Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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Earbanean

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#3501052 7-Jun-2026 14:18

networkn:

I agree with your sentiments on starting 10, however, he hasn't 'had' to share it, I understand injuries have been the main factor. Maybe that doesn't make any difference, if it's simply about building experience, but I don't feel he's being 'demoted' (plus the argument for building experience works both ways)

FWIW, it seems Penney and the Saders selectors don't see it that way. Finals footy and Reihana fully fit, but they had Kemara as starting 10.

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#3501053 7-Jun-2026 14:23

Earbanean:

FWIW, it seems Penney and the Saders selectors don't see it that way. Finals footy and Reihana fully fit, but they had Kemara as starting 10.

Kemera was pretty freaking awesome honestly, but Reihana was still recovering from the situation that had him come off last week. OK to play, but at reduced role. Pretty sure I saw something about it during a team update. Not 'fully' fit was my understanding.

Maybe more to it than that, I don't have any insight into selections personally.

Earbanean

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#3501054 7-Jun-2026 14:34

networkn:

Kemera was pretty freaking awesome honestly, but Reihana was still recovering from the situation that had him come off last week. OK to play, but at reduced role. Pretty sure I saw something about it during a team update. Not 'fully' fit was my understanding.

Maybe more to it than that, I don't have any insight into selections personally.

Ah, OK I wasn't aware there was any injury/fitness question mark after last week. Two good 10s and a good selection problem to have for the Saders. However, with Mo'unga coming back it's a shame one or the other will get almost no game time next year. As I said in a previous comment, for the good of NZ Inc, I'd love to see Reihana (or even Kemara) go to the Blues. Or if Rennie sees DMac as a 15, then it'd even be great for one of them to come home to the Chiefs.

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#3501055 7-Jun-2026 14:40

Earbanean:

Ah, OK I wasn't aware there was any injury/fitness question mark after last week. Two good 10s and a good selection problem to have for the Saders. However, with Mo'unga coming back it's a shame one or the other will get almost no game time next year. As I said in a previous comment, for the good of NZ Inc, I'd love to see Reihana (or even Kemara) go to the Blues. Or if Rennie sees DMac as a 15, then it'd even be great for one of them to come home to the Chiefs.

I am not 100% sure that was the reason, but it seems logical. After injury you usually bring a player off the bench to lessen their workload. Often the game is more intense initially.

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#3501061 7-Jun-2026 15:15

Dingbatt:

So “Ick” all you like. That is my opinion.

No need to be like that. It was simply the way you linked your two comments together with how influencial LF was. It shouldn't be tied to stuff like that, it should be if direct head contact occurs, an HIA should be mandatory.

I agree with what I believe the sentiment was.

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#3501062 7-Jun-2026 15:18

GV27:

Terrible discipline and anonymous defense the difference for the Blues. When your hardest working defender is Christie, you've got some problems.

But objectively, Berry missed an insane amount of calls that should have been ruled against the Crusaders. First two Crusaders tries were preceded by a knock-on at the base of a ruck and a forward pass. There was a challenge under the high ball that wasn't even replayed that looked extremely dangerous when I went back and looked at it in the lead up to the phase that lead to the red card. And the Crusaders might as well have had Blues jerseys on when they defended on their own line, whereas the Blues conceded repeat advantages for doing literally what the Crusaders did.

Other incidents included Berry telling Blues attackers to stay back after the Crusaders blew past a ruck and there being no one over the ball at all; i.e. it should have been a fair contest at that point, and reversing an advantage for holding on for 'having a second go at it' after the Blues had already won the advantage for the Crusaders holding onto the ball. Compare this to the ease at which LF got awarded turnover penalties and it's not hard to see one standard for one and and a different one for the Blues.

I'm sorry but that's not good enough for finals football.

Man oh man. I am shocked @Earbanean hasn't given you grief over comments like this :) Seems only Crusaders fans can't complain about refereeing ;)

Kinda amusing you complained only about the refereeing as it in your mind, disadvantaged the poor Blues. Apparently, 100% of the decisions against the Crusaders were correct. That's fortunate. We should probably investigate Berry for Bias :)

Not really sure how you can complain, you get another week despite a pretty average showing. (the 5th in a row).

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