SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) 2023 General Chat

[Wallaby Man]

So we have a little more info on the commission coming out.

Hamish has refuted suggestions Aus was walking back on the agreement but they remain in dispute over how things are expected to be implemented.

NZ based marketer Kevin Molloy will be Chairman. Hamish did mention that he’s been appointed without any traditional search process. I wonder if that’s a bit of a swipe and one of the fears Aus rugby administrators and fans have of kiwi governance pushing things in their image.

Hopefully he does a great job and maintains professional independence. No idea on his background

 

[qwerty51]

I'm ok with it if he has zero NZRU background - and a marketing background is a good thing.

 

[Dan54]

So we have a little more info on the commission coming out.

Hamish has refuted suggestions Aus was walking back on the agreement but they remain in dispute over how things are expected to be implemented.

NZ based marketer Kevin Molloy will be Chairman. Hamish did mention that he’s been appointed without any traditional search process. I wonder if that’s a bit of a swipe and one of the fears Aus rugby administrators and fans have of kiwi governance pushing things in their image.

Hopefully he does a great job and maintains professional independence. No idea on his background

Yep I think he there as marketing more than anything. Kiwi governance is not a thing both boards are setting up the commission, and if they just worrying about the size of board, it's reasonably minor, prehaps NZR with a bit more cash are thinking that best is 9 man, and RA is perhaps looking to save a couple of wages (impression I get anyway from comments) but that no problem really and can see both sides.

 

[Wilson]

Yep I think he there as marketing more than anything. Kiwi governance is not a thing both boards are setting up the commission, and if they just worrying about the size of board, it's reasonably minor, prehaps NZR with a bit more cash are thinking that best is 9 man, and Rugby Australia is perhaps looking to save a couple of wages (impression I get anyway from comments) but that no problem really and can see both sides.

The comments about duplication and saving wages from RA won't be about the board level, they're about the actual employees of the organisation and the roles within it. I don't believe board member salaries are that high that they'd be worth penny pinching over, at least not versus other areas.

I believe the size of the board is more about it's function - a smaller board will generally be faster and more agile in decision making and more able to actually get things done. 9 seems on the large size for what should be a fairly focused organisation when compared to RA and NZR whose boards are about that size (10 and 11) but manage a lot more disparate parts of the game - community, 7s, international, etc. It's not exactly my area of expertise but a 9 member board sounds like it could end up being a handbrake at a time when a new commission should be moving with speed and agility.

 

[Adam84]

Given the limited scope of what they will actually be afforded to decide upon, given NZRU and RA aren’t giving up the rights to negotiate broadcast agreements and player eligibility/distribution etc, a 9 person board seems massive overkill

 

[Wallaby Man]

Yep I think he there as marketing more than anything. Kiwi governance is not a thing both boards are setting up the commission, and if they just worrying about the size of board, it's reasonably minor, prehaps NZR with a bit more cash are thinking that best is 9 man, and Rugby Australia is perhaps looking to save a couple of wages (impression I get anyway from comments) but that no problem really and can see both sides.

From what I can read of it. He has been working with the kiwi franchises for 12 months now, which is fine, but adds to the suspicion. RA proposed another candidate, which unsurprisingly was Australian, but they have conceded defeat in that situation. It sounds like there wasn’t any unified selection approach and both parties did their own search and pushed their own candidate. RA have suspicions on board stacking with a larger group by NZRU influence. In 5-10yr time that might turn out to be ridiculous but there has been a few things in recent times that RA hasn’t felt consulted and solutions put forward that look obvious but ended up with a clear kiwi swing.

I know as a fact there was a seriously bad taste in every Aus franchise mouth after the first Super Round. It was a concept that everyone universally supported but the bad taste happened on the execution when all 5 kiwi teams were the only financial beneficiaries upon execution of the contract, this is why the schedule looked differently this year. Then going back to the Arapatu report which is the Super Rugby equivalent of the under arm bowl, it will take a long time to forget as it caused disruption commercially on the Aus side with partners and potential partners wondering if teams will exist and the shape of their investment. There was also bad taste after RA sent players to NZ during Covid, sat in a hotel and quarantined under restrictions only for NZ to fail to do so on short notice the week after, despite all commercial agreements were in place. There has been a few caught in the cold moments when RA have done things in good faith in recent times but feel it hasn’t been the reverse. Things that holistically look like good ideas and because NZ have more resources at their disposal show initiative to set up, but then execution looks like it’s 60-40 or 70-30 benefit in execution and not 50-50.

 

[dru]

One way or another, whether by design here in Aus, or by myopic Kiwi implementation, we seem destined to the failure of cross-Tasman club rugby. Surely establishing a domestic comp would be far less compromised in the absence of willingly enabling a Kiwi hand a throttle grip to the throat of Australian rugby.

Slow speed train-crash.

 

[Dan54]

I actually think we all doing a lot of guessing, and you know what? I haven't seen anyone mention Fiji RU etc? So perhaps there a bit of looking with pretty coloured glasses on by all of us? See we all not looking at all interested parties and busy playing the hard done by aren't we?
And I must admit I didn't know RA had another candidate, who was he? I honestly thought the one who has got the Chairman job was mainly because he is into marketing etc. And certainly didn't know what Kevin Molloy has been doing with kiwi teams, what has he ben doing?

 

[Dan54]

Isn't it interesting?
Quarter finals for 2023
Blues vs Waratahs
Crusaders vs Drua
Brumbies vs Hurricanes
Chiefs vs Reds
All teams with large letters won the match between the 2 teams in round robin games!

 

[HogansHeros]

Isn't it interesting?
Quarter finals for 2023
Blues vs Waratahs
Crusaders vs Drua
Brumbies vs Hurricanes
Chiefs vs Reds
All teams with large letters won the match between the 2 teams in round robin games!

If Reds make semis, I will eat my hat.

 

[Dan54]

If Reds make semis, I will eat my hat.

Not suggesting anything mate, jsut that 3 of underdogs will have reason to believe?

 

[Adam84]

Isn't it interesting?
Quarter finals for 2023
Blues vs Waratahs
Crusaders vs Drua
Brumbies vs Hurricanes
Chiefs vs Reds
All teams with large letters won the match between the 2 teams in round robin games!

Because ridiculous rest policies ensured that the best players weren’t playing in super rugby when these matches occurred

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

If Reds make semis, I will eat my hat.

Great potential content.

 

[TheHaydog]

The final standings for 2023 were quite similar to last year. Only 2 notable changes. The Chiefs and Blues swapped, as well as the Drua went up the ladder with many more home fixtures than previously. Not to mention the QFs are quite similar to last year. Brumbies vs Hurricanes is set to repeat itself as 4 vs 5. The Reds and Waratahs are again traveling to NZ etc.

This points to a tournament that has become more and more settled over time in who the contenders are and are not. Whilst it is not the be-all and end-all of the tournament's problems, there remains a general sense of predictability which would likely exacerbate declining crowds for non-derby games. People only have so much disposable income and it ain't an entirely convincing argument to get people to go to games with not much rivalry and a lopsided scoreline on a cold night in a mostly empty stadium.

 

[Dan54]

This points to a tournament that has become more and more settled over time in who the contenders are and are not. Whilst it is not the be-all and end-all of the tournament's problems, there remains a general sense of predictability which would likely exacerbate declining crowds for non-derby games. People only have so much disposable income and it ain't an entirely convincing argument to get people to go to games with not much rivalry and a lopsided scoreline on a cold night in a mostly empty stadium.

I think perhaps we make a bit too much of derby games being the draw card. I have been to 2 games here in NZ, both were non derby games and had good crowds. I have watched q reasonable number of games from Aus, and I don't think the non derby games have suffered that much mainly because you get a decent kiwi contingent at them, and you miss those games, I think you would find the crowd numbers down a bit. There things that need doing better for sure, but the derby thing is overly done I think, hell before I came back to NZ I went to Suncorp almost every game, and was incredibly disappointed how small the crowds were for games against Brumbies,Tahs, Force etc. I do think having them in big stadiums doesn't help.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Hurricanes have the ability to trouble Brums but probably not beat them at home & full strength. Brums by 1-12.

The others are more clear-cut but I wouldn't expect too many outright floggings: more likely they'll get to where they feel,comfortable scoreboard-wise then button off and/ or empty the bench. Barring a run of injuries or getting into card trouble its Blues, Chiefs & Crusaders 13+ for mine.

 

[Dctarget]

Hurricanes are absolutely going to steamroll the Brumbies. If they had their wingers fit I'd say by 20+ but now it's just 10+.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Tribe looking to found a dynasty it seems: having already re-signed McMillan through to 2026 they've today re-signed both his AC's Roger Randle (attack) & David Hill (defence), also through to 2026.

 

[Dan54]

Tribe looking to found a dynasty it seems: having already re-signed McMillan through to 2026 they've today re-signed both his AC's Roger Randle (attack) & David Hill (defence), also through to 2026.

Seem like a franchise with ducks all lined up to me, it started with investing in young talent and sticking, and now getting settled coaching. I seeing Crusaders type running and planning.

 

[Dan54]

Interesting after hearing that Aumua has signed for Crusaders, apparently Drua are losing 9 players next season.
A shame I think, but reality of pro game.