A Shocking Start for the Crusaders
I will get the worst out of the way first. The Crusaders. It was always going to be difficult with the loss of some big names to overseas club and a new coach, but WOW, the club must be asking themselves, Why did the Waratahs sack Rob Penny, and why did we appoint him? They could have hired a local club coach for a carton of beer a win, and a punch on the ear for a loss.
After a 2nd half fight back against the Chiefs a week ago proved a flawed measuring stick in assessing the seven-time defending champions in their new era.
Already sporting injuries to some key personnel, they had been blown away early in Hamilton, and it was more like that on Saturday in the Super Round in Melbourne, where Rob Penney’s men crashed to a stunning defeat to the highly-unfancied Waratahs.
Struggles of the Young Halves Pairing
Young halves pairing Noah Hotham and Taha Kemara, who played together at Hamilton Boys’ High School, are highly-promising, but struggled to have any impact against a NSW side who operated with just 41% possession and had Jed Holloway as an absolute beast in applying massive pressure to Scott Barrett and making a real mess of the red and blacks’ lineout.
Both the 9 and 10 look like NPC grade only, the hooker missed his target at lineouts on several occasions, gave away penalties at scrum time on several occasions.
Havili gave away an intercept pass, had kicks charged down twice, but looked better after moving from 12 to 10. I felt sorry for the few players who tried, like Reece, Barrett, Christie, Lio-Willie and a couple of other forwards, but the backs were terrible, with zero timing, low energy, poor decision making, and looked like they had just meet each other 5 minutes before kick off.
Concerns for the Seven-Time Defending Champions
It’s the first time since 2014 that the Crusaders have started a season 0-2. And it’s not about to get much easier before their round-seven bye, with a trip to Lautoka to face the Fijian Drua, then derbies against the Hurricanes, Blues and Chiefs.
I said before season start that this competition is between the Chiefs and the Blues, with the Chiefs in front. The Crusaders will finish in place 4-5, maybe?
Razor Robertson’s Observations
With ex coach Razor Robertson watching a team stacked with All Blacks he must have been scratching his head. So many unforced mistakes from players who should be better.
On the state of union as a whole the game is in poor shape. The commentary team are extremely poor and the side line dummies are worse. I actually turned the sound off, and I wonder why the TV station hire these guys.
Surely there are better commentators. But back to the game. Scrums were slow forming, usually one minute and thirty seconds average, scrums collapsing, scrums wheeling, scrums reset, after a player was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes, the next play was 1 minute and 30 seconds after the send off.
The clock kept ticking. So is it a 10 minute binning or an 8 minute 30 second binning. When the sin binned player had 35 seconds before coming back on the field, play stopped while the players has another cuppa, which allowed the banished player time to come back on. Now a 7.55 minute binning. NOT 10 minutes, but 7.55 minutes. PLEASE GIVE ME STRENGTH.
Critique of the State of Union
There was a six nation game last week where in the 40 minutes of play, the ball was in play for 13 minutes.
This is how bad union has become. The average person sitting at the ground would have no idea why the penalties are given. Even I don’t and I have been involved in the game for over 60 years.
A player lost his boot so we stop play, an angle injury so we stop play, no where near the play, as players interchanged we stop play. A penalty took forever as players meet for a committee meeting and a cup of tea, before kicking into touch.
Three point penalties, should be reduced to 2 points only. All time wasting.
OMG! Very boring, and the crowds at SUPER ROUND agree.
Well the few who paid big money to enter the grounds did, 10,582 for Friday night, 11,231 on Saturday night, and a similar smattering on Sunday afternoon don’t exactly scream success, all consisting of two games per day.
There is a bigger crowd at the NRL in Wagga Wagga for a trial.
The Future of Rugby and the NRL’s Success
I then watched the NRL on Sunday, fast furious, fantastic.
As players got injured the trainers came on the paddock and the game flowed on,30 second scrums, no stoppage for interchanges. Penalties taken immediately. Only 2 points which is great.
Thursday night games. 45 Thousand on ground, watching, and check the ratings on TV for both codes. You don’t have to, I did it for you.
Union did not make the top 30 programmes on any games over the weekend, even a boring Bi-Election beat them.
Marketing Strategies and Global Expansion
The NRL had millions and millions of viewers in the USA. 800,000 in Australia on Fox, another 750,000 on 9, and from a marketing guy like myself, for the future add a couple of the Aussie women’s league teams, and a couple of Pommy teams and WELLA, you have hit the jackpot for NRL in Vegas for 2025.
Union’s Need for Rapid Improvement
So pat yourself on the back Union and tell us every thing is rosy.
Why would you not watch NRL? The NRL has taken the game to Vegas, invested in hotels in key states, promote the game superbly, have a wonderful commentary team on FOX SPORTS, pre game, post game, NRL 360,and more, [I don’t watch the free to air version] More boring rubbish.
So Union decision makers ,you need to fix your game very quickly, as League, AFL, Soccer, basketball, and even netball, are leading the way.
Betting Insights and Tactical Moves
And a TIP if you are having a bet.
I predicted the Crusaders to win by 13 plus points. However when I went to the TAB, I found the Crusaders were paying $1.06 to win, $1.90 with minus 17.5 points start, OR, looking at what I thought to be the losing side I could get $1.60 for the Waratahs with a 24.5 point start.
That’s a lot of points. So I took the Tahs.
I still thought the Crusaders would win but not by 24.5 points. I did the same with the Reds v Hurricanes.
I backed the Hurricanes to win and I took the Reds with a 12.5 points start. Win, Win. Hurricanes won by 5 points. Game, set, match. Thank you ball boys, and the ladies for the afternoon tea.
Roll on Thursday night so I can watch and listen to the NRL. YOU BEAUTY!!
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