Hooper has no regrets over Folau saga

To me the quote is “I was never in those conversations". so without reading between the lines, that is saying that the banning from media was never a team directive or it was only a directive to the PI players...the only other option was that Kepu and Kerevi were lying....and another is “But with this stuff you are the person that gets up and speaks or chooses not to speak.” very clearly says there was no RA directive at all or is he saying that Kepu and Kerevi should have ignored his bosses directive! either way you can look at it, he is saying that Kepu and Kerevi are not telling the truth (Lying)

I too rate him as a player but not as a captain but see no reason for him to lie and say he’s been thinking about it for 18 months. He’s openly said he would like to keep the Wallabies captaincy so we may yet see how he reacts if Rennie decides on someone else there.

First up, I'm not defending Hooper's captaincy. I agree with you that he ain't good at it and shouldn't be captain going forward. I just don't get how from the quotes recorded in this article you can the idea that he's bagging them and their views or that he's stating that their affidavits are incorrect - if I'm wrong, point out the quote where he says that. I think what he's said is just vague nothing comments that don't support but also don't deny. It's just an attempt to give the media nothing and I think its drawing a long bow to read more into it than that.

Agree RO but the way he answered raises some questions about what went on. 1/ His answer basically says the 2 guys who gave court affidavits were wrong at best and dishonest at worst....remember they were court documents. 2/ He never heard anything about not commenting about the Folau issue but others were told not to? 3/ Are we to believe that RA told the PI players not to comment but not the non PI players? I feel that he could have answered it very differently ...far more diplomatically maybe...but it points to a split camp over the issue for sure

Yeah thats just a coach being polite and allowing a player to appear to have made the decision himself. He has performed both roles for a long time and would surely have expected to continue in that role for a few years yet. Its good coaching by the Tahs coach to not publicly sack him as captain. I think he is a player who will always make the current side and probably will for the next few years so if he was a good captain why would the coach allow him to step down? Surely he could have been talked around? He was clearly tapped on the shoulder....And I see it as a good decision as I rate Hooper as a player but dont rate him as a Captain and believe a change was needed. Maybe rennie will keep him as captain maybe he wont....Time will tell....

Greysy thats BS...Im not Hooper bashing at all...Simply saying what Hooper has done is not Hooper bashing...its stating the facts....Hooper should have simply said something like 'it affected us all differently" but he chose to state that they were not correct in their affidavits to the courts....in other words he says they did not tell the truth....I cant see that as a good quality to have as a captain. But if you do then thats your opinion I guess but the 2 players are lying or Hooper is lying....Which is it? because I dont believe RA would have only told some players not to say anything but not others

Asked on Thursday if he thought players were muzzled........ Not that I'm a fan of Hooper but reading that line it looks like a journo asked him what he thought and he answered. Dunno if he could really do much else

Irrespective of the rights and wrongs, any organisation will protect its commercial assets. NZ Rugby would not allow any player - including Read - to place it's commercial value in jeopardy.

He's said it was a decision that has been on his mind for 18 months, long before Penney joined the organisation. What have you heard to make you think he was told to stand down? https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2020/01/21/super-rugby-waratahs-hooper-simmons-captain Talking about captaining both state and country, his comments from the article are: "It is something that has been on my mind, in this environment, for a good 18 months. It hasn’t been something that’s been on a whim or anything like that,” Hooper said. "I went into last season fully committed to the role but also before that having question marks over my position as captain." "Having to do both roles now, for quite some time. It would be remiss of me to say it doesn’t have a taxing effect. There is much more than just running out on the park and leading the team out on the weekend. "It is also an amazing privilege, right? Leading my country and leading my state is an amazing feeling. I feel very proud for my family that we have had that for the last four and plus years, and a lot of games.

Why do you say that, Jacko?

Rubbish Jacko, you're just Hooper bashing. He didn't 'feel the need to bag them'. He was specifically asked a question. Rather than calling a team mate a liar, he gave an answer which is basically just obfuscation - avoid saying anything that will make this a bigger story because if he basically just says everything was fine/I dunno then the story will die pretty quickly. Also, where do you get the idea he called them a liar from? When asked to address what Kepu/Kerevi had said specifically he said either I dunno or I wasn't involved in those conversations. It's just a nothing answer which is surely what's to be expected.

Jeznez what makes you believe it was his choice to stand down? I believe he was told to stand down as Captain or he would be stood down as Captain

But you do Neutral? Always pretending you know the NZ way when you very clearly dont. We will never know how this Folau issue would have been handled in NZ but that was not what kiEP was talking about. He was talking about the fact that the Wallabies captain decided to talk publicly to basically call a team mate a liar...Two guys in his team wrote affidavits for court saying what their experience around it was and Hooper feels the need to bag them and their view in public. To me that is a fractured team with a Captain who looks after himself rather than backing his team mates...at least publicly anyway....Time for a new Captain to move forward with and he was clearly not seen as Captain material by the Tahs coach so lets see what happens at Test level

Ken - you are far too diplomatic. A couple of rules: 'what do we tell the girls? Nothing! Happy wife? forget it it's way too hard.

Some proper rose-tinted speculation there, mate. You have no clue what so ever what Reado or NZR would have said or done if something similar had happened in NZ.

I disagree that Read 'would not have been sweet-talking' - because we are not talking about the Folau here, we are talking about other players from the same ethnic and religious background of Folau. Read grew up in South Auckland playing Rugby with many from PI backgrounds. In fact he grew up just 10 minutes away from Wesley College which has a strong PI community, very religious and one of the top rugby schools in the 90's and 2000's which produced several top rugby players of PI heritage including Sekope Kepu who was captain in 2005. He most definitely would have understood the cultural issues around the religious views of the Pacific Island Players and 'would have been aware' the affect this would have had on them and how they play their rugby. But that's my two cents!! Kepu's and Hooper's comments clearly show that the dressing room was divided and that the Captain 'was not aware of it' at the time. For me the AB's leadership and culture would be aware of it, addressed it in-house and handled the media knowing the whole squad supported the decision. Yes my opinion is that AB's and the NZRU would have handled this completely differently but that's my opinion and is hypothetical and we do not need to give this debate any more air time.

What a ridiculous comparison, KiEP. Comparing how Read small chat with teammates to how to handle the Folau-saga. Ever crossed your mind that if something comparable to the Folau-saga had happened in NZ, chances are Read would not have been sweet-talking...

Hope Rennie sees through Hooper as a narcissist corridor creeper

I didn’t mean it as a gender issue SMI. More that anyone who lives with anyone is allowed to speak freely on some things, while others remain ‘unmentionable’.

To be honest I can't ever think of a time he had a big smile on his face during a game that wasn't either bemusement at a ref call or during a verbal or niggle with an opposition player. Maybe he's jaded, maybe he just is one of those players that thrives on being constantly fired up in a game situation. That said, neither of those Hoopers is one that should ever be the one given the task of talking with referees.