles differ, the most successful coaches over 50 share four habits:They build strong inner circles They create systems that reduce chaos They reframe pressure as opportunity or purpose They separate identity from results These are the psychological foundations of long‑term survival in elite rugby.My favorite coach in the world right now is . . . Curt ("just google me") Cignetti.
Built an elite college football program from nuthin in two years.
His team plays in a national championship game for the first time, ever, tomorrow.When he signed on he was then given a tour by his new boss.
He proceeded to abuse him for two or three hours.
Training facilities are shit, stadium is shit, this is shit, that is shit.
Just how are you expecting me to build an elite football program?Now being criticised for showing zero emotion during a game.
How can I expect my players to stay 100% focused on their roles; if I'm not?
When we are winning [26 and 2, last two seasons] I do feel good inside!
Love it!Impressive. It seems that he took on a number of previously failing teams and repeatedly turned things around within quite short times. He certainly must have a knack for motivating and building winning teams.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
or even better, cut out the poison.
This is the key for the next coach,great results will come after this is done I believe.
I hope the NZR empowers the coach to be able to do this.Depends where the poison lies - or laid. Key thing is everyone working to a single goal with clear leadership and roles. Read somewhere that Shag had to apologise for being late to a meeting.
No reason you can't have disagreements or arguments provided they are handled in a mature respectful way by all concerned. Seems that's been lacking if what we hear about Robertson dismissing players concerns is true
Of course a big part of coaching is man management,
But sometimes some players just will not do the best for the greater good those are toxic. And need to be culled or the rot continues .
It really depends if the playing group is divided which is possible.
Does The ABs look a little like the demise of Manchester Untied dominant then a power gap when the dominant coaches and players leave/retire.I've always worked on the basis people want to do a good job. It's pretty easy to spot and cull those who don't. I doubt any of the current squad fit into that category, so it's up to the new coaching set up to manage that.
It's also the mix of people/chemistry that's important. Seen uber-successful management teams which, by the textbooks should have been disastrous. A lot of it is luck, but good selection process can increase the odds.
The problem with coaching is the players playing love you and the players you don’t pick dislike you.In high performance you always have disaffected people it goes hand in hand.
Selection is always the hardest thing to manage.Other AB coaches seem to have managed this without too many problems. Not being selected doesn't mean disaffected if you have good communications with players - something Foster and Shag seemed to have in spades.
Will be key criteria for next coach methinks.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
or even better, cut out the poison.
This is the key for the next coach,great results will come after this is done I believe.
I hope the NZR empowers the coach to be able to do this.Depends where the poison lies - or laid. Key thing is everyone working to a single goal with clear leadership and roles. Read somewhere that Shag had to apologise for being late to a meeting.
No reason you can't have disagreements or arguments provided they are handled in a mature respectful way by all concerned. Seems that's been lacking if what we hear about Robertson dismissing players concerns is true
Of course a big part of coaching is man management,
But sometimes some players just will not do the best for the greater good those are toxic. And need to be culled or the rot continues .
It really depends if the playing group is divided which is possible.
Does The ABs look a little like the demise of Manchester Untied dominant then a power gap when the dominant coaches and players leave/retire.I've always worked on the basis people want to do a good job. It's pretty easy to spot and cull those who don't. I doubt any of the current squad fit into that category, so it's up to the new coaching set up to manage that.
It's also the mix of people/chemistry that's important. Seen uber-successful management teams which, by the textbooks should have been disastrous. A lot of it is luck, but good selection process can increase the odds.
The problem with coaching is the players playing love you and the players you don’t pick dislike you.In high performance you always have disaffected people it goes hand in hand.
Selection is always the hardest thing to manage.There will be disappointment for players that miss out. But if there is a feeling that the coach is fair reasonable and respectful, I expect that it should be mutual even if there is disagreement
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
I assume Pat Lam needs to coach at a higher level first as HC but is respected in over in Ireland...
I thought Pat Lam was shit when he was at the Blues.
Honestly, it is a while ago, and I cant remember exactly why, but I do remember thinking he was a dick.
Possibly . . . a little too much favoritism to certain underperforming players, which is a current issue as well.
Maybe he's good in the HP director role, we need one of those. -
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris flip side is the players could be gagging for something that actually works and isn't toxic. Those that aren't, are easily replaced.
That is possible too.
Strike while the iron is hot eh, the players will be hurting too and will have a point to prove, coaches would look forward to harnessing that energy.
And you'd hope that the candidates would be looking at this as perhaps their one and only realistic opportunity to land the job - it just might not be open in 2 years and 4-6 years might be too far away. To the extent that the shitshowy-ness is a consideration, I think it would be less likely to be viewed in terms of coaching rep and legacy and more in terms of having confidence that they will be able to implement the things that they want.
I also don't think we want a coach who is too scared to throw his hat into the ring for fear of damaging his reputation - that is exactly the self-centeredness and fearfulness we are trying to move away from. So, if anyone is ruling themselves out for these reasons, that just shows they were never the right for the job under any circumstances.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
or even better, cut out the poison.
This is the key for the next coach,great results will come after this is done I believe.
I hope the NZR empowers the coach to be able to do this.Depends where the poison lies - or laid. Key thing is everyone working to a single goal with clear leadership and roles. Read somewhere that Shag had to apologise for being late to a meeting.
No reason you can't have disagreements or arguments provided they are handled in a mature respectful way by all concerned. Seems that's been lacking if what we hear about Robertson dismissing players concerns is true
Of course a big part of coaching is man management,
But sometimes some players just will not do the best for the greater good those are toxic. And need to be culled or the rot continues .
It really depends if the playing group is divided which is possible.
Does The ABs look a little like the demise of Manchester Untied dominant then a power gap when the dominant coaches and players leave/retire.I've always worked on the basis people want to do a good job. It's pretty easy to spot and cull those who don't. I doubt any of the current squad fit into that category, so it's up to the new coaching set up to manage that.
It's also the mix of people/chemistry that's important. Seen uber-successful management teams which, by the textbooks should have been disastrous. A lot of it is luck, but good selection process can increase the odds.
The problem with coaching is the players playing love you and the players you don’t pick dislike you.In high performance you always have disaffected people it goes hand in hand.
Selection is always the hardest thing to manage.Other AB coaches seem to have managed this without too many problems. Not being selected doesn't mean disaffected if you have good communications with players - something Foster and Shag seemed to have in spades.
Will be key criteria for next coach methinks.
We are dealing with a new generation of players some have a big sense of entitlement something I see in my coaching jobs a lot more than I used to.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
or even better, cut out the poison.
This is the key for the next coach,great results will come after this is done I believe.
I hope the NZR empowers the coach to be able to do this.Depends where the poison lies - or laid. Key thing is everyone working to a single goal with clear leadership and roles. Read somewhere that Shag had to apologise for being late to a meeting.
No reason you can't have disagreements or arguments provided they are handled in a mature respectful way by all concerned. Seems that's been lacking if what we hear about Robertson dismissing players concerns is true
Of course a big part of coaching is man management,
But sometimes some players just will not do the best for the greater good those are toxic. And need to be culled or the rot continues .
It really depends if the playing group is divided which is possible.
Does The ABs look a little like the demise of Manchester Untied dominant then a power gap when the dominant coaches and players leave/retire.I've always worked on the basis people want to do a good job. It's pretty easy to spot and cull those who don't. I doubt any of the current squad fit into that category, so it's up to the new coaching set up to manage that.
It's also the mix of people/chemistry that's important. Seen uber-successful management teams which, by the textbooks should have been disastrous. A lot of it is luck, but good selection process can increase the odds.
The problem with coaching is the players playing love you and the players you don’t pick dislike you.In high performance you always have disaffected people it goes hand in hand.
Selection is always the hardest thing to manage.There will be disappointment for players that miss out. But if there is a feeling that the coach is fair reasonable and respectful, I expect that it should be mutual even if there is disagreement
Same as I replied to @Victor-Meldrew
We are dealing with a new generation of players some have a big sense of entitlement something I See now more than I had before in my coaching roles. -
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
I assume Pat Lam needs to coach at a higher level first as HC but is respected in over in Ireland...
I thought Pat Lam was shit when he was at the Blues.
Honestly, it is a while ago, and I cant remember exactly why, but I do remember thinking he was a dick.
Possibly . . . a little too much favoritism to certain underperforming players, which is a current issue as well.
Maybe he's good in the HP director role, we need one of those.Yeah bad run with Blues, they had issues but many were glad he left. Don't recall personality issues though. Surprised he took a less resourced club in Ireland and beat the big boys. Got Connacht their first major trophy I think.
Also stole Aki away to Ireland I think... -
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:
I assume Pat Lam needs to coach at a higher level first as HC but is respected in over in Ireland...
I thought Pat Lam was shit when he was at the Blues.
Honestly, it is a while ago, and I cant remember exactly why, but I do remember thinking he was a dick.
Possibly . . . a little too much favoritism to certain underperforming players, which is a current issue as well.
Maybe he's good in the HP director role, we need one of those.Yeah bad run with Blues, they had issues but many were glad he left. Don't recall personality issues though. Surprised he took a less resourced club in Ireland and beat the big boys. Got Connacht their first major trophy I think.
Also stole Aki away to Ireland I think...I didn't rate him at the Blues either. Haven't followed his time in Ireland, but it appears he's developed considerably as a coach in that time
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FUCK NO.
This is a dream job for a coach (just ask Razor).
The chance to lead a side to victory against SA in SA, and a RWC, inside of two years!
Do that and you go down as one of the greatest coaches in rugby history.
That's how I'd be lookin at it if I was a coach in the runnin for the gig.And the players should be the same.
The last two years were f'n BS, now lets get super f'n focused, go out there, no f'n about, get the job done, and be f'n heroes!!!!
That's how they'll be thinking, and that's what i'd be thinking. -
@allblackfan2 said in All Blacks 2026:
Impressive. It seems that he took on a number of previously failing teams and repeatedly turned things around within quite short times. He certainly must have a knack for motivating and building winning teams.
Super impressive.
I really like the coach of the other team in the final as well.
Tomorrow is the decider!
A lot of outstanding coaches in College football.
Outstandingly well paid too.If we get anything like those two, i'll be 100% happy.
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@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
FUCK NO.
This is a dream job for a coach (just ask Razor).
The chance to lead a side to victory against SA in SA, and a RWC, inside of two years!
Do that and you go down as one of the greatest coaches in rugby history.
That's how I'd be lookin at it if I was a coach in the runnin for the gig.And the players should be the same.
The last two years were f'n BS, now lets get super f'n focused, go out there, no f'n about, get the job done, and be f'n heroes!!!!
That's how they'll be thinking, and that's what i'd be thinking.Let’s see how this plays out who gets the job who rules himself out and in 12 months is everyone hoppy or we have a mess still.
You are hoping the AB is the great coaching gig it might not be atm. -
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
or even better, cut out the poison.
This is the key for the next coach,great results will come after this is done I believe.
I hope the NZR empowers the coach to be able to do this.Depends where the poison lies - or laid. Key thing is everyone working to a single goal with clear leadership and roles. Read somewhere that Shag had to apologise for being late to a meeting.
No reason you can't have disagreements or arguments provided they are handled in a mature respectful way by all concerned. Seems that's been lacking if what we hear about Robertson dismissing players concerns is true
Of course a big part of coaching is man management,
But sometimes some players just will not do the best for the greater good those are toxic. And need to be culled or the rot continues .
It really depends if the playing group is divided which is possible.
Does The ABs look a little like the demise of Manchester Untied dominant then a power gap when the dominant coaches and players leave/retire.I've always worked on the basis people want to do a good job. It's pretty easy to spot and cull those who don't. I doubt any of the current squad fit into that category, so it's up to the new coaching set up to manage that.
It's also the mix of people/chemistry that's important. Seen uber-successful management teams which, by the textbooks should have been disastrous. A lot of it is luck, but good selection process can increase the odds.
The problem with coaching is the players playing love you and the players you don’t pick dislike you.In high performance you always have disaffected people it goes hand in hand.
Selection is always the hardest thing to manage.There will be disappointment for players that miss out. But if there is a feeling that the coach is fair reasonable and respectful, I expect that it should be mutual even if there is disagreement
Same as I replied to @Victor-Meldrew
We are dealing with a new generation of players some have a big sense of entitlement something I See now more than I had before in my coaching roles.There's precious little evidence that so called entitled players caused Razor's sacking.
There are, on the other hand, a wealth of stories coming out as to what a shit man manager he was, alongside his mate Scott Hansen.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
FUCK NO.
This is a dream job for a coach (just ask Razor).
The chance to lead a side to victory against SA in SA, and a RWC, inside of two years!
Do that and you go down as one of the greatest coaches in rugby history.
That's how I'd be lookin at it if I was a coach in the runnin for the gig.And the players should be the same.
The last two years were f'n BS, now lets get super f'n focused, go out there, no f'n about, get the job done, and be f'n heroes!!!!
That's how they'll be thinking, and that's what i'd be thinking.Let’s see how this plays out who gets the job who rules himself out and in 12 months is everyone hoppy or we have a mess still.
You are hoping the AB is the great coaching gig it might not be atm.You're painting the picture of what happens if NZRU has got this wrong. I think that's fair, but I think it goes both ways.
It also looks pretty clear that we weren't going to get close to SA or a WC with the Razor group, so whoever that does come in will need a good set of balls on them, and will need to be sure that they can do the job, but will also know that they don't need to do too much to stay in the role till the WC, and if they can get through a QF there, they'll likely keep the role.
At the moment, if you can restore the team unity and cohesion to 2023 levels, you'd be ahead of the current group. Given the amount of shit - rightfully in many cases - that has been heaped on Foster, that's a very fucking low bar to reach and says plenty about Razor's magic or lack thereof.
I can't see guys like Joseph, Cotter, or Rennie being afraid of the opportunity. And, if they are, then that's a great first door if they don't wish to apply.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
FUCK NO.
This is a dream job for a coach (just ask Razor).
The chance to lead a side to victory against SA in SA, and a RWC, inside of two years!
Do that and you go down as one of the greatest coaches in rugby history.
That's how I'd be lookin at it if I was a coach in the runnin for the gig.And the players should be the same.
The last two years were f'n BS, now lets get super f'n focused, go out there, no f'n about, get the job done, and be f'n heroes!!!!
That's how they'll be thinking, and that's what i'd be thinking.Let’s see how this plays out who gets the job who rules himself out and in 12 months is everyone hoppy or we have a mess still.
You are hoping the AB is the great coaching gig it might not be atm.You're painting the picture of what happens if NZRU has got this wrong. I think that's fair, but I think it goes both ways.
It also looks pretty clear that we weren't going to get close to SA or a WC with the Razor group, so whoever that does come in will need a good set of balls on them, and will need to sure that they can do the job, but will also know that they don't need to do too much to stay in the role till the WC, and if they can get through a QF there, they'll likely keep the role.
At the moment, if you can restore the team unity and cohesion to 2023 levels, you'd be ahead of the current group. Given the amount of shit - rightfully in many cases - that has been heaped on Foster, that's a very fucking low bar to reach and says plenty about Razor's magic or lack thereof.
I can't see guys like Joseph, Cotter, or Rennie being afraid of the opportunity. And, if they are, then that's a great first door if they don't wish to apply.
It still confounds me that Razor actually took us backwards over his two years
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:
@mohikamo said in All Blacks 2026:
FUCK NO.
This is a dream job for a coach (just ask Razor).
The chance to lead a side to victory against SA in SA, and a RWC, inside of two years!
Do that and you go down as one of the greatest coaches in rugby history.
That's how I'd be lookin at it if I was a coach in the runnin for the gig.And the players should be the same.
The last two years were f'n BS, now lets get super f'n focused, go out there, no f'n about, get the job done, and be f'n heroes!!!!
That's how they'll be thinking, and that's what i'd be thinking.Let’s see how this plays out who gets the job who rules himself out and in 12 months is everyone hoppy or we have a mess still.
You are hoping the AB is the great coaching gig it might not be atm.You're painting the picture of what happens if NZRU has got this wrong. I think that's fair, but I think it goes both ways.
It also looks pretty clear that we weren't going to get close to SA or a WC with the Razor group, so whoever that does come in will need a good set of balls on them, and will need to sure that they can do the job, but will also know that they don't need to do too much to stay in the role till the WC, and if they can get through a QF there, they'll likely keep the role.
At the moment, if you can restore the team unity and cohesion to 2023 levels, you'd be ahead of the current group. Given the amount of shit - rightfully in many cases - that has been heaped on Foster, that's a very fucking low bar to reach and says plenty about Razor's magic or lack thereof.
I can't see guys like Joseph, Cotter, or Rennie being afraid of the opportunity. And, if they are, then that's a great first door if they don't wish to apply.
I agree with this. The irony is we have better options in most positions than 2023 and players like Vaa'i have progressed a lot.
If, as I suspect, the players were frustrated with communications and unity compared to 2023, then an experienced coach would be able to build on that. One reason why I'd like to see someone from 2023 like Schmidt involved.
