Stocktake time

[Lizard]

Well you can cross Cruden off your list.

[dk4]

Brilliant update cashead. Thanks for all the informaiotion.

[rowan]

Interesting article about the decline of rugby in the nation's biggest city. All Blacks may be World Champions but Auckland are struggling in Super Rugby. The good news is 7s and women's rugby have never been more popular: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-n ... aken-a-hit

[scuzzaman]

Nice work, Cashead. Much appreciated. Since I don't live in NZ any longer, it is good to catch up with some of the newcomers rising in the ranks. But that aside, a great summary. Kudos.

[Spy]

Bender looks to be staying. Not sure for how long though.

If he stays, and let's hope he does, it will surely be through to the next WC. Pretty pointless otherwise. Also hope Smith staying doesn't mean Dagg shoots through.

[Spy]

Patrick Tuipulotu's is currently on what is essentially indefinite leave. Whatever it is that's going on, it's pretty huge.

Yeah, considering that he left the EOYT early. That's nearly 3 months ago, assuming it's the same crisis that's still affecting him now. Doesn't seem good.

[Spy]

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/arti ... d=11795012

Very bad news indeed. Also rather unsavoury that this has been kept secret all this time.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/arti ... d=11795012

Very bad news indeed. Also rather unsavoury that this has been kept secret all this time.

How many more are on the juice?

[Len]

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/arti ... d=11795012

Very bad news indeed. Also rather unsavoury that this has been kept secret all this time.

How many more are on the juice?

Probably shitloads. Its rife over here at domestic level.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Bender looks to be staying. Not sure for how long though.

If he stays, and let's hope he does, it will surely be through to the next WC. Pretty pointless otherwise. Also hope Smith staying doesn't mean Dagg shoots through.

Signed till 2020 apparently.

[Spy]

Yes, brilliant news. Tuipulotu is a key player for the Blues. Call me naive perhaps, but I like to think of rugby as being a pretty clean sport in this regard.

I still think concealing a failed drug test under "personal issues" and staying mum about it is not the right approach. Personal issues are health or family or financial problems, things unrelated to the game. Better to make a clean breast: "Failed a drug test, but has no idea how it could have happened, and we are waiting on the results of the B sample". A further issue is that a future player with genuine personal issues could fall under public suspicion of a failed drug test while they are taking a break from the game to sort their personal problem out.

[paddy no 11]

This doesn't seem remotely dubious at all

[scuzzaman]

This doesn't seem remotely dubious at all

Top Kek.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Dagg signed till 2019

[Spy]

Tidy

[morepork]

Nice work Izzy. You too shall get a Versatile home and choice of hockey player.

[jimKRFC]

Steven Luatua rumoured to be joining Bristol, i guess on a short term deal.

[zer0]

Disappointed that Luatua is leaving. But there's always potential up-and-comers to replace him. Joe Edwards and Josh Goodhue immediately spring to mind at the Blues.

[morepork]

Any news on Izzy Dagg's future plans?

[Spy]

Any news on Izzy Dagg's future plans?

Beyond his recent signing through to 2019 that you just commented on? Not that I'm aware of.

Re Luatua, up to him I guess, but I wonder if he's sold himself short. He had such a great debut season a couple of years ago, then struggled in his sophomore year, but looked to be getting some mojo back last year. He's got the physical attributes, and it's worth recalling that Kaino took a while to mature into the effective beast that he is. At age 25 I think Luatua could have given himself a couple more years in NZ to really try and crack the All Blacks, but there we are. Hope it works out for him.

[morepork]

Any news on Izzy Dagg's future plans?

Beyond his recent signing through to 2019 that you just commented on? Not that I'm aware of.

Re Luatua, up to him I guess, but I wonder if he's sold himself short. He had such a great debut season a couple of years ago, then struggled in his sophomore year, but looked to be getting some mojo back last year. He's got the physical attributes, and it's worth recalling that Kaino took a while to mature into the effective beast that he is. At age 25 I think Luatua could have given himself a couple more years in NZ to really try and crack the All Blacks, but there we are. Hope it works out for him.

Jesus I'm a spaz. Sorry about that.

[zer0]

Re Luatua, up to him I guess, but I wonder if he's sold himself short. He had such a great debut season a couple of years ago, then struggled in his sophomore year, but looked to be getting some mojo back last year. He's got the physical attributes, and it's worth recalling that Kaino took a while to mature into the effective beast that he is. At age 25 I think Luatua could have given himself a couple more years in NZ to really try and crack the All Blacks, but there we are. Hope it works out for him.

I think Luatua also suffered from being Victor Vito'd, in that someone to turn him into something he's not; a ball running #8 in Luatua's case. He played his best rugby when he was playing as a hybrid lock-blindside by making tackles and shifting bodies, with the occasional eye-catching run thrown in, as opposed to seagulling out on the wing as he did/was told to do for a while.

[Spy]

Lick my balls, spaz.

[morepork]

Touche spectacle man, touche.

[Spy]

That's another guy I would have thought would have been targeting 2019, especially with Smith's form wobbles.