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Brett McKay

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Joined September 2008

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Brett McKay is one of The Roar's good news stories and has been a rugby and cricket expert for the site since July 2009. Brett is an international and Super Rugby commentator for ABC Grandstand radio, is the voice of ACT club rugby, has commentated on Under-20s Championships, Women's Uni Sevens and National Rugby Championship coverage, and has written for magazines and websites in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK. He tweets from @BMcSport.

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Harsh, but fair..

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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Piners, if you can’t assess Bledisloe form in mid-February, when can you?!? 😮

Bleak Bledisloe hopes a harsh reality for Wallabies fans

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Today

Now, obviously, there’s no do-overs for the panel, but anyone feeling nervous about any one tip now the teams are out?

I’m not feeling so confident about the Rebels now, not with Toomua ruled out with injury… 😐

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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Easy not to talk about refs when you don’t watch them… 😛

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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..yeah, but history also shows you rarely use a different map!! 😂

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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Huge if true…

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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Nope, I straight out refuse to let the Blues have unanimous backing… 😊

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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Which means a lot of people disappointed in a little way, or one person disappointed a lot. Again… 😡

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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“The Blues will chalk up another win away.”

Interesting to see the Waratahs win in Newcastle was the Blues’s first away win in the previous 11 starts away, RT.

Overall, the Blues have lost 61% of away games.

In South Africa, it’s *only* 58%, with 29 losses in 50 games – but only two wins in their last 13 starts going back to 2012 (and one of those was the Kings!)

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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I can’t believe the Blues have only played at Loftus 8 times in 25 years!

The last of those two wins was 2012, but they haven’t played there at all since 2014!! 😯

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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They’ll need them. One of them better be D. Vermuelen… 😔

Super Rugby Round 4: Short and sweet

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Tell me you’re not laying that at the feet of the NRC graduates?!? 😯

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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#howgoodarefacts

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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It’s a valid question, Paul – and I’m immediately drawn to the articles last season (or the season before) from the former NRC player who outlined why it was becoming easier and easier for senior players to just not bother with the NRC, and that the incentives just weren’t there in terms of payment and expenses..

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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Sorry Joe, that was unintentional.

That kind of ‘champions comp’ I’m sure will be one of the 17 options, there might even be multiple variations of it presented.

Personally, I’ve got concerns about this format as I’ve outlined in other comments – I think it very likely creates a bigger gulf between the clubs that do and don’t qualify.

And it could also mean that some club players and contracted players who should be playing in a 3rd-tier comp of some sort could miss out if their clubs don’t qualify (and I’d be dead against short-term registrations with other clubs)..

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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Just to clarify Scott, what I’m talking about is not a national club comp as is being widely floated elsewhere, and talks of combining the Brisbane and Sydney comps into one massive thing (possibly with two divisions).

What I’m talking about is the concept of a national knockout Cup comp that supplements the existing clubs comps around the country..

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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Semi-pro at best Nic.

The NRC has fully pro players (those contracted to SR sides), but is still only semi-pro. And funnily enough, I think that’s partly what’s held it back – if it could be funded and run (and therefore trained and played) fully pro, then the standard certainly improve, and I’m pretty sure the following and support would improve too..

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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No, it was always suggested that the NRC would be used to trial things like new laws and even refereeing interpretations, Max.

That said, last year was the first in several where LVs were trialled. The couple of seasons before that were played with the same Laws and points systems that we know – but resulted in faster play and more ball-in-play and more tries anyway..

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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Don’t rule out the same article going up again… 🙄

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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Yes, DA..

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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Cheers EFF. Was this club comp in SA a knockout comp though, or just a single carnival-type comp?

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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Not to mention many of the law variations first used soon filtered up to Super Rugby and International level..

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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Whatever, but that’s a different article you’re now pointing to.

And there’s no doubt the CRTV has played a role in the resurgence of club rugby in Sydney. It’s just that the resurgence is not as strong as is often made out.

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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That ended abruptly, didn’t it… 🙄

#howgoodarefacts

A national cup competition is an idea worth exploring

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Feels like the right result in the end, even if SANZAAR’s 50% discount still feels way over the top in terms of generosity, in my mind.

I can see why Nic Berry didn’t get a clear view of it, I was looking at the same 15-year old scoreboard screen he was, but what I don’t understand is why Ian Smith in the TMO box didn’t tell Berry the contact was pretty clear.

Anyway, we got there..

Tomkinson handed three-week ban over Banks hit

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