Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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#3490082 12-May-2026 10:45

networkn:

I have to say, I felt bad for Stephen Perofeta last night, He had an absolute howler. Probably the worst night I've seen at the office for quite a long time.

Nothing he tried to do came off. Hopefully, it doesn't dent his confidence too much, whilst inconsistent, he is quite a capable player when he is at his best. He was the Blues best player a couple of seasons ago, and was pegged for AB's 10 (though, I felt it was far too early for that commentary).

And he's off to Japan next year.

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#3490089 12-May-2026 10:58

networkn:

I am going to be really interested to see his approach to selection. It will be interesting to see how the healthy tension between working with people you know, especially when the environment is new and you are introducing lots of changes, sticking to his own statement he would be selecting on form, and how that all plugs together with an independent selector.

Yep, it'll be interesting. The one thing that seems to be missing to me, is that Jason Ryan isn't listed as a selector. The selectors are reported as being Rennie, Blair and Henry. I would have thought Ryan's expertise with the forwards would make him a definite selector. I guess in reality he'll still have selection input, even if he's not listed as an official selector.

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#3490096 12-May-2026 11:17

Earbanean:

Yep, it'll be interesting. The one thing that seems to be missing to me, is that Jason Ryan isn't listed as a selector. The selectors are reported as being Rennie, Blair and Henry. I would have thought Ryan's expertise with the forwards would make him a definite selector. I guess in reality he'll still have selection input, even if he's not listed as an official selector.

During Hansens tenure it was Hansen, Fox and Foster (as assistant coach).

Following that template, it would be Rennie, Henry and Barnes. It seems strange that Blair is there instead of Barnes and I agree if you are including Blair and not Ryan. Perhaps Ryan doesn't want that responsbility, or blurred lines.

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#3490106 12-May-2026 12:06

OK, I'm recovered from the trauma and I'm ready to talk about it ... what the foxtrot was wrong with the Highlanders in Fiji?

I think they dropped more pill in one match than have in the preceding history of the franchise. And they kept slipping over. It was like they were playing with a wet cake of soap on an ice rink. And this week .... back to normal ball handling and not-falling-over skills. Hard to understand.

Mike

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#3490107 12-May-2026 12:09

MikeAqua:

OK, I'm recovered from the trauma and I'm ready to talk about it ... what the foxtrot was wrong with the Highlanders in Fiji?

I think they dropped more pill in one match than have in the preceding history of the franchise. And they kept slipping over. It was like they were playing with a wet cake of soap on an ice rink. And this week .... back to normal ball handling and not-falling-over skills. Hard to understand.

I think you are underestimating how slippery a ball is under those heats and often under high humudity to top it off. The grass is often like a sheet of glass. Then take into account the fatigue from playing in those conditions. I wouldn't be judging them too harshly.

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#3490125 12-May-2026 13:33

networkn:

MikeAqua:

OK, I'm recovered from the trauma and I'm ready to talk about it ... what the foxtrot was wrong with the Highlanders in Fiji?

I think they dropped more pill in one match than have in the preceding history of the franchise. And they kept slipping over. It was like they were playing with a wet cake of soap on an ice rink. And this week .... back to normal ball handling and not-falling-over skills. Hard to understand.

I think you are underestimating how slippery a ball is under those heats and often under high humudity to top it off. The grass is often like a sheet of glass. Then take into account the fatigue from playing in those conditions. I wouldn't be judging them too harshly.

The Drua seemed OK with . Maybe they had longer sprigs and drier hands. God it was awful. They created enough opportunities to put 50 on them ...

Mike

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#3490126 12-May-2026 13:37

MikeAqua:

The Drua seemed OK with . Maybe they had longer sprigs and drier hands. God it was awful. They created enough opportunities to put 50 on them ...

There is a definite difference if you've grown up in an environment. I understand your frustration though.

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#3490130 12-May-2026 13:51

networkn:

During Hansens tenure it was Hansen, Fox and Foster (as assistant coach).

Following that template, it would be Rennie, Henry and Barnes. It seems strange that Blair is there instead of Barnes and I agree if you are including Blair and not Ryan. Perhaps Ryan doesn't want that responsbility, or blurred lines.

Correction: I misquoted what the article said. It is Barnes that is the other selector (alongside Rennie and Henry), not Blair. Which, as you say, makes more sense.

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#3490165 12-May-2026 16:16

Jake Gordon has to be the tallest halfback right now. He's a huge unit. He has a very fast and good pass. He gets to the breakdown pretty quickly for a bloke that size as well.

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#3490284 12-May-2026 18:02

I've been avoiding listening to interviews with Rennie because a) he annoys me and b) they ask the same stupid loaded questions and you get the only answer that he could give.

Decided to see what he had to say today, and unfortuately, my impressions haven't improved at all.

He told the press he wasn't intending to play Richie Mo'unga in July (obviously prior to being told he couldn't have him) 'because we have plenty of depth', and then a few sentences later, said 'we are blessed in that position'.

He would *literally* be the only person I've heard talk about the AB's in the last 3 years where that opinion has been espoused. There isnt a person yet who hasn't had been very concerned that our choices are DMac and BB and then pretty much not a single other test 10 in the whole country.

Whatever he is smoking, I don't want any.

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#3490313 12-May-2026 21:54

networkn:

He told the press he wasn't intending to play Richie Mo'unga in July (obviously prior to being told he couldn't have him) 'because we have plenty of depth', and then a few sentences later, said 'we are blessed in that position'.

Wouldn't you be more worried if his idea of man management was to shit on his incumbents at a nothing press conference?

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#3490348 13-May-2026 08:40

lachlanw:

Wouldn't you be more worried if his idea of man management was to shit on his incumbents at a nothing press conference?

Why are they (making deluded comments or crapping on the 'incumbents') the only two options? It's fact we lack depth at 10. If the two 'incumbents' aren't aware of that, I'd question their intelligence.

We are 2 injuries away from having to play someone with 6 cameo test caps (who likely just had the worst game of their career and is returning from injury) or someone with none at 10.

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#3490355 13-May-2026 08:48

networkn:

He told the press he wasn't intending to play Richie Mo'unga in July (obviously prior to being told he couldn't have him) 'because we have plenty of depth', and then a few sentences later, said 'we are blessed in that position'.

He would *literally* be the only person I've heard talk about the AB's in the last 3 years where that opinion has been espoused. There isnt a person yet who hasn't had been very concerned that our choices are DMac and BB and then pretty much not a single other test 10 in the whole country.

Honestly, what do you expect the ABs coach to say publicly going into a test season? "Our current 10's are crap. We're really in trouble"? Now that he knows what he has to work with, he needs to motivate and empower the players he has. That's what an experienced good coach does.

Compare with Robertson. He was picking Barret and McKenzie and at the same time completely undermining them in the news talking about Mo'unga.

Note, there's a difference in saying he wasn't intending playing them in July and saying he didn't want them for the August Bok tour.

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#3490357 13-May-2026 08:56

Earbanean:

Honestly, what do you expect the ABs coach to say publicly going into a test season? "Our current 10's are crap. We're really in trouble"? Now that he knows what he has to work with, he needs to motivate and empower the players he has. That's what an experienced good coach does.

Compare with Robertson. He was picking Barret and McKenzie and at the same time completely undermining them in the news talking about Mo'unga.

Note, there's a difference in saying he wasn't intending playing them in July and saying he didn't want them for the August Bok tour.

Of course you'd expect him not to say anything even remotely similar to that, but you can say things which are true, without undermining people. There is a difference between that and sounding like an absolute twit saying equally appalling comments that are patently untrue.

We do NOT have plenty of options at 10 for the July series, and we most certainly are not 'blessed' in that position.

I am not sure who you are saying 'them' is?

He said something dumb, and it's OK to say he did. Defending it is... Dumb. Two things can be true. Both coaches didn't handle the situations they faced well enough.

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#3490358 13-May-2026 09:02

Earbanean:

Honestly, what do you expect the ABs coach to say publicly going into a test season? "Our current 10's are crap. We're really in trouble"?

Heres a a example of how you could do it.

'We are always looking to increase our depth in positions and we know building more depth and experience in that position is important'

That isn't undermining anyone. That is acknowledging we have 2 fit (right now) 10's but that illness or injury could leave us badly exposed.

He isn't making claims about their capabilities good or bad, he is acknowleging a known fact and reassuring fans he has a plan to address it.

I mean he made comments about props for the love of Peter, and we are far better off at Prop than 10.

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