TKB to La Rochelle

[Larksea]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...-kerrbarlow-signs-for-french-club-la-rochelle

Another one gone.
Is a shame, we have been blessed with great halfbacks over the last couple of WC cycles. Smith, TKB, Perenara, Pulu, Weber etc. (gawd I hate Elis lol)
But I think its fair to say that right now TKB is the form player of the lot. Hes had a very good, calculated start to this season.

Its such a shame to lose players at this age. At 26 hes done his apprenticeship at test level, he had some ups and does but finally started to really deliver as he hit his prime and now he's off overseas... We've lost a number of players like that. Tom Taylor and Piutau instantly come to mind. Cruden as well...

 

[Makos]

Big loss this. He's a different option for us, physical and good in the dying embers of a physical match. Good tackler around the breakdown, very good player and it's another loss for New Zealand Rugby..

Hansen kept faith in him and gave him a RWC spot to. I will be gutted to see the back of yet another extremely talented player.


I'm pretty concerned about our 2019 RWC stocks, I think in the next 10 years we're going to have to look at bringing in something similar to what Australia have done with their recruitment policies. We just don't have the money to compete with the European clubs, we only have the money for our star players like, McCaw, Carter & Ben Smith etc.

 

[Larksea]

no way, its not time to panic and start selecting overseas yet. not by a long shot.

our super rugby teams are the strongest ever and our age grade players are transitioning to the top level better than any other country IMO.

One of the reasons why the AB's are so strong is that they don't have to bow to the franchises and they have full access to the players, AB coaches work with super coaches well. When you select from overseas clubs all of a sudden its the other way around... but worse... Like the clubs own the players and we would have to borrow them to for the All Blacks.

Generally, we are still keeping our top guys. its the next level that is getting hit.

I can understand Lowe leaving, he has outplayed Savea constantly for 3 years and that wasn't enough to get a chance. And with his health issue he may not have as much time in the game as most.
Cruden and TKB are leaving where they have been passed by Barrett & Perenara. TKB had even slipped behind Weber at the chiefs... Of course he has shown his class recently and probably been the form 9 in NZ.

The bad part is that those players are leaving at an important stage of their development, rather than waiting till they are past their best.

The other thing that does worry is that we usually see a big exodus after a world cup. Yet we are seeing one now mid-cycle?

the list of players about to leave is very much starting to look like a post world cup year... Faumuina, Luatua, Cruden, TKB, Lowe etc...

Are we going to expect the same next year?

its also going to be interesting to see how the selections go for the Lions series. I think they ill feel like they need guys like Charlie, Aaron and TKB, too much experience there to leave out of a big series like this.

 

[Makos]

no way, its not time to panic and start selecting overseas yet. not by a long shot.

Not yet, but one day. Especially if Super Rugby doesn't get its act together. We currently have over 600 professional players abroad.

We'll see how we're going next cycle and generation of players.

 

[nzlizard]

You have to wonder what impact Rennie leaving has had on the Chiefs.

I know its not the main reason but the Chiefs have lost 3 key players so far this year to overseas contracts.

The big money offers and with people like Cruden not starting for the AB's and Lowe not in the AB's framework plays a big part but I reckon Rennie going has had an impact.

Gonna be an interesting off season for the Chiefs to see who they can get.

 

[Larksea]

Yip, Dave Renee may not be Perfect, it has to be said that the chiefs only won ***les when Smith was involved as well. I wasn't the biggest fan of Renee, he transitioned the chiefs from being the last NZ Super rugby franchise that had players which genuinely represented the chiefs region to a mishmash of players from all around NZ. Waikato Reps in the chiefs squad went from like 14 to 2 in less than two years.

But he has done a lot of good stuff and it surely trickles all the way to the top. His ability to pickup guys from age grade and turn them into genuine performers. it seems like everyone in Renee's squads just performs, all the players in his squads improve. I honestly don't think there is a better coach in NZ for identifying and developing talent.

 

[Radsy]

What can you guys tell me about Colin Cooper and the playing style he coaches?

 

[Larksea]

arg.... well Cooper was a long time taranaki coach and he has coached them to some success. Been involved with the Junior AB's and U20's etc.
but he will be best known for his long stint as Hurricanes coach (2003-2010) where he had a very strong roster of players which failed to win a ***le when they really should have.
I think hes the longest running coach the Hurricanes have had.
The players the canes had during his time were stacked with all blacks.
Weepu, Nonu, Tialata, schwalger, so'oialo, Colins, Masoe, Eaton, Mathewson, Tana Umaga, Conrad Smith, Tamati Ellison, Jeremy Thrush, etc, etc...
Sure they lacked a genuine All Black first five, but for a lot of this time frame Dan Carter ruled the world and Donald was his backup lol.
jimmy gopperth was actually a very good 10, often one of the canes better performers. David Holwell was pretty good too.
Yet no ***le.

The closest they got was that famous foggy final with the Crusaders. The fog was so thick at times the TV coverage was useless you couldn't see what was going on. It was totally Bizarre.

Hes a very experienced and quite calm coach. It surprised me to see him back in super rugby again. I seem to recall he quit because of all the travel.

honestly to be blunt I cant see him wining a ***le with the chiefs. I guess we will see.

 

[nzlizard]

honestly to be blunt I cant see him wining a ***le with the chiefs. I guess we will see.

Won;'t win jack in his first year, Chiefs will be doing a bit of rebuilding next year.

To be honesty was surprised to see him get the job.

 

[Larksea]

part of me thinks its another ploy by the chiefs to win over the support of the Taranaki region lol

honestly I don't buy the rebuilding thing. Teams cant burn a season rebuilding. Rebuild in the off season and hit the new season hard. A new coach should be turned into a positive thing. Fresh ideas, fresh gameplan, fresh motivation, etc.

 

[Radsy]

Thanks the info gentlemen. I'll remain cautiously optimistic. I had hoped he would have at least been aided by the same assistants Rennie has, but looks like it will be an all new staff.

Where are the new game threads?