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On saying this we need to remember the stats next time we complain about injustice in NZ. Figures show it’s not happening.

Lots of talk today about hometown refs. I have been caught up in the outrage before and perceived bias but then again I have always thought it’s probably my bias that is clouding the judgement. So I decided to do some research today on the stats, dating back to the start of the 2017 season. So...

The problem is who eventually takes the blows that a national comp would provide. Both NRL and AFL has had a lot of collateral damage over the years. The entire Brisbane League competition suffered massively from the NRL rise, Newtown, Glebe, North Sydney, mergers like Balmain and Wests etc...

Anything in a future NRC or NCC needs to not be fake. If it’s going to be the NRC it needs to be the Super Rugby clubs (minus their wallabies due to the time of season). If there is going to be a NCC then the WA, Vic team needs to be an existing entity not some made up nonsense. I’d be looking...

With the scrum the question should be who is the better player Sio or Tupou? Ino different positions but I legitimately believe AAT might be our best LH if given the chance as well as TH. You could easily slip him to LH if the team would be better with Thor at TH.

It all comes down to perception and the rhetoric the media is running with. You could have the Harlem globetrotters equivalent of a super rugby team atm and it wouldn’t make a difference. The competition builds no momentum, has no consistency, there is nothing special about any of the teams...

If it were an individual club to be selected they would do worse than introduce the Axemen back into a representative team on a yearly basis, but excluding players from the qualified team. Perhaps playing a fixture against the qualified team and then another against the Rebels A side to reward...

I actually like Hodge as a winger, his finishing ability is severely underrated. Looks like Ainsley has finally been given up on. He has been an ordinary performer since breaking into Super Rugby.

I’m a Uni man after playing a few games for them when I first moved down from QLD, but would happily support any other team if they made it to the next level. Admittedly I don’t have any long term affiliation with a club as i grew up playing for the Breakers (now Bond), so happy to just support...

In fairness to him each move has been a clear progression for him. Brumbies first pro opportunity Then to Rebels for first team opportunities Then to Highlanders to chase his dream of representing NZ Then to Canes to be the focal point of the scrum and push for regular NZ role

It’s all about perception and winning that war. We need the media to get on board and embrace it.

If it’s a team from Melb it needs to be authentic and not some put together group, it has to mirror what the others are getting. Harlequins would have a squad solid enough to compete without been embarrassed. They made up a decent portion of the Rising NRC squad that started to perform to a...

Anyone else feel it’s obvious that Hegarty should be at 10, Lucas 15, JOC (James O'Connor) 12?

I don’t mind Swinton, he wasn’t the greatest today but I think most packs with 2/3 players of his mentality is going to be better for it.

HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes), Dempsey, Hooper and Abel all showed up, the other 4 tight forwards less so. When will Aussie teams learning about scoreboard pressure?

Some crazy solutions I’d like to see would be DHP at 10, To'omua at 13 and Cottrell at 4 but way to late in their careers and the games mean to much to attempt these.

To'omua hasn’t been great but equally we need so much more impact from the forward pack. The front row providing any go forward has been non existent, the locks are been played as distributors when the ball is going out the back (a lot), Cottrell and Wells just been worked as stat collectors...

Yep last season he was on little more than a minimum contract. Sacrificed thousands to attempt to make it happen. I hadn’t heard he was leaving tho, will be a shame

Yep, so much more balance. Wessels is obsessed with picking big boppers over balance, but to do that you need dynamic players that win collisions to compensate. The whole team needs to learn from the Brumbies about doing the simple things right. 3/4 times last night no look passes went to ground...

Wessels needs to give up the SA experiment. The forward pack isn’t dynamic enough to win contact also aussies are used to playing with an on baller. Team needs to go back to basics, keep it simple and play the percentages. They can worry about been expressive in a few years time when the club...