General NZ National Premiership

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Phranklyn MLM making playing against men look easy.

Canterbury Bulls have been better than score suggests at half time.
 

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Bodes well for the future!
I think the Bulls are going through another transition period with some changeover in the playing ranks. Lots of young guys coming through and the comp in Canterbury doesn't currently seem (following from a far) as strong as it has been in recent years.
 
ndp26 said:
Bodes well for the future!
I think the Bulls are going through another transition period with some changeover in the playing ranks. Lots of young guys coming through and the comp in Canterbury doesn't currently seem (following from a far) as strong as it has been in recent years.
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Yeah.. we got pumped today. Thought they would have done alright with the Linwood Kea's halves combo considering they won the comp here this year
 
Teets said:
Otago has beaten Canterbury again.

Someone is doing really good work down there growing the game. I see pictures of school rugby league days, and their rep teams compete well.
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Apparently they have a lot of union players who switch over when their club comp finishes. Good for them though- they’ve made it work.
Sad for canterbury league- hate to be one of those guys but I watched a couple of premier games when I was home earlier in the year and it’s quite shocking how far the standard has slipped.
The decision to align themselves with the bulldogs seems a bit short sighted to me as well- I get it- they’re cash strapped and the warriors weren’t willing to pay development fees like the other clubs were but u need pathways- the pathway in Canterbury if you’re any good is to get the fark outta nz as soon as u can.
 
Defence said:
Apparently they have a lot of union players who switch over when their club comp finishes. Good for them though- they’ve made it work.
Sad for canterbury league- hate to be one of those guys but I watched a couple of premier games when I was home earlier in the year and it’s quite shocking how far the standard has slipped.
The decision to align themselves with the bulldogs seems a bit short sighted to me as well- I get it- they’re cash strapped and the warriors weren’t willing to pay development fees like the other clubs were but u need pathways- the pathway in Canterbury if you’re any good is to get the fark outta nz as soon as u can.
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Problem for senior NZ club league all over is the cream is scooped out of the game by 18yo. So what's left is never going to be as good as it used to be when the top 15-20% of talent is gone.

There's an old seniors Randwick vs Wainuiomata game on YouTube with John Lomax v Stephen Kearney. Within two years they were both Winfield Cup regulars.

Nowadays them and the next best 2-3 players in that game would have been scooped up by an Aussie NRL club or the Hurricanes by 15-16yo and they'd never get near a local senior footy match.

So of the best say 300 NZ league players aged 20-35, how many of them ever play any local senior footy.

When your player base is already as small as it is the player drain just makes it harder and harder for local teams.

Rugby still have the numbers to at least cover it to an extent, and all the 'never quite made Super rugby' guys filter back into club land and you still get the odd super rugby player or AB in for a game.

Whereas in league our 'never quite made the NRL' guys are mostly lost to the Aussie lower leagues and you'll never get a current NRL player playing local.
 
There's something to be said for Otago though, pushing the local comp into Spring and giving the prem rugby guys a chance to play.

Here in Waikato, people get a bit precious about accomdating union players, but for me, even if it's only an extra 10-15 prem rugby guys, (realistically you won't get more than that), it still lifts the standard of the comp and gives you a stronger rep team.
 
Teets said:
There's something to be said for Otago though, pushing the local comp into Spring and giving the prem rugby guys a chance to play.

Here in Waikato, people get a bit precious about accomdating union players, but for me, even if it's only an extra 10-15 prem rugby guys, (realistically you won't get more than that), it still lifts the standard of the comp and gives you a stronger rep team.
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We do this in the Manawatu...normally got from 3-4 teams In the winter to 9 teams currently in our spring comp.
 
kiwileaguefan said:
We do this in the Manawatu...normally got from 3-4 teams In the winter to 9 teams currently in our spring comp.
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Yeah bro, I follow your Manawatu RL page. Very impressed with the number of teams.

BoP started their comp a bit later this year too and looks like more teams.

I'd say at some point Waikato, Welly, Northland, Canterbury should all follow suit.

Auckland doesn't need to but everyone else would probably benefit.
 
Defence said:
The decision to align themselves with the bulldogs seems a bit short sighted to me as well- I get it- they’re cash strapped and the warriors weren’t willing to pay development fees like the other clubs were but u need pathways- the pathway in Canterbury if you’re any good is to get the fark outta nz as soon as u can.
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Couple of kids from the Sydenham Swans U14s are off to a Broncos academy camp this week.
I wonder who is Canterbury is the Broncos talent spotter
 
Teets said:
Yeah bro, I follow your Manawatu RL page. Very impressed with the number of teams.

BoP started their comp a bit later this year too and looks like more teams.

I'd say at some point Waikato, Welly, Northland, Canterbury should all follow suit.

Auckland doesn't need to but everyone else would probably benefit.
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The only way i see the game surviving at grass roots senior level is if they change the season to spring.....rugby numbers are declining too and the proof is in the pudding that not competing against rugby works. Our juniors start in Feb and finish as rugby starts and I'm pretty sure we had at least 6 teams per grade from U6-U16s.

Talking to NZRL during our Manawatu vs Hakwes Bay vs Wellington Tri Series two weeks ago, there is discussion around proving a representative season for the districts playing out of season. I can't recall the exact numbers, but think it was 7 of the 16 regions...
 
In the BOP the comp started in mid June as club rugby was in its finals period. Numerous clubs were able to field two teams because of this.
There were 7 premier and 10 reserve grade teams. Coastline formed a comp shortly after which had another 6 men’s teams.
Hoping we have converted some of the union guys. I reckon NZRL should push the provincial rep games out a few weeks so our club comp can be longer and merge directly onto the traditional Maori tournament at Labour weekend.
 
Anyone from Aucks can tell me how the selection for Auckalnd Vulcans and Akarana Falcons works. Is everyone eligible for both?

And are the South Auckland clubs exclusively Sting Ray's territory?
 
Defence said:
Wasn’t sure where to put this but it’s a link to today’s national secondary school final.
St Thomas looking to go back to back against de La salle.
2:30 nz time I believe…

View: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9vsqMr6Y_U?si=na58H54w2mq4rxVO
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Defence said:
Wasn’t sure where to put this but it’s a link to today’s national secondary school final.
St Thomas looking to go back to back against de La salle.
2:30 nz time I believe…

View: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9vsqMr6Y_U?si=na58H54w2mq4rxVO
Click to expand...


Think we need a simpler generic Pathways thread.

St Thomas have been a clear cut above all tourney, let's see if the Auckland Champs can respond in the rematch.
 
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