All Blacks 2026
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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?
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2026:
@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.
I agree it unfair, but trying to point out that coaches (both JJ and DR) are still stuck with teams they have. I just pointing out that there too much made over TB being assistant to JJ and ignore the fact that Rennie wasn't overly successful without Smith, and we should just look at them both as good coaches. We can pick the successful teams they coached (Chiefs a couple of years) Wellington 1 year NPC and U20s for Rennie (without Smith). And MABs for Joseph 2006 and 2012-3 without Brown.
No way am I trying to disparage Rennie (I a fan), but I a fan of JJ too, and think they both should be judged the same re assistants etc.
Hardest thing is to judge coaches who do different teams on results, I try to do it more on how teams improve under them as they go along.
I was incredibly impressed with Highlanders winning 2015 final with a a pack that was really almost full of vitual no names compared to Hurricanes, and they beat them up a bit. I still think you win games with good forward packs. -
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@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.
Yes agree NZR under Kirk would have I would think gone through due diligence before sacking someone,otherwise they would be opening up some horrible wounds and court cases.
Kirk as an astute business man wouldn't be that reckless. -
On Vern Cotter with Scotland:
In May 2017, Cotter left his position at Scotland with a 53% win rate (19 wins from 36 games), then the most successful coach of the professional era and the most successful since Ian McGeechan between 1988 and 1993.
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@Frank said in All Blacks 2026:
Love to see him as forwards coach, at a minimum.
Seems to have a great temperament, a hard taskmaster but also got all of the Maori Pacific Island players in the Blues on board in a way no one else has for years. So clearly has solid man management skills
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2026:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
But am interested in his comment at 10:50 about crisis meeting "late last year".
Any details?
He just says people at the highest levels... then everyone denied it, including peeps supposedly there.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2026:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2026:
But am interested in his comment at 10:50 about crisis meeting "late last year".
Any details?
He just says people at the highest levels... then everyone denied it, including peeps supposedly there.
That video appeared to be some ignorant American just making shit up for content.
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I haven't really formed an opinion about who should be next.
But, I certainly hope the recruitment process is a great deal different to what many of us would have experienced applying for a job - where you turn up and talk to a bunch of people who you've never met - do a few tests and wait for a phone call.
Everyone who will be in contention for this job are largely known quantities. You can look at their records on the internet. You can watch their body of work in videos.
They've all had good seasons - and they've all had bad. And no-one should be able to pull much wool over anyone's eyes.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:
@Frank said in All Blacks 2026:
Love to see him as forwards coach, at a minimum.
Seems to have a great temperament, a hard taskmaster but also got all of the Maori Pacific Island players in the Blues on board in a way no one else has for years. So clearly has solid man management skills
He's a bit of a dark horse.
The media seem to view Joseph as the heavy favorite, followed by Rennie. -
@Chris-B I'd wager the process is immeasurably improved by not having Mark Robinson involved.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris-B I'd wager the process is immeasurably improved by not having Mark Robinson involved.
Quite likely.
Did he oversee the process where Fozzie got appointed and everyone had to apply with teams?
As I've pointed out many times before - that was the stupidest of fucking ideas!
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@Chris-B he became CEO in 2019.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2026:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris-B I'd wager the process is immeasurably improved by not having Mark Robinson involved.
Quite likely.
Did he oversee the process where Fozzie got appointed and everyone had to apply with teams?
As I've pointed out many times before - that was the stupidest of fucking ideas!
Counterpoint: Doing so for Fozzie may have resulted in NZR knowing that they would be lumped with two assistant coaches they would later have to replace...
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@taniwharugby Guilty as charged?
They probably hired a consultancy company for advice and didn't thnk hard enough about the consequences.
You can see how it happens -but, it was a major fuck-up and it's largely why Tony Brown is now coaching SA and not the ABs.
Mark has to suck that one up.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2026:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris-B I'd wager the process is immeasurably improved by not having Mark Robinson involved.
Quite likely.
Did he oversee the process where Fozzie got appointed and everyone had to apply with teams?
As I've pointed out many times before - that was the stupidest of fucking ideas!
Counterpoint: Doing so for Fozzie may have resulted in NZR knowing that they would be lumped with two assistant coaches they would later have to replace...
That seems like my point - unless you're saying they already knew it?
They went back to the Ted, Hansen, Smithy vs Robbie scenario and thought wouldn't it be a great idea to employ teams vs individuals.
It was stupid and proven so.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2026:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2026:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2026:
@Chris-B I'd wager the process is immeasurably improved by not having Mark Robinson involved.
Quite likely.
Did he oversee the process where Fozzie got appointed and everyone had to apply with teams?
As I've pointed out many times before - that was the stupidest of fucking ideas!
Counterpoint: Doing so for Fozzie may have resulted in NZR knowing that they would be lumped with two assistant coaches they would later have to replace...
That seems like my point - unless you're saying they already knew it?
If your point is that forcing them to announce their teams would let NZR know beforehand that they'd have a team of Plumtree and Mooar...
