Search results

Amen brother. Drain the swamp! Don't listen to the GAGRaelene #losers who come on here, with their thinly-veiled 'analysis' that is really just fandom. Sad! She has been in office over a year, and in that time we haven't won a single Bledisloe, we lost the World Cup, and look at the state...

That's pretty damning. Puts paid to the theory that visiting teams are more tired, struggle to adjust to altitude, etc.

Rebels3 (and others), are there any stats on how neutral refs perform in South Africa? That would be an illuminating statistic.

The timing of that article is a bit odd. What does it prove? Who really cares? Of course the Christian players were a bit aggrieved. We all knew that. The article can't prove it affected anything beyond a single camp though.

Lions at $2.40 is very tempting indeed.

OK thanks Blackadder. I think this has run its course for the time being. Maybe time to move on to other discussions.

This is such an important game. If the Reds can win, they should be considered as real contenders for a finals berth and a big push for the title in 2021. The Sharks are a good team and IMO a better one than the Reds at the moment. They are 2-1 on their road trip so far and this is also a big...

Slipper is a very good player. I want every player of his quality to be wearing a blue jumper, and the other Australian sides to be reduced to shells of their former selves with rosters full of B-grade losers. But wish as I may, I don't think that's ever going to happen. Sometimes good...

So Foxtel are publicly walking away, in the hopes that Optus reduce their bid and either it sends RA broke, or Foxtel can come in with a late lowball offer and win the rights? It's a pretty grubby way to do things. As much as it may inconvenience me, I am increasingly hoping that Optus wins...

Brodie Retallick is too closely tied to Steve Hanson. If I were Ian Foster he'd be the first person I'd drop.

Yes, that's correct. The timing is odd though. You'd think it has something to do with the TV negotiations.

Paul McLean appointed as Chair. He'd need to be voted in at the AGM to become the permanent Chair, I believe. I don't know much of his (off the field) pedigree, but I do know he has been on the Board since 2013. It's not exactly a vote for change.

Speaking of players who are frequently injured, I liked what I saw from Rob Valetini on the weekend. He's been talked up by many for a few years, and while he's shown some glimpses I can't say I have ever been super impressed by his game. Maybe I just didn't see what others did. He wasn't bad...

I'm not arguing with you mate. And I've stuck up for them here, but written a number of articles where I've been highly critical. But whatever.

Of course. I don't want to respond point by point, many of your observations are spot on. I was just sticking up, briefly, for the broad 'old boys' sector who are probably the largest and most lucrative fanbase we have left. We should widen the base, include new perspectives, seek other...

But this is the problem. The 'old boys' are just about the only thing the game has going for it at the moment. I don't think we should just throw the keys to the Randwick board and let them go, but it's a bit silly to disparage those groups out of a misplaced desire to burn it all down and...

Jaco is one of the top three or four refs in the World, and can probably draw the income to sustain a professional lifestyle. But other Super referees aren't so lucky, and I know anecdotally that most have day jobs during the week. The demands of the job aren't really that great outside of...

Yes, and I believe all refs would hold day jobs away from the game. So that becomes very hard if you have to hop on a plane to Buenos Aires or Joburg every few weeks.

I thought To'omua managed a wet weather game pretty well on Friday night though. It's either him or JOC (James O'Connor) at the moment. Tate McDermott is the guy who has stood out to me. Really nice pass, good speed, has a knack for making plays. Unless he gets injured I reckon he debuts this year.

The issue with the NRC is the confusion it adds to the calendar. I'm a fan of the development opportunities, but I can't help thinking we may as well go back to the old 'Ricoh Cup' model instead (Super teams minus international players). Which means we have the Super Rugby and a club season...