The tipping panel is done for another Super Rugby season, but the panel is by no means done for the 2021 rugby year. With the July Internationals and a Lions Tour upon us, we’re only just getting started.
A snappy new name for a format you may well remember; the quick questions have served us well at this end of the season for several years now, and who are we to break a winning combination?
So we’ll be going around again, albeit one member down with this week’s departure of Dan Jeffrey from The Roar.
Naturally, we’ve all deleted his number now that he’s turned his back on the Panel.
But, in some positive news, we’re hopeful of adding the one missing component from the Panel ahead of The Rugby Championship, so stay tuned.
Onto the two-up questions in a moment but first, let’s tie up the tipping loose ends.
LAST WEEK: Harry, Geoff and The Crowd were on the Blues; Dan, Digger, and I weren’t.
OVERALL: Harry 56, Dan 55, The Crowd 54, Geoff 51, Digger 49, Brett 45.
Question 1: What was your highlight of the Super Rugby season?
Harry
James O’Connor scoring a try at the death in the Super Rugby AU Final.
It also came at the exact moment I had some sort of allergic attack; the kind that makes your eyes well up, your heart leap for joy, and the ancient human yearning for redemption find its home.
Bad boy come good; prodigal son falls into our arms.
I’m not crying you’re crying. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Geoff
Did Brett ask for a highlight or highlights from Super Rugby this year? How about passing porn from Aaron Smith? And a cameo off the left hand by Richie Mo’unga at Eden Park.
The Brumbies bravely hanging on against the Reds in the AU final, until sheer weight of numbers and a sense of ‘it’s time’ finally willed the ball out to James O’Connor, for him to bury the ‘amigos’ tag once and for all.
Billy Harmon, not the captain, calling a captain’s challenge for foul play on himself by Dane Coles, when it was actually him who started it all. What on earth was he thinking? That the cameras had been switched off just for those few seconds?
And also from the shame file, Stan/Nine, not for coverage of the Force v Chiefs match turning to custard, but for pretending it never happened.
Digger
There were a few. The thrilling conclusion at Suncorp certainly needs a mention, along with a rejuvenated Chiefs side in Aotearoa and a gritty, never say die Force in Australia.
Not to mention the sheer abundance of talent across the loose forwards right now; I can’t personally recall so many quality options running about and my personal favourite, TOM Robinson, who brings a different perspective to after match interviews, making them a much watch affair.
As cheesy as this will sound, my main highlight was the Highlanders beating the Crusaders, quite well really in Christchurch.
Why? The week preceding the game, with all the peripheral issues dictating a weakened side, written off from pillar to post, it was a magnificent performance and reminded me that Rugby is very much a team game and a well-coached and determined side can achieve great things against the longest of odds. Just marvellous.
Brett
I think from an Australian perspective, it’s really hard to go past how quickly it became obvious that the second season of Super Rugby AU was anything but boring, and how quickly the goodwill of casual and regular rugby fans just blew up like we haven’t seen in years.
Heading into the final rounds, the finals equations meant there was something at play from every game, and it climaxed in incredible fashion for the Final in Brisbane.
And then the Final kicked off, and it became another thrilling Reds-Brumbies encounter and finished with another after-the-bell thriller, and an aggregate margin across the three games this season to just seven points.
Obviously, it was moved on from and even forgotten about a bit too quickly for my liking, but it was the clear highlight of the Super season for me.
Question 2: What’s the logical way forward for Super Rugby in 2022?
Harry
New Zealand and Pasifika need the Australian and Japanese markets; but cross-conference matches are mismatches, at present.
The solution seems to eradicate the barriers for all; so that a young Kiwi playing in Sydney or Brisbane is just as eligible as playing in Dunedin for All Black selection and contracting. A closed system, but 100 percent free within.
Aussie billionaires need to become the new French owners. The only way Super Rugby can gain market share is using the two richest countries in the applicable areas.
Saviour? Or naughty boy? (Photo by Daniel Carson/Getty Images)
Geoff
Assuming Fijian Drua are added to Australia and Moana Pasifika to New Zealand, look for one round of Super Rugby AU/Aotearoa (5 weeks), one final (1 week), before one full found of SR TT (11 weeks) plus semi-finals and final (2 weeks).
That’s 19 weeks of rugby, which is tight and leaves no room for any kind of ‘champions league’ interaction with Japan at this stage.
If that becomes a goer, then something else will have to give, and the dreaded conferences might be back on the table.
Digger
Well, assuming we all still get along and come to an agreement then the logical solution would be to play a straight round robin with the addition of the new Pacifika sides.
It seems the only practical way to move forward under current circumstances.
Brett
The fact that we’ve all said something different here makes it rather unsurprising that there’s a bit of uncertainty about the way forward even just within Rugby Australia, never mind between RA and New Zealand Rugby.
I think RA are really torn on this, and I’m sure there will be a strong push toward maintaining some form of strong domestic competition among the Australian sides.
But the idea I’ve really warmed to in recent weeks is to play a full trans-Tasman competition as remains the main desire on both sides of the ditch, and with a view to adding in some type of Japanese involvement either in 2022 or more likely 2023.
Len Ikitau celebrates with his Brumbies teammates. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
And then once the international season gets underway, that’s the time of year to play Super Rugby AU. While it’s nice to see the NRC being discussed again, I really do think the easiest, cheapest, and least offensive way to create another tier of rugby development would be to use the existing five state teams and their existing structures.
Add a sixth team, perhaps an Australian Barbarians arrangement if it’s doable, and run a full home and away series while the Bledisloes and Rugby Championship Tests are being played. Call it the NRC, the ARC, the APC, find the old 1990s Ricoh Cup; call it whatever you like.
But it’s known teams with known rivalries providing a much better level of rugby for the contracted players and the injured and fringe Wallabies not in the Test matchday 23 than any confected national club set-up is going to.
I genuinely think that might just be the best way to get everything done in a way that suits the majority of needs.
OVER TO YOU: What were your Super Rugby highlights for 2021?
And what is the best way forward for the competition next season?
Ex force fan
Guest
Aussie billionaires need to become the new French owners. Good idea Harry, but in practice it doesn’t work. It has not been a tough week for the Western Force supporters: - we lost 12 players including Domingo Miotti, Henry Taefu, Jonah Placid, Jono Lance, Jordan Olowofela, Rob Kearney, Tevita Kuridrani, Tomás Cubelli, Tomás Lezana and Kieran Longbottom that we couldn’t resign for 2022 - not a single player from the Force were picked for the Wallabies or Australian Olympic 7s ((just as in 2020 and before). Coincidence or does playing for the WF disqualify you in the minds of the East Australian based selectors - our Woman’s team had to withdraw after playing a single game due to a new covid outbreak in Sydney that forced WA and other states into lockdown. I predict that our female players will also get snubbed at selection time. - we are subject to the same salary cap as other Superugby teams, however every other team has more to spend on players as they get Wallaby top-ups on top of the salary cap. The Force have not a single Wallaby top-up. It should be obvious that without Wallaby top-ups the Force will struggle to retain our best players - therefore no surprise that we could not resign lso many of our best XV for next year. I don’t understand why Rugby Australia prevent Twiggy from contracting international quality players by insisting on this salary cap. We need to rebuild again next year, with less test quality players than any other franchise, the least money to spend on players and the added disadvantage that our players are not on the Eastern State based selectors radar. It is clearly by design that the Force is setup to deliver the occasional upset but not to win Superugby just as before. How do we sign players on multiple year deals if RA hasn’t even invited us to play Superugby next year? How do you build a team on one year deals? Why would a player sign up at the WF that doesn’t even have a vote at RA when they can play for an East Australian franchise that have far more certainly and that is closer to the selectors? Harry, why would someone like Twiggy continue to throw good money on a team that is undermined by RA? You need RA to reform so that it represents the Australian rugby community or we will continue to struggle just to survive and stay relevant.
Jimbob
Roar Rookie
If you go with a combined play off this year would have seen 3 kiwi teams (crusaders, blues and I think the highlanders) and one aus (brumbies) in the playoffs. To my mind that’s a decent result given how one sided TT was. Gives everyone some skin in the game geographically as well as rewarding the clearly superior kiwi teams. It also forces you to show your the best team across a range of situations – playing in Perth and in Christchurch. If you go with a conference system then it’s 2 Aussie – reds and brumbies vs 2 kiwi crusaders and blues. Either way it makes the playoffs both necessary as a way of balancing the regular season and relevant on both sides of the Tasman. Most importantly it creates a single coherent comp that can be marketed and promoted as an ANZ (ANZPAC?) comp. It’s a comp that features at most points in time at least half of a world XV and if you buy in some smart imports for the aus and pacific teams can pretty easily boast that it is the premier tier of competition in world rugby below tests. TV rights should saleable at a decent rate internationally and that revenue could be used to support the pacific teams and pay for some Aussie imports if NZ is reluctant to let some of their veterans or journeymen play in Aussie sides. Most importantly it should function as a single competition that has numerous well known brands and personalities and a local geographic focus that gives it a particular character and purpose that is easily understood by casual viewers.
Double Agent
Guest
It's a sad indictment on Rugby when the welcome to country thingy is considred the highlight of the evening!! :laughing:
Coker
Roar Rookie
Yep, that's my favourite too. Happy to have the playoffs consist of the top two (or even one) from each conference as well, rather than based on overall standings. At the moment, that'll have NZ fans moaning, but there'll come a not-too-far-off day when they'll be glad of it.
Jimbob
Roar Rookie
Not sure if any one has put this out there as a model. 12 teams - 5 aus, 5 NZ, 1 Fiji, 1 Pacifika. These are split into 2 groups (formally as conferences or informally like they do in the AFL or NRL draws with the Sydney and Melbourne teams). Group 1 is Aus with Fiji Group 2 NZ with Pacifika Group 1 full home and away round, group similar. That’s 10 games. Then you play the other group in a single round. That gives you another 6 matches. You can combine the table, mix up the schedule (it would make sense to avoid a TT type program). 16 round comp. Top 4 of the 12 teams go into playoffs - 1 v 4 and 2v3 then a final. That’s 3 rounds. Total number of matches 16+3 = 19 That’s about 4 and 1/2 months. So the comp would run from early March through to late June. It also has the advantage of maximising the local aspect of the competition - aus teams playing aus teams and nz v nz. You could split the comp into an and east and west Tasman conference and take the top two from the conferences or keep it as a common table with the clear top 4. It gives you the advantages of Super Rugby AU / NZ plus the value of the TT and most importantly it also offer a simple coherent and clear competition/product that is consequently easily marketed.
Carlin
Roar Rookie
My highlight was Blake Gibsons match clinching try last week ending the Blues 18 year trophy drought. I know winning Super Rugby Trans-Tasman had flaws in its format but that victory meant a lot of the Blues organisation and hopefully it is the reboot rugby needs in general in the great Auckland region. Moving forward, if Fiji Drua and Moana Pasifika are added a straight round robin giving 11 games a season. Then a top 6 (Championship Group) and bottom 6 (Plate Group), play each other once in the respective group then a top 4 per group and final. Means teams would still get 16-18 games.
numpty
Roar Rookie
There were 7 rounds of regular super rugby at the start of 2020. Where the Aus teams had done okay with Brumbies beating chiefs and rebels the highlanders.
twodogs
Roar Rookie
Getting my comment in so that if we go a full TT route and see little to no improvement I can be a massive dick and do an obligatory I told you so. Hoping it's not a repeat of SR 2016-2019, but I believe we will just see more of the same. An inability to compete, a one-sided competition and the continual slow death of union. I watch rugby to enjoy it, I no longer care about the jingoistic pissing contest of being number 1 when we are number 7 and falling.
The Crow Flies Backwards
Roar Rookie
Was tossing up between Emery and Ellery. The memory is not what it was, but I think he was bald
Ex force fan
Guest
I used the words "at least" as I also don't see much risk to Australian rugby to remove the cap on the Force. I don't think it is credible that Twiggy will go on a spending spree as his goal is to use the Force to develop WA based talent. There will be a natural balance between giving local talent opportunities and cover gaps or accelerate development by the using internationals and lure ex Wallabies back to Australia. Also ex Australian players that wants to return to WA will be required to stick around and become part of the WA community for a couple of years. I don't think the Force will become a Toulouse - but even if it does, would it be a problem? The more significant risk for Australian rugby is that the Force lure the talent from other Australian franchises to cover gaps as they cannot stay within the salary cap and sign internationals. This will make the other franchises weaker vs NZ as their upcoming talent relocate for more game time. This is happening....
The rugby community is actually very well connected and no matter where you go there is an expat running rugby somewhere. Having the right connections can certainly produce some signings that wouldnt usually be thought of or looked at...Think outside the box...
And right there is the reason its not going to happen. NZ loses a lot of players now. Why open themselves up to more losses.
mused6
Roar Rookie
All fair points Numpty. Just out of curiosity, how did the Wallabies manage to draw against the All Blacks at Wellington in Bledisloe 1 last year if SRAU fails to prep our players?
The Late News
Roar Rookie
sweet bro. Life's complicated sometimes!
Greasegun
Roar Rookie
The more I read the Roar the more obvious it is that rugby is caught perpetually between Australian ambivalence and NZ nationalism. NSWRU and the rest of the country. NSW club dominance and the money of Twiggy. NZ central control, AB dominance and the Wallas as the Washington Generals. Kiddie wannabe NZers in the Green and Gold and the NZ pros. Maybe it can’t be solved.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Good point Jacko, no I don't and anyway it'll never happen.
Coker
Roar Rookie
Dempsey wasn't great early on, but I thought he was pretty good in TT after coming back from injury.
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
Yep, especially if they considered they were 3rd or 4th in line in NZ. Look at Bundee Aki. Would never have made the Abs with who was there at the time and now a Lion
Coker
Roar Rookie
I think my highlight would have to be Gus Bell's open field tackle on Richie Mo'unga — and I say that as a Crusaders fan. I thought RM was off and gone for all money... The low point was the Crusaders loss to the Highlanders, mainly because it was the first soup loss I've personally attended during the 13 years I've been in Chch. Still, it had to happen someday, and far better that it was my home town Highlanders team inflicting the pain than any other.
Greasegun
Roar Rookie
I think your analysis of periods of sporting success validate the need for the focus to be the success of the competition and all that entails, not the results of internationals. If NZ lose the dominance of their national team there is nothing left. If we have a successful comp with the interest and money that flows from that then the hp aspect should also follow. NZ can be part of that model but it means relinquishing the control that has enabled their Super sides to be so good to allow for the competitions success. Absent that it’ll probably league or AFL in 20 years.