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Roar Rookie
Joined December 2019
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I’m sure it has not escaped Michael Cheika’s notice that the Waratahs are in trouble and need help. What I’m about to propose may seem strange but it comes from my personal assessment of where the real problem lies.
If you watch the All Blacks All or Nothing documentary on Amazon Prime, there are some interesting clues about Ian Foster that might go unnoticed by many given the focus is on the action of the Lions series.
As the negotiation battle for the next rugby media rights contract is waged, Foxtel has been out throwing stones in the media.
Worth adding that if you combine an attacking lineout, hard hitting ruck defence and a whole line rush together it spells a very un-Wallabies like pressure game plan. Love it.
Bledisloe 2: Ian Foster's bias and Dave Rennie's test
Teams are out and the clues are there. Hannigan and BPA in. Samu and FolauF out of the starting side. This means ruck and line out are the intended battle grounds. Hannigan vs Samu is probably the key to compare. Samu is more a fetcher in the ruck, less a “shifter”. Hannigan hits and shifts (although I will concede was not particularly effective in this in his first few years in international level rugby). Clearly Rennie is anticipating less opportunity for fetcher style turnovers given ABs will be faster to the ruck. So the ruck becomes a battle ground of big bodies hitting each other.
The lineout was a missed opportunity for the WBs last Sunday. Hannigan (and Liam Wright on the bench this time) are both better lineout technicians. I think we’ll see WBs kick to the corners, play territory off this and seek to attack the ABs line out given that Whitelock is now out injured.
Bledisloe 2: Ian Foster's bias and Dave Rennie's test
so helpful. I always need someone to tell me why I like something. Have you failed to notice the contradiction in your response? I apparently like it because theres less matches but its apparently going to get stale very quickly because theres less teams? I’m guessing you’re no lawyer.
Can I say I'm actually enjoying Super rugby again?
I should also add that the negativity towards Australian rugby will evaporate pretty quickly with more of the last 2 weeks happening. SOmeone here mentioned the commentary on the Reds / Rebels and I totally agree. Even the commentators were upbeat with good reason. That in itself made it all the more fun.
Can I say I'm actually enjoying Super rugby again?
Fair enough sentiment but Ive come to realise game “quality” isnt everything for enjoyment. After all I love watching junior rugby and same for local subbies games and the quality of those is far lower than Super AU. My point is that for absolute entertainment, benchmarking against NZ teams week in / week out isnt necessary nor even healthy. Knowing that the teams who are playing have a chance of winning however is. Hence pit Aussie team against Aussie team And NZ team against NZ team. Then just bring together the best at the end because that will at least have an element of actual competition and a result thats in doubt. Take a risk and watch the latest 2 rounds and you’ll see a worthwhile spectacle each game. The first couple rounds were rusty for sure but lets not allow that o define the competition. The Waratahs / Reds, Reds / Brumbies, Reds / Rebels games were awesome.
Can I say I'm actually enjoying Super rugby again?
Yeah that Reds Rebels game was a cracker. Test match intensity. In the first half I thought it was just a matter of time before the Rebels ran over the top of the Reds given how intense their play was, particularly their rush defence. To then see the Reds wither teh storm on their own line again and again, I thyought I was watching game of thrones.
Can I say I'm actually enjoying Super rugby again?
Sometimes you just stumble on the right answer. My old boss used to say that in the investment world its sometimes more fruitful to be lucky rather than right.
Can I say I'm actually enjoying Super rugby again?
I think the horse has bolted on that for the short term. If Rugby AU garners even $30m in broadcast dollars in 2021 (half 2019 revenues) they would be doing well. We have to expect the top players in the country with international reputations have already gone, its just that the ink isnt dry yet. Its now goto be a 5 year plan to rebuild and the start of that is being realistic about the rebase necessary in 2021.
Can I say I'm actually enjoying Super rugby again?
Maybe I’m a little different here but although I colour myself a Waratahs supporter, I’m not welded on to only watching them. I enjoy working out which sides will surprise and watching them as much as my “home”team. The Reds in 2011 were an example and even the Rebels last year (at least for the first half of the season). For me its the players themselves I follow.
Can I say I'm actually enjoying Super rugby again?
Theres far more meaning in the top 2 Australian teams playing the top 2 NZ teams after they have proved themselves in the domestic competition than 5 teams playing week in/week out against NZ with 3 of them losing continually. If they choose that trans-tasman model as the main event they will have solved nothing. After Ive invested a season following the best Aussy sides, Im definitely then going to be interested in seeing how they fare against the best NZ sides at then end. Its the ultimate plot twist.
Can I say I'm actually enjoying Super rugby again?
I’m not convinced that the Wallabies success requires an international Super rugby competition as the main professional proving ground. League isnt built upon that premise yet the Kangaroos dominate. US basketball maintains dominance from the base of a domestic competition. etc etc. The main ingredient is a compelling competition that is considered by both players and punters as high quality and therefore attracts good talent. If Australian rugby can recapture the domestic audience from a Super Rugby AU format, that will restore the attraction of the sport and aid retention of top talent given advertising dollars will follow. I’m also not particularly concerned by an exodus of older mature players overseas. From a Wallabies selection perspective it only needs a rule tweak to solve and from a viewership perspective I find far more excitement watching the newstarts come through and develop than by watching guys like Tevita Kurindrani and Rob Simmons play their 10th seasons (no disrespect to their talents intended). Its just common sense. I wouldnt watch 10 seasons of the same TV program if it was always the same as well. I want to see new players come through to create excitement.
Can I say I'm actually enjoying Super rugby again?
This is a huge loss. If Kearns is appointed Australian rugby in my view will be in even worse straits. Has he ever negotiated a broadcast deal? Does he have any understanding of the media landscape other than being a paid presenter? Would he have had the guts to stand up to Fox Sports and go to tender given his past relationship? He cant even provide deep insight on a game of rugby let alone negotiate complex legal arrangements with players, sponsors, provinces, government. Has he ever provided an alternative to the Folau saga? Could he even put together a complex bid to host a world cup? Negotiate with SANZAR? I cant believe its even being contemplated. He’s run local wealth management and insurance broking buisnesses both of which are just sales organisations at their core but RA is an incredibly complex, international business with dozens of stakeholders. Its a specialist role – highly different to what hes done in the past. I’m sad to see Castle go. The Board saw Kearns as the lesser candidate 2 years ago. Whats changed now? If anything with his past affiliation with Fox, and the Boards strategy to go to tender on media rights, he’s a problematic candidate. I hope the Board runs a real process to recruit a replacement, not just makes an appointment thats already decided!
Raelene Castle resigns as Rugby Australia CEO
Good sledge. Even I find that funny. 😂 but its a stereotype that’s misleading. in all the years I coached my sons club side in the A level comp, 70% of teams we played were from the West and South of Sydney. NOT the north or East. And I bet the Foxtel penetration is far lower away from the north and east of Sydney. Hence the problem with Foxtel controlling rugby viewership
Foxtel versus rugby: The next battle
I think you miss the point. Ratings are what’s counted – not what counts. The potential rugby audience is much larger than the declining number that turns on Foxtel for a super rugby game. KAYO is the first lower priced way of consuming super rugby, it’s new and it’s still an enigma to nearly everyone including the older generation that keep rugby alive. More outside of Foxtel needs to be done as to Keep 100% alignment with Foxtel is to die a slow death.
Foxtel versus rugby: The next battle
After Gardner’s stuff ups as the AR in Bled 1 (missing the Ione foot on the sideline and then missing the AB joining the ruck from the side and using hands in a formed ruck), this stuff above is incredible. He simply copped out of policing the ruck all together in Bled 2! How can he hold his position as Ref with those performance back to back? If he was a player he’d be stood down permanently by his coach! At the end of the day while Rennie says we lost due to missed tackles, the real problem was the AB ruck speed in recycling the ball. Our ball was slow while theirs was light speed and that led to the missed tackles (not helped by the officiating above which allowed players off their feet willy nilly). It seems to me Rennie needs to take some responsbility for the Ruck tactics that allowed that situation to develop and not instructing the team on how to stop it after half time even if he was ambushed by the tactics in the first half.
How Dave Rennie’s words came back to haunt him at Eden Park