There are those who will forever play the man – and not the ball – where TJ Perenara is concerned.
The All Blacks and Hurricanes halfback has often used his status to opine on issues outside of rugby or to back causes that aren’t universally popular.
His recent endorsement of the anti-government haka performed by the Hurricanes Poua, would be a case in point.
There’s a weariness that’s developed about the 32-year-old Perenara. A feeling that he’s had more than enough to say for himself and ought not to be getting another All Black platform from which to say it.
I don’t care what athletes think of the world beyond their chosen career and, on that basis, think Perenara should be one of the first players picked in Scott Robertson’s first All Blacks squad.
Scott Robertson has a rebuilding job ahead of him with the All Blacks. (Photo by Peter Meecham/Getty Images)
I’ve battled with the idea of Perenara as an All Black, over the years.
I looked at the game the team tried to play with Aaron Smith as the starting scrumhalf and wondered why they persevered with Perenara.
Where one was fleet of foot and pass, the other was pedestrian. Where one epitomised the dynamic, fast-paced football the All Blacks sought to play, the other slowed it down.
As one, two punches went, it often seemed a strange one.
But, with Smith gone, I just can’t see a reason why Perenara shouldn’t be the man to replace him.
It’s simply a matter of competitiveness and workrate.
I covered some reasonable Hurricanes teams over the years. But there were definitely times, once Beauden Barrett was gone and whenever Dane Coles was out injured, that it seemed like Perenara and Ardie Savea were playing the opposition on their own.
That their win-at-all-costs mentality was all that was keeping the side from a descent into mediocrity.
If Perenara’s Hurricanes teammate Cam Roigard were available to contest the All Blacks’ No.9 jumper, then I might have a different view. But he’s not and I can’t see past Perenara as the best option.
Not least because, in the absence of Richie Mo’unga, Barrett looms as New Zealand’s most reliable first five-eighth.
Could TJ Perenara link up with Beauden Barrett once again? (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Again, I have had mixed feelings about the Perenara and Barrett combination over the years.
There were times, for all their public mateship, when I thought Barrett would be better off without Perenara.
That having a halfback who could pass crisply – or didn’t have a run-first mentality to quick ruck ball – might benefit the brilliant Barrett.
But this is a pick your poison situation and I’m certainly more enthused about Perenara and Barrett, than I would be, say, a partnership between Finlay Christie and Damian McKenzie.
After all, if anyone knows how to work with Perenara’s shortcomings, then it’s Barrett.
I also don’t want to be too hard on Perenara here.
One of the great advantages to being at games is getting the opportunity to see what players actually do.
Television cameras can only show you so much.
Often you genuinely have to be there to appreciate how much individual players contribute to the overall performance.
Even now, as he showed against the Chiefs on Saturday, Perenara is an incredible asset to the Hurricanes.
We all know how much experience the All Blacks have lost in the wake of last year’s Rugby World Cup final and that makes Perenara more valuable than ever.
The other opportunity that covering a team affords you, is a front row seat at training.
TJ Perenara joined level with Julian Savea as Super Rugby’s greatest tryscorer and scoring twice against the Chiefs at Sky Stadium, on April 13, 2024, in Wellington. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Perenara’s talk and work ethic always stood out, in those settings. The extras he did and the skill-execution games he played against teammates were striking.
As much as he wanted to win, Perenara hated to lose. I suspect a lot of players don’t hate losing quite as much as they should. Certainly not as much as Perenara does.
But when he wasn’t having to win everything at training, Perenara was also helping others.
I never saw him offer the tight five too many tips, but he’d always be locked in conversation with backs and loose forwards about where they should be and what they should do.
Kicking, catching, angles of attack, defensive reads; he’d offer considered advice and tutelage on them all.
The man is a leader and the All Blacks need leadership right now.
He also remains a hell of an all round rugby player.
Sure, his game has flaws, but he continues to make up for them in all the effort areas.
I know there are those who feel Perenara’s time in the All Blacks should be over, but I simply don’t think Robertson can overlook a competitor of his kind.
Todd
Roar Rookie
Perofeta is not up to the required standard. I would have quite liked zarn to have been given an extended crack at 10 before the injury. But for mine if roigard was available he is streets ahead of tj
Todd
Roar Rookie
I agree that BB should not be in the frame ahead of dmac. Emergency back up or bench guy for 10 maybe, but stifles the backline with his predictable shuffling the ball on
Jacko
Roar Rookie
TJ has been the best 9 besides Smith for 10 years now.
Peter
Roar Rookie
At least a little dramatic… tone down the hyperbole. Criticise is what we do, no need to search for something to be offended by, where it clearly does not exist.
Dualcode
Roar Rookie
Sounds like an All Blacks dilemma here on the halves
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
The NRL has money and places. RA has neither. So the NRL gets the young players.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
You mean RA doesn't have the money to pay, rugby does but RA and NZR do not which is why they think dreams and promises will get players.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Many complained that DMac should have been picked for the ABs in 2022 yet he went off with the XV and while coached by Razor failed to have impact on a team like Quinns who had their best players away with England. Plenty players have looked great at test level but then fail to do it at Test level which is why players like Cane, Savea Jordi etc were picked sometimes out of position because they could play test rugby but the flasher SR players could not. Still waiting to hear how Fakatava and Ratima have justified selection when Weber was not good enough for test rugby, are they suddenly better than Weber was last year. Lets see Roigard play against a T1 side because the one game he did play it was lost and his only highlight was when the record score was already secured by SA.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
He has been the second best 9 in NZ for the past decade. Stop belittling his ability and achievements
Peter
Roar Rookie
22 but who’s counting… point remains. He’s hasn’t the answer for a decade. Why bother now, don’t see the reward out weighing the risk.
Peter
Roar Rookie
Don't find that to be a sufficient answer
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Simple, the NRL has enough money to offer a salary to every good teenager and has so many teams there are many places for them. Rugby has neither the money to do so nor the team places. The money rugby does have is used to keep the much older top players in Australia who are actually playing for the Wallabies. As for Australian coaches the problem is appointing ex-player because they were good players rather than being good coaches. Nepotism and careers for ex-players. Rassie took nothing from Europe (there's nothing to take) and moving the teams there was a mistake in everything but financial terms.
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
Agree with all that and NZR needs to have a good look at the development of U20’s who aren’t getting enough exposure at a level above club rugby, which better encapsulates some of your comments about exposure and being test ready. And yes, playing a handful of minutes in a handful of SR games isn’t going to cut it. The NPC is a good competition, but with players spread far and wide over a large number of teams, this doesn’t give them the exposure required.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Any why are the NRL able to take those players when Union pays more to the top players. If the SANZAR deal of 2020 was the same % bigger than 6Ns they would have no issue with the NRL. That SANZAR deal was bigger than the 3 leagues and 6N broadcast deals combined. If it had grown the same as Europe and even NRL it would be $500+m a year to run 5 teams and each team would be getting 15k+ to every game. It was the pie getting smaller and other pies that were much smaller getting much bigger that has caused the problem. Yes Oz has an issue with coaches but that is as much down to pride as it is anything else. They believe that there is a right and wrong way to play rugby and don't change or feel they should learn from less nations. To SAs credit and Rassie he took alot from his time in Europe and was a big driver in the SA teams now being in Europe.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
I never said they weren’t nor said they are the bench mark. The French in the late 00s realized that not having private schools acting as sub academies for players like the rest of the T1 countries they had to change things. They did this and a few years later they won their first ever u20s having never made a final before (best previously had been 4th). I use the French as an example as it is the complete opposite end of the scale to NZ. In NZ a professional player only has SRP of 14 rounds, the T14 has nearly double that at 26 rounds plus 4 Cup games. Test rugby is not where coaches need to rotate but at SRP level but there are no minutes. I was agreeing with you and explain what the issue is, its not the wins that is the problem its the games that aren’t played.
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
Even here you are wrong. They move Him to 10 as it gives Ioane a run. They drop Stephenson to the bench, not because he is a rubbish player, but because it changes the dynamic. But spin it however you wish. Mounga also doesn’t look so good outside Christie and the backline is stifled. You do know Ryan and Schmidt weren’t the backline Coaches right?
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
If you say so… it must be true.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Lest talk about it December after some of these players have been off with the ABs and XV and see how they are stacking up.
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
As is clear by your post you make up facts to suit your narrative. Weber was only on 10k a year? Ireland are a decent team but not all the players are great, which is why they got disassembled when they last played the ABs in front of what was effectively a home crowd. By your account the ABs won’t have much of a team then right and should be flogged by all other teams… just a silly and preposterous comment, but then so much of what you say on this is.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
I never said the boks weren't big, I said NZ has always been one of the biggest teams in test rugby. The belief that NZ were up against bigger and stronger teams is a lie. Yes against SA which is why it took them so long to win a test in SA but who else bigger. The big challenge that NZ has faced is that other teams are now as big or bigger than them which is why they are finding it harder. The Oz team from the 90s was also massive which is part of the reason they were so good.