Super Rugby General Chat

[Wilson]

^ In a perfect world it's Mount Smart all the way as it's adjacent to the most likely supporter base. Unfortunately for Moana, however, the same is true for the Warriors esp on the back of their best season in a decade or more.

The suggestion that maybe Pasifika people aren't that interested in Moana is contrary to the sentiments they've been expressing almost since Super Rugby became a thing & of course it was a group of eminent Pasifika rugby identities who pitched the Moana concept to SANZAAR, not the other way round.

I don't think the problem is that Pasifika people aren't interested, I think it's that they (or at least those in Auckland) have been relatively well served by the Blues in the past and unless Moana can get some serious juice on the field that's where their support will stay. This Hamilton game was definitely an aberration but their crowd numbers have been poor when playing in Auckland as well. They need to find a way to turn that latent interest into engagement and while success would be the ideal path I'm not sure they can get there in time or even without building more support first. Certainly from a competition management standpoint we can't rely on teams doing well on the field to drive crowds and financial success/sustainability - the math just doesn't work out.

 

[Dan54]

^ In a perfect world it's Mount Smart all the way as it's adjacent to the most likely supporter base. Unfortunately for Moana, however, the same is true for the Warriors esp on the back of their best season in a decade or more.

The suggestion that maybe Pasifika people aren't that interested in Moana is contrary to the sentiments they've been expressing almost since Super Rugby became a thing & of course it was a group of eminent Pasifika rugby identities who pitched the Moana concept to SANZAAR, not the other way round.

I really think the Counties' Rugby Park would be best stadium for them in all honesty. Smallish stadium not a long way from their suppoters base is.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ yeah, Mount Smart is Warriors central so Pukekohe is probably the next-best option.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Does feel like a situation of telling the community what they should want.

But, but we already support teams in the comp. I mean sure, I don't mind them but I go for the Blues.

Due to the Blues being relatively successful recently Im sure this has harmed them (along with their own on field performance)

 

[LeCheese]

Anyone got recommendations of somewhere I'm missing that provides player stats for the current season/matches? Super themselves obviously collect them, but don't publish anything other than the season's top individual performers and team stats. It's pretty damn poor tbh - it was one area where Fox actually did well.

 

[Ignoto]

^ yeah, Mount Smart is Warriors central so Pukekohe is probably the next-best option

I would have thought the next best option would be NZRU stumping up some cash to get a stadium in the Islands up to scratch to host games.

This whole shit show just comes across as NZRU doing the absolute bare minimum to appease people and just furthers how little the "guardians" of of game care for growing it.

 

[Wilson]

Anyone got recommendations of somewhere I'm missing that provides player stats for the current season/matches? Super themselves obviously collect them, but don't publish anything other than the season's top individual performers and team stats. It's pretty damn poor tbh - it was one area where Fox actually did well.

For matches I really like rugbypass' match breakdown. They have good stats for both the teams and individual players including some stats you don't always see elsewhere (dominant tackles, per minute tackles/carries) and some decent visualizations. ESPN Scrum also has reasonable stats but I find the table format a bit of a pain.

There is a new one that has just popped up for stats across the season - https://www.backrowsports.com/ They have quite a bit of detail across both players and teams and also prem, URC and Top14 which is a nice bonus for direct comparison.

 

[Marce]

This round was one of the most even rounds I can remember in years:

This is what this tournament needs to attract the big crowds again and not those results where the Kiwis win by 60 points

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

This round was one of the most even rounds I can remember in years:
View attachment 18409
This is what this tournament needs to attract the big crowds again and not those results where the Kiwis win by 60 points

What the tournament needs is the Wallabies to win the Bledisloe Cup. Beating NZ teams regularly and and having a close competition helps but nothing as much as that would.

 

[Dan54]

I would have thought the next best option would be NZRU stumping up some cash to get a stadium in the Islands up to scratch to host games.

This whole shit show just comes across as NZRU doing the absolute bare minimum to appease people and just furthers how little the "guardians" of of game care for growing it.

It's NZR Ig lol and if NZR even thought of stumping up enough money (what 20 mill?) for a stadium, I would suggest they were actually applying for jobs straight after at RA, as sure as shit they would be run out of country. That rates as amongst the stupidest suggestion/posts I have read!
Take 20 mill or so out of community game in NZ to pay for a stadium in another country for a team where all their players play in NZ?

Actually it's not really stupid , and I wrong probably to say that, just crazy, and shows how some think because NZR is run better than RA they should somehow pay for Pasifika rugby? And then to suggest to do up one stadium, that teams would have to travel to, and one country out of Tonga and Samoa would be left out?

 

[Marce]

What the tournament needs is the Wallabies to win the Bledisloe Cup. Beating NZ teams regularly and and having a close competition helps but nothing as much as that would.

That's what Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup need. I'm talking about Super Rugby and after the 2014 Waratahs title, we get used to seeing Kiwis teams trashing the Aussies by 60 points with hundreds of NPC players without international experience against Wallabies players with 80 caps. This is the first step of hundreds

 

[Ignoto]

Take 20 mill or so out of community game in NZ to pay for a stadium in another country for a team where all their players play in NZ?

Why not have the NZ tax payers contribute similar to how the Aus Government has used it to further relationships with our PI allies.

 

[wamberal99]

What the tournament needs is the Wallabies to win the Bledisloe Cup. Beating NZ teams regularly and and having a close competition helps but nothing as much as that would.

I have a hunch that this could be the year for us. We will have a "new coach bounce".

 

[Crashy]

Yeah the Reds def have a confidence-mixed-with-skill-combined-with-hunger vibe going on that I havent seen since the Tahs in 2014 and the Reds in 2011.

 

[Dctarget]

3 weeks in:

We happy to write off the 'Saders? Is this an early slump they'll recover from? Chiefs still favourites?

I boringly predict a Crusaders v Chiefs GF.

top 8 for me before the play offs:

1. Chiefs
2. Hurricanes
3. Reds
4. Brumbies
5. Crusaders
6. Blues
7. Drua
8. 'Tahs

 

[The Honey Badger]

I know it’s been a bit frustrating from an Australian fan basis with close losses by the Tahs & Reds & THE FORCE, but gee I’ve enjoyed the standard of games so far in Super Rugby this year. Most have been competitive and whilst not at all error free the games have been mostly pretty up tempo.

FIFY

 

[The Honey Badger]

including lighting

wasnt it a day time game

 

[The Honey Badger]

Is there any chance Moana can play some games in Apia or Tonga, I read there was about 400 people on Friday night

View attachment 18396
View attachment 18397

SURELY THESE FIXTURES SHOULD BE PART OF A DOUBLE HEADER

 

[LeCheese]

wasnt it a day time game

I'm actually not sure whether it matters - there's always the risk of low light conditions (rain, etc.)

 

[Strewthcobber]

Yeah - there's contracts in place with the broadcasters which mandate which grounds can be used, and what facilities are in place (including things like lighting).

For this one, I think the need to have a big screen in place at short notice for the ref / TMO discussions was driving where it could be played