Let me be clear, the Hurricanes are my side and always will be, that will never change. I love them and the last five seasons have certainly been some of the best years as a Hurricanes fan and member.
Going to the rugby, regardless of the level, has always been a highlight for me. It’s great to see your best play against the best from everywhere else and to make up your own mind as to who should and should not be All Blacks.
Make no mistake, I am ‘on board’ when it comes to ensuring the All Blacks can perform to the best of their abilities so if having a few integral players managed over the course of the season in terms of minutes played and a conservative approach to players returning from injury is a must, then so be it.
I will not argue with the science or those ‘in the know’, it cannot be a simple exercise to navigate.
I have seen from my own son the effect of injury; two concussions and a knee injury saw him prefer to sit out this recent season and it was certainly the right thing to do for him. So, naturally, it is perfectly understandable that professionals will be closely monitored to ensure their health and peak performance.
But the Hurricanes side named to meet the Blues this tonight has left me a bit cold and, frankly, struggling to justify why I would continue to pay for a membership in future years.
Now I am not begrudging other players’ opportunities. As contradictory as it is to say, I am personally looking forward to how young talents such as Danny Toala and Salesi Rayasi fare this weekend and I certainly hope they make the most of this opportunity in a winning side.
But those opportunities to expose these players have existed all year round. Why wait until there is ‘nothing’ riding on the result and why do so when at home against another New Zealand side, the matches that, as I understand it, are some of the more popular among fans?
Why should I continue to renew my membership and show up if such matches can be deemed ‘meaningless’? My understanding is Ngani Laumape is the only player reported to need to fulfill his mandatory stand down for national duties, why are the rest not playing?
I had loose plans this year to travel to Brookvale and Tokyo to watch Hurricanes games, Tokyo even more so given the now known fate of the Sunwolves. But buggered if I am going to part with a few grand knowing that some of the best players may not take part.
Chuck in rumours of players jumping ship or about to embark on sabbatical deals and you must wonder, local fans and members may only have two more opportunities to see these players in these colours, now it may only be one more in Wellington? It’s not good enough to me.
Don’t get me started on the praise for the sabbatical deals, ‘keeping’ players available to New Zealand rugby, just not for the Super sides for a while, or being able to see them play. Yes, wonderful.
While having my whinge, whatever happened to momentum? Is that not a thing anymore?
I appreciate that I am coming from a selfish (and potentially naive) point of view – and it is only my point of view – but I know a few feel the same way and, in the end, I am the consumer and it is no longer viable for me to justify the expense if this is the value we can expect for our dollar.
I don’t pay for Platinum membership to not be able to watch our best side play and for every ‘suck it up’ I have had in response to this conversation I level the same phrase at our Super sides and New Zealand rugby as well.
They are professionals after all. The paying public has already voted (as we can all see over the past several seasons) and this selection certainly demonstrates a symptom of why.
Super Rugby has its struggles, we all know that with declining crowds and interest, but I consider myself a rusted on regardless, it might just have to be from the lounge rather then in ‘my’ seats in future.
Too many more ‘rest’ days and ‘deals’ and there will be a bit more ‘yellow’ in the cake tin for the non-locals to complain about on TV moving forward.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Ha! My mate would wholeheartedly agree... ;)
Digby
Roar Guru
Hi Viking, I have no issue with player management and keeping an eye on workloads etc to ensure peak performance for the All Blacks but this season in particular has been excessive. Does it matter? I do not know how to answer that but I guess if the results keep being positive its hard to argue against but I do not recall this much rotation for 2016 and that ended up pretty peachy
Digby
Roar Guru
Suppose so Harry, I suppose so.
Digby
Roar Guru
Mate, that would be gutting.
Lazy Hedgehog
Roar Rookie
I'm sympathetic to your plight Digger, but now imagine you are lucky enough to be a Chiefs supporter living in Hamilton, looking forward each year to the game at home against the benchmark team... ...and it's in Fiji! After eight loyal and fruitful years I cancelled my season tickets for this season.
Ralph
Roar Guru
Not good.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
I know Ben, just jerking a leg ...
Barney
Roar Rookie
Except there is nothing wrong with the bottom with the SA and NZ conferences. It’s only the Aus conference that is about half the strength of the aforementioned two. Is there a similarly structured conference system for any other sport in the world?
Ben
Guest
Lol, famous last words mate........
Harry Jones
Expert
So good to hear a POV! Does this make you a POVert?
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Just look at the stats for matches after ‘bye’ weeks. What do these stats say the last couple of years?
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Great work Digger As many have mentioned before, one can't sell a competition as the best in the world if not best players in the world play. Meat and potatoes really. IMHO, something gotta give. With time, it is pretty clear one can't have the "ideology" everything for the Test team and also try to pretend that SR is the holy grail right under Test level (the crowd is clearly not buying it anymore). What I wonder, would more freedom for SR sides to administrate themselves in every regard really hurt the Test teams? And are we sure about resting player a game or two really the reason for Test success in the past? Long term, degrading the SR competition will hurt the Test teams. Declining numbers all over the board mean less coin, which means fewer resources for the Test team in the end.
Neale Johnson
Guest
Some times it's as if the players are playing for themselves rather than us the paying public. The way they muck around all the time slowing the game down, getting bandaged, setting scrums.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Digger, same as for the Bledisloe/Rugby Championship. As you know I attend a lot of those games ‘usually’ .. in fact always go attend all three Bled games but this year I’m going to Auckland only ... to much like trial games and you are right, it costs a pretty penny to attend these games with airfares, hotel and expenses ... one wants to see ‘the best’
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Must be that the rested players Don’t want to be embarrassed by the cellar dwellers
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
A bit of a shame really Digger, Blues are going to win anyhow, would have been a bit sweeter to put Barrett, Laumape and co in their place but we will enjoy the win anyhow!
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
That what was said regarding Ackerman in 2016/17 when he rested Lions players in the last round, but with results so far this year, anything could happen!
Machooka
Roar Guru
Yes Diggeriwi... I agree! And it's not on principal only... nor is it on a long standing 'gaff' between us two. It's simply agreement. I've made mention of this before, here on the ROAR, with regards to NBA B/Ball... punters forking out big bucks for a once in a season (lifetime) opportunity to see their 'heroes' play, only to arrive at the stadium to find out their 'heroes' are being 'rested'... not playing. Wtf!?! I'd told the story of a mate of mine, expat American now living in FNQ, who travelled back to the US of A to visit his family, and thought he'd take in a game of NBA. Yeah, baby! He decided to go and watch a Spurs game in SA, Texas. They, then, had Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and some new guy called Kwai Leonard... how cool he thought after buying high end tickets. Great seats just off court. Alas, the first three were being rested... so he never got to see them play. On his return to Aussie he sent off an email to the front office of the Spurs, basically complaining, politely, he had traveled all the way from Aussie to watch the 'best' in the business... only to be thoroughly disappointed that they weren't playing. Not through injury or the like... but due to other circumstances!?! He eventually received reply saying that next time he was back in SA, Texas... he would be afforded free tickets to watch a game. To which he replied, thanks but can you guarantee this won't happen again? He is still awaiting a reply... ;)
Digby
Roar Guru
It is strange to me pine but in the end win or lose tonight or indeed the comp, it is irrelevant to me on this issue as happy as I would be for another title it simply does not represent value for money or motivate me to renew my membership and make the effort. Would simply watch from home and get my fill from watching the kids, club etc if we cannot expect to see the best possible sides named.
Ralph
Roar Guru
Mind you, if the Canes win this well Plumtree will look brilliant.