International New Zealand Kiwis

Maybe I wasn't watching the games, or maybe I am just a homer, but I would have thought CNK deserved to be on the shortlist more than Joey Taps 🤷‍♂️



Adrian Morely, Darren Lockyer, Jimmy Graham, Adam Blair, and Reuben Wiki; Bodes pretty well for NZ League not being robbed of another POTY award
I wouldn't be disappointed if CNK won. He was more than solid this year. He played like a man possessed, above his natural talents I will say respectfully.

But how did the engine room contain Payne in the Haas after the year he had? Joe Taps had his fair amount of time on the sideline this year, yet came back to dominate Australia. Ditto for JFH - the human juggernaut. Tough decision and really Leota could have easily made this group too.
 
Not that fully convinced of him. He wasn't that great with England and the Great Britain Lions. If he does come with a good assistant I might be more convinced. Have a strange feeling Madge it is not quite off the scene.

For me him coaching England was always going to be a fail. A wishful thinking appointment if you like.

1. They just aren't good enough. Good teams from time to time but always 3rd best on average

2. How can you coach Eng which requires close attention to Super League while coaching NRL in Australia?

If he's serious it would be a brave board not to back him.

Perhaps have a similar setup to his current and former NRL roles where the successor is also announced in an assistants role
 
The Australian league media never fails to make me laugh. Seen videos of some of the analysts saying they can't understand why the NZRL would be upset if Maguire took on the NSW role. Like they that is a backwards way of thinking and there is no conflict here despite that role being where the Kangaroos predominantly choose their players from.

These were from before it was announced. But lets flip it and say he was already the NSW Origin coach and the NZRL came knocking. Their thoughts on the situation would flip we have seen it often enough with issues when they come up. You sit there thinking wait a minute last time this happened you had the opposite argument.

An indication of how much of Maguire's time will be taken up by the NSW role is that he's said his role at the Raiders will be reduced. From comments I've heard from various comment the last few years thar the Origin coach does a bit more work than just around the Origin period.

It's a shame from a Kiwis point of view. Also shows the sport has a lot of work to do. Yes Origin should be big but the international game should be bigger. Or that is what we should be aiming for even if it is a small group of high quality teams.
 
It's a shame from a Kiwis point of view. Also shows the sport has a lot of work to do. Yes Origin should be big but the international game should be bigger. Or that is what we should be aiming for even if it is a small group of high quality teams.

It could be but there’s an effort to limit internationals from an ARLC perspective.

The scrapping of mid season tests another example of limiting international footys ability to generate media attention and building brands etc.

The reasoning for scrapping it was that we would get more internationals at the end of season. I would assume that would mean more than 3 tests. In fact we got less and Samoa only got 2 tests. They Jedi mind tricked everyone on that.

Tonga v Kiwis sold out last year. You could even do Tonga v Samoa every year.

Unfortunately NRL hold the power and unless they intentionally allow it to grow it will always be limited.

We need more professional leagues globally before we will see any real growth. Too much dependance on the NRL for layer pool.
 
It could be but there’s an effort to limit internationals from an ARLC perspective.

The scrapping of mid season tests another example of limiting international footys ability to generate media attention and building brands etc.

The reasoning for scrapping it was that we would get more internationals at the end of season. I would assume that would mean more than 3 tests. In fact we got less and Samoa only got 2 tests. They Jedi mind tricked everyone on that.

Tonga v Kiwis sold out last year. You could even do Tonga v Samoa every year.

Unfortunately NRL hold the power and unless they intentionally allow it to grow it will always be limited.

We need more professional leagues globally before we will see any real growth. Too much dependance on the NRL for layer pool.
It also doesn't help that the NRL season is getting longer. Sure it was only an extra round but that was part of the debate with the RLPA with extra workloads. The Grand Final used to be the last Sunday in September that has bee pushed out in recent years. Then we have the start of the season which some years it seems earlier or busier with trials, 9s and the All Stars. This season with the extra team and more byes may have just felt longer. Also the Warriors winning and missing out on our fix some weeks.:)

I commented after the last Kiwis game how it felt strange going so deep into the year for the final game. A high workload for the players before they get some time off to refresh then get back into the pre season.

As the NRL generates some much revenue for the ARL its unlikely they would shorten the season and push it as higher quality to the broadcasters instead of quantity. More games means more advertising.

I've always been in favour of stopping the NRL during the Origin period where it sort of drags a bit due to the weakened sides. The Aussies can have the Origin games while the other side plays internationals. It keeps the Origin players in camp throughout the series. The main issue would be clubs having more players out with other sides and the risk of injury. Then the Aussies would likely complain as the other countries would have players with higher test caps than their players.

To me If we continue with tests at the end of the year we need to be focused on the matches they do internationally. Similar to this year have a series involving England then focus on key games in the Southern Hemisphere. Either a few games or a test series between two sides.

The Aussies liked Samoa vs Tonga in Sydney around Origin. The first thing I'd do for the end of year tests is book them for Mt Smart. Also either of them vs the Kiwis at Mt Smart. The low crowds at the end of the season don't help as it looks like people start to move on after a long NRL season. The two pacific sides are the main ones that seem to pull crowds. A game at Mt Smart every year either Tonga vs Samoa or either side vs the Kiwis should be booked after the NRL season. I'd start with Mt Smart mainly due to the shape and the capacity is manageable to get up there for a decent atmosphere.
 
The international games needs a wealthy backer or someone as has been mentioned on a previous post, and an administration separate from the NRL, that is the only way it can really challenge Origin. This year's crop of Kiwis most certainly would have, on a consistant basis Internationals need to be the pinnacle. England have yet to play a Tier One nation, they never faced Oz or the Kiwis in the World Cup. They have been quietly getting stronger, no one really knows how good they are. They did dispose of Tonga at home this year.
 
The international games needs a wealthy backer or someone as has been mentioned on a previous post, and an administration separate from the NRL, that is the only way it can really challenge Origin. This year's crop of Kiwis most certainly would have, on a consistant basis Internationals need to be the pinnacle. England have yet to play a Tier One nation, they never faced Oz or the Kiwis in the World Cup. They have been quietly getting stronger, no one really knows how good they are. They did dispose of Tonga at home this year.
Would love a 3 match series against England over the origin period.
 
The international games needs a wealthy backer or someone as has been mentioned on a previous post, and an administration separate from the NRL, that is the only way it can really challenge Origin. This year's crop of Kiwis most certainly would have, on a consistant basis Internationals need to be the pinnacle. England have yet to play a Tier One nation, they never faced Oz or the Kiwis in the World Cup. They have been quietly getting stronger, no one really knows how good they are. They did dispose of Tonga at home this year.
Yeah the IRL just don’t have the money or power to broker with the NRL. You would need to have FIFA level power to make a significant change to the calendar structure.

I fear ultimately that international rugby league will become amateur in 20-30years time. Players won’t be released and the Kiwis will become a team of domestic players representing our nation. In a similar way to how American Football operates outside of the NFL.
 
It also doesn't help that the NRL season is getting longer. Sure it was only an extra round but that was part of the debate with the RLPA with extra workloads. The Grand Final used to be the last Sunday in September that has bee pushed out in recent years. Then we have the start of the season which some years it seems earlier or busier with trials, 9s and the All Stars. This season with the extra team and more byes may have just felt longer. Also the Warriors winning and missing out on our fix some weeks.:)

I commented after the last Kiwis game how it felt strange going so deep into the year for the final game. A high workload for the players before they get some time off to refresh then get back into the pre season.

As the NRL generates some much revenue for the ARL its unlikely they would shorten the season and push it as higher quality to the broadcasters instead of quantity. More games means more advertising.

I've always been in favour of stopping the NRL during the Origin period where it sort of drags a bit due to the weakened sides. The Aussies can have the Origin games while the other side plays internationals. It keeps the Origin players in camp throughout the series. The main issue would be clubs having more players out with other sides and the risk of injury. Then the Aussies would likely complain as the other countries would have players with higher test caps than their players.

To me If we continue with tests at the end of the year we need to be focused on the matches they do internationally. Similar to this year have a series involving England then focus on key games in the Southern Hemisphere. Either a few games or a test series between two sides.

The Aussies liked Samoa vs Tonga in Sydney around Origin. The first thing I'd do for the end of year tests is book them for Mt Smart. Also either of them vs the Kiwis at Mt Smart. The low crowds at the end of the season don't help as it looks like people start to move on after a long NRL season. The two pacific sides are the main ones that seem to pull crowds. A game at Mt Smart every year either Tonga vs Samoa or either side vs the Kiwis should be booked after the NRL season. I'd start with Mt Smart mainly due to the shape and the capacity is manageable to get up there for a decent atmosphere.
England v Kiwis in a series would be great. Samoa v France. Tonga v Lebanon. PNG v Cook Islands. And just rotate each year. The NRL clubs would be evenly weakened.
 
Why would we try and get rid of Madge the fella that just took NZ to their biggest ever win against Australia and the first time they've been held scoreless, selectors & old players think their bigger than the game joke NZRL is, the way I see it this would probably be a good outcome for Australian & NZ rugby league, they don't really want us playing Origin this could entice Madge to have enough understanding to help these Kiwis come home instead of playing Origin I just hope he doesn't steal our players
24-0 in 2005 so this year was not the first year they had been held scoreless.
If they gave Madge the ultimatum of one or the other Madge showed where his allegiances lie and what he would have favored.
 
Shame it came to that really. Is it still possible he could pick up the reins after his Blues role is finished this year?
 
Wayne Bennett's big call on Kiwis amid Michael Maguire coaching fallout
Andrew Reid
Andrew Reid
2 December 2023, 1:38 pm
Pictured left to right is Wayne Bennett and Michael Maguire.
Wayne Bennett has declared his interest in coaching the New Zealand rugby league side after the departure of Michael Maguire. Pic: Getty
Wayne Bennett has declared his interest in taking over from Michael Maguire as coach of New Zealand's rugby league side. The master coach - whose contract with the Dolphins runs until the end of the 2024 NRL season - made the bombshell admission to News Corp in a stunning new development after Maguire's exit from the Kiwis role.

The New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) agreed to part ways with Maguire after the former Wests Tigers and Rabbitohs coach was offered the job to replace Brad Fittler as NSW State of Origin coach. Maguire's appointment to a multi-year deal with the Blues was confirmed on Thursday, leaving New Zealand with the task of replacing a man who helped mastermind the Kiwis' record-breaking 30-0 mauling of Australia in the final of the Pacific

Former Kiwi captain Nathan Cayless and legendary New Zealand halfback Stacey Jones are among the leading contenders to replace Maguire in the role. However, Bennett's huge admission is sure to cause ripples across the Tasman, with the 73-year-old admitting that he would be very interested in coaching the Kiwis when his contract with the Dolphins ends next year.
“I’m not retired yet so if the Kiwis are interested, I’m certainly open to it,” Bennett told News Corp. “I have great affection for the Kiwis, I coach several of their guys at the Dolphins in the Bromwich boys (Jesse and Kenny) and Jamayne Isaako. The door is certainly open for me. If it’s an option for the New Zealand Rugby League, they know where to find me.”
 
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Shame it came to that really. Is it still possible he could pick up the reins after his Blues role is finished this year?
He'll likely be damaged goods after Qld triumph over NSW again and again!

Best to grow going forward and if Bennett comes on board Cayless and Stacy will take the reins after..
 
Dylan Walker is likely to become available for the Kiwis either next year of the year after due to his three year contract and the standown since he last played for the Roos. Can remember not that long ago, he expressed his desire to play for the Kiwis.
 
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