The Roar
The Roar

The Roar

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Joined August 2011

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Thanks for that Nick, an enjoyable read to start the day.
One advantage Smith has always had over other halfbacks is the ability to get the ‘picture’ of the game into his head on the way to the next ruck and then simply executing the next phase quickly.
The pass for the Tomkinson try, off the left, hand off the floor is a skill level unrivalled, but many would not have ‘seen’ the pass quickly enough to take advantage. This likely falls under your TCUP designation.
I could not agree more with Super AU being shackled by the closed comp ( good in so many ways) but when RA decided not to go hard on the breakdown directives for fear of a penalty fest then they set the Aus game back a year. If the Wallabies get an English referee for the France games – look out, they will be in trouble.

This is my favorite pass Smith has ever thrown, there is about a minute of highlights from the game vs SA in 2016 on here when his passing destroyed SA, but the try at 22 sec on the tape when he takes out 7 SA forwards on the goal line with a pass thrown only a metre or so in front of them is the work of a master craftsman.

Why the Queensland Reds hit a speed bump in Dunedin

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Now

Parity
Highlanders a little too smart on the engage for the Reds to get a big hit started

Six talking points from Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, Round 1

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1d

Regarding Karl Tu’inukuafe – pleasing to see the Australian commentators making an effort on how all players names are pronounced, did note that when Tim Horan got to Big Karl s full name he bailed out after about 2 syllables, at least he tried.
Worth noting on the refereeing, NZ sides lost every penalty count except the Blues who were in front by a single penalty. 13-12.
But lets remember the study released (was it 2 years ago) of the Super nations, NZ is the only country where referees consistently favour the visitors over time.

The Wrap: Goldilocks, Super Rugby and the three bears

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Am going to disagree JOC’s departure was the tipping point.
I was amazed how deep in the pocket he played right from the off, he wasn’t going anywhere near the the gain-line. Reds were having trouble getting any real exits going, this didn’t help
Didnt see him play that deep all year.
Hegarty’s two kicks for tries were pretty damn good as well.

Six talking points from Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, Round 1

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1d

Nice read Geoff, must admit to reading the intensity of teams totally wrong going into that weekend. Brums and Force brought some fight, Clan a game plan and execution and the Blues finally overcame an error strewn start but the rest was all just a bit messy and unfocused.
What the Hurricanes thought they were doing I don’t know.
I stand by my recent comment that putting this comp back together as regions our primary competition will be difficult.
Let’s hope the comp settles down this weekend and a more uniform focus and approach is delivered by all.
Re “that” Smith pass, I will add, off the floor, as well, unreal execution.

The Wrap: Goldilocks, Super Rugby and the three bears

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1d

The complete 8, and a huge work engine on him
Between 2013 – 2015 he was the best I have ever seen in the position.
Could do everything.

Read it and weep: Former All Blacks captain announces retirement

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2d

Thats a wobbly backline we have out this week – Frizzell also a huge miss sadly.
Fingers crossed the home team can find something

Super Rugby tipping panel Week 13: We meet again

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5d

We will be hoping the Reds team celebrations went on long and hard.
Maybe a few Reds could stay at Josh Ioanes place a couple of days before 😂 😂

Super Rugby tipping panel Week 13: We meet again

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5d

It appears only Brett has read the Highlanders team sheet.

Looking forward to the following months games, will be in Queenstown to welcome the Rebels in a couple of weeks time – by the way, we have a -3 kick ar$e frost this morning that will be very interesting for the Victorians is we pull one of those out of the bag when they are here.

Super Rugby tipping panel Week 13: We meet again

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5d

I cant see my guys challenging this comp
Didnt come through Aotearoa well in terms of injuries, any more and we in deep trouble
Also, Coach Brown off to Japan of course

The two lingering questions from an incredible weekend of Super Rugby finals

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1w

That’s the one

Seven talking points from the Super Rugby AU and Aotearoa finals

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1w

He’s happy as a number 2……

The Wrap: Suncorp buzzes as Super Rugby final delivers three winners

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1w

The 2020 numbers will be interesting Geoff
There is a 9mm from WR and 6mm from HSBC that had to be injected last year just for sign off, and another operating loss likely this year.
I listened to the Chairman on the Australian Newspaper Breakdown Podcast – an awful cheap shot series so dont waste your time, but he said one option put to the board last year was the game reverting to amateur status, the finances were that bad.
I think RA would be better off selling the rights to run their commercial arm for 2-3 years (this was NZR first idea when they went to market) and then look at any equity sale after you have got those revenue numbers back up. As you observe, any buyer getting in now is going to get a good deal.
Our sport is in for a very interesting few years

The Wrap: Suncorp buzzes as Super Rugby final delivers three winners

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1w

True, but would you go to the private market with the RA balance sheet.
People seem to choose not to remember how long it took for their own auditors to sign the accounts, were the companies office not on the verge of demanding them.
I am amazed the RA chair keeps using the PE prompt when he has few bullets to fire.
Interesting times.

The Wrap: Suncorp buzzes as Super Rugby final delivers three winners

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I will field this one RT
Deal with TB was always that Japan national team gets first call, this pre match for the Lions gets priority ( It also takes Jamie Joseph away from coaching the John MacGlashan school first XV with Aaron Mauger too, hows that for a senior school team)
So, he wont make the TT’s and given our injury list its prob a good thing to miss.
After this he only has 1 more year on his contract.

The Wrap: Suncorp buzzes as Super Rugby final delivers three winners

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BB was fullback for the loss to argentina’, Mounga ta 10
If you are gonna throw shyte at least get it right

Seven talking points from the Super Rugby AU and Aotearoa finals

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1w

Now that NZ have broken away the sale of their own comp from Super Rugby for the international markets and they have proof of concept, its going to be very hard to put this back together.

The Wrap: Suncorp buzzes as Super Rugby final delivers three winners

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1w

Crawford kinda cut from the same cloth, ex lawyer and prof firm ceo.
Lots of non-exec experience and ex chair of Norths Rugby.
I have declared an interest on here before, I have known and worked with Roger Davis many years ago in London. I always found him to be a seriously smart, engaging and generous individual.
If you wrote a job advert for any rugby Chairmans job – he would fit it.
Ex Wallaby, successful international businessman, returned to Aus to give something back to the game. Rhodes scholar and Honours degree in economics. Pretty much covers all bases I would think.
But timing is everything, and post 2015 his board has made some poor decsions and he must carry the can, and for all the Tah fans, should have done it sooner, thats when you need a strong board and I dont think he had one.
But if you are looking for an individual who is a fail-safe for the job, that person doesnt exist, sometimes you just get lucky. I wish the new Chair of NSW all the best.
Seeing as there are so many experts on his role, it appears he has his work cut out.

It's official: Waratahs chairman Roger Davis heads for the exit

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1w

Is that like a small bag?

Super Rugby tipping panel week 12: Double-final extravaganza week

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2w

I did catch the first half of the Warriors game the other day and noted the commentators had a scale of who you dont listen to for captains challenges, Front Row, Replacement front row and wingers. 😂

The Wrap: Is there such a thing as a quiet week in rugby?

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Gday Geoff
Well the Highlanders will be remembered for something this year, most stupid referral in the history of any sport, and it ended up being a critical turning point in the game. You could see Ash wasnt believing it in discussion with the referee, it was time to push the abort button and he didnt.
Not looking forward to the TT’s, my boys decimated with injury now, another 5 weeks looks a bridge to far.
Heres hoping NZR move ahead with this PE deal. Of all the ones in the rugby space it looks a belter for NZR in terms of both dollar size of the deal and the goverance structure that goes with it. The risk return model (on the public info) is well in NZR’s favour.
Interesting to read the very naive level of comments on some of this stuff.
NZR have had their own Investment Bank advisors working on this for over 2 years they so unlikely they have missed anything. And lets remember this was NZR going to market with a tender, not some offer that arrived out of the blue ether.
I wrote on these boards about 18 months ago that we should expect NZR to be in the market place with a deal looking to sell the licensing rights for their commercial arm and this is the final deal iteration ( i hope)
At the absolute worst this deal locks in guaranteed cash flow for 12.5% of revenue (2019 numbers ish) for about 20 years – that looks like pretty good business on a pure standalone basis, esp in the current environment.
If this deal was put in front of me as a board member of NZR (I’m not of course , but just to be clear) I would bite your arm off.

The Wrap: Is there such a thing as a quiet week in rugby?

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2w

Nice nick, for your discipline numbers, and for me this is a massively important number to use when evaluating performance , some of those not great for net numbers. Do you include ‘ loose ball recovered’ in your numbers

Coach’s Corner Issue 10: How loose can you be?

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3w

Depends entirely on the terms of the trade, but this deal has a multiple so big they aren’t leaving early if they want a return, this is a long term trade.
And if they do, NZR would have made even more money – again depending on the upside revenue share arrangements.

New Zealand Rugby votes in favour of selling stake to US equity firm

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Whose brand is it to put on the market?
Simple, the guys we elect to run the sport.
But with regard to your CEO, I have been following that story for years – 8 years he delayed keeping that out of the courts, so SARU can thank Stellenbosch for agreeing the arbitration route.
I would trust our guys over yours fair to say.

New Zealand Rugby votes in favour of selling stake to US equity firm

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. Putting a monetary value to it kinda cheapens it a bit?

Three billion dollars doesn’t look cheap to me
While I share your old school values JN you simply cant survive in pro sports today without a sound commercial base and this is only a first step.

Think of this deal this way, NZR just got offered $387m dollars by someone who wants to make their revenue go even higher.

New Zealand Rugby votes in favour of selling stake to US equity firm

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