Stuff can be (and should be) a reliable source, but as it is with modern media they all hire at least one troll.
Stuff is Fairfax NZ, who own roughly 50% of NZ newspapers. So it has historic credibility .... but you all know the economics facing modern print media.
Mark Reason is not a reliable source. Although he may slip in 2 out of 10 serious articles to keep readers on their toes and maintain a veneer of credibility.
There are two main trolls in NZ sporting media; Chris Rattue and Mark Reason.
Chris Rattue's career path into trolling was quite interesting; he was a serious sports journalist, and worked his way up to chief sports editor at the herald. His original background was a rugby league writer rather than rugby union. He formed a serious dislike of Graham Henry over the years and totally lost his mind when Henry was re-appointed after the 2007 debacle. Some of his un-hinged Henry articles over the next few years obviously generated some serious online traffic and an accidental career as a troll was born. Controversy generates clicks.
Mark Reason is the son of The Times former chief rugby writer John Reason and he also worked in UK press for a few years before emigrating to NZ. He works from home in rural Wairarapa, far away from any movers or shakers or inside knowledge in NZ sports. He is basically a blogger who watches his sport via TV but with a national platform for his writing based on his father's reputation (John Reason was seen as an unpopular figure in NZ, but that was before my time).
So none of them are fanboys of NZ rugby, which is fair enough. But if you have to generate 1 contrarian article per week, you're going to eventually run out of genuine material.
